“May the force be with you…”(Star Wars™)

Greek Mythology includes the story of Mentor, son of Alcumus, and, later in life, a friend of Odysseus.

When a desire to go on an “odyssey” (which included the Trojan Wars as one site of these wanderings) called the attention of Odysseus, he asked his friend Mentor to take care of his son, Telemachus; and to take care of his palace.

Mentor had always filled the role of a more experienced wise and trusted counselor/friend to Odysseus, and that of a tutor to Telemachus.

Obi-Wan Kenobi of “Star Wars” was a hermetic character of severe mystery, who was identified as being an exiled Jedi Master.

In the movie, Obi-Wan tutors Luke Skywalker to effectively use The Force. Under Obi-Wan Kenobi’s tutelage, the young Luke is provided with instruction, weaponry, and at least one rescue from death.

Luke is empowered by Obi-Wan to develop and progress from being an apprentice, to a knight, to master on the Jedi High Council.

Today, the term “mentor” is still defined as a more experienced, wiser, trusted counselor/friend who instructs, equips, tutors, and rescues the person he or she is mentoring: “the mentee.”

Different professions in both the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors now offer mentoring programs to new employees, where the new employee is matched up with a more veteran employee with a greater degree of expertise and professional savvy.

http://www.mentornet.net/may10event/?gclid=CMie_rTf_ZsCFYZM5QodgyXD_g
http://www.neafoundation.org/publications/mentoring.htm

Schools around the country have for years coordinated and hosted formalized student mentoring programs as a way to help students feel more connected and recognized; particularly in light of the growing pressures facing kids today. Mentoring programs have also been a great way for schools to become actively involved in helping to prepare students for their lives in the 21st Century.

These programs match students either with a caring adult, community member, or older student who provides ongoing positive role-modeling, guidance, and support to the students they are matched with.

MONTGOMERY NEWS ARTICLE about UMS Student Mentoring Prog.rtf
SOUTH BRUNSWICK MENTORING PROGRAM HOME NEWS TRIBUNE.doc

http://www.state.nj.us/education/ser/pslp/
http://www.search-institute.org/
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/research/chc/harvard-mentoring-project/

And, businesspeople all over have utilized the mentoring approach in their work with high school interns, who work at businesses in order to gain unpaid practical experience; as well as to accumulate community service hours needed either for graduation or for their college resumes.

Mentoring relationships have a certain value-added component to them where both the mentor and the mentee achieve great gains as a result of the connection.

Yet, there is one businessman who decided to focus his student mentoring program on a younger age bracket: 3rd graders.

From the time his now 15-year old daughter was in the 3rd grade through her 9th grade year, Terence Biggs, Jr. coordinated a “Take Your Child to Work Day” annual event for our daughter and her three best friends since birth.

This event involved formal letters on company letterhead being sent to each girl’s school about the upcoming excused absence. An annual girls’ sleepover then took place at our home, with observations by all of the girls about the “business smart attire” each girl would wear the following day, and funny stories and giggling about the previous years’ events.

Alarm clocks were set, and the annual reminder from Terence about how the morning would need to flow took place before “lights out,” and just a few added minutes of “giggle time.”

Wake-up time involved the usual episodes when four girls are getting dressed in the morning.

Terence would, each year, go out to the car at the pre-arranged departure time. Like clockwork, one of the best friends would arrive last to the car amidst the annual roaring laughter of the rest of the group. This was always followed by the annual trip to a favorite donut joint for a power breakfast to discuss the strategic plan for the day.

Commuting was a teachable moment each year as Terence emphasized the challenges of commuting, and reinforced that the girls' parents faced these challenges twice daily, five days each week. The girls got to see firsthand what rush hour traffic looks and feels like, and they all quickly determined that they hated it.

Scheduled and pre-arranged visits to a number clients’ businesses were then made, with the clients who were visited in any given year feeling genuinely honored and thrilled to have been selected to be part of this annual event they’d heard and read so much about -- each year the event was covered in the local newspapers to the amazement and delight of the girls.

After a full day of client visits, photo sessions, professional client interviews by the girls, note-taking, tours around facilities, a power lunch to regroup and revisit the plan for the remainder of the day; they would complete their scheduled client visits and tours before heading to Terence’s business which he retired from a few years ago.

Terence’s business tagline and trademark continues to be Excellence without Excuse ™, and this was always put to the test with the girls after their day of going to work with Terence – their notes were carefully scanned by Terence to make sure they were as complete as the girls’ ages in any given school year would allow them to be.

A brief team meeting to discuss the events of the day, ask and answer any questions then took place before each girl was given her “paycheck” for a full day of work.

An annual “We’ve just got paid!” shopping trip always followed before heading back to our home for parent pick-ups.

Each girl was also responsible to finalize a report from the notes they’d taken, and then forward the report to Terence at a later date. Surprise incentive rewards were immediately sent out when the reports were submitted.

The girls reluctantly made the collaborative decision that the “Annual Take Your Child to Work Day” event would not be able to take place in grades 10-12 because of the amount of high school work missed if one is absent for a day.

However, they have not stopped plotting with each other to get Terence to schedule a Summer Take Your Child to Work Day event, and have told him they would like to continue the event even after they are all married and have their own children…

This represents student mentoring in some of its finest moments.

We can all provide some variation of mentoring to a child, teen, young adult, new employee, colleague, or neighbor.

All we have to do is look around to see who might benefit from the extension of a Mentoring Lifeline…and then just extend it.

And, when it’s our turn to reach for an extended Mentoring Lifeline…we should just grab it, and “may the force be with all of us to grow, develop, progress, excel, and succeed to our individual levels of potential.”

http://www.search-institute.org/developmental-assets-tools#lists
http://www.mentoring.org/

Terence H. Biggs, Jr. has a degree in Managerial Accounting, and worked on Wall Street as a managerial accountant for many years before pursuing his entrepreneurial dream to own his own business. Terence’s thriving retail men’s clothing and tuxedo business was at its peak when he decided to retire from the world of self-employment to begin a third career. He is currently a Marketing & Sales executive with the primary east coast tuxedo wholesaler, where he is now in the position to guide and mentor other small business owners to achieve the same level of excellence and success he achieved in his business. In addition, Terence recently founded Marketplace Dynamics, LLC; a marketing firm that specializes in the formalwear industry. Terence is the husband of LifelineExtensions.blog’s author, Sharon, and the couple live in New Jersey with their 15-year old daughter.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader

Feed Back Regular Feedback...

Former New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch had the right idea when during his three-term tenure as mayor he would repeatedly and frequently ask his NYC constituents and others a question that would become known as his signature:

“HOW’MI DOIN’?”


Some individuals may have thought this personalized and ongoing quest to obtain honest and transparent feedback from his constituents, colleagues, and superiors was no more than a “fishing expedition for compliments.”

But, as someone who was living in New York City during this time, I summarily beg to differ with that school of thought.

Feedback provided to Mayor Koch clearly and unequivocally told him what he was doing right and seemed to understand; and what he was doing wrong and seemed not to understand.

http://www.answers.com/topic/ed-koch


And, that is what regular, ongoing, relevant, targeted, current, honest, and transparent feedback, or formative assessment, is supposed to do. The mural-like picture painted by true formative assessment is sometimes very beautiful, but at other times rather scary to even glance at.

Experts in the World of Education’s formative assessment movement such as Stiggins, William, Black, Reeves, and others have for years encouraged educators to infuse and embed this 21st Century effective approach into their daily work with students.

They have even provided professional development around the country to help educators focus on “assessing students FOR their learning,” making this a common and everyday best practice in the classroom.

A practice radically different and more student-centered and student-focused than the traditional model of assessment OF student learning, which tends to take on the shape of a more one-time, summative, snapshot-like, and judgmental nature.

While both forms of assessment may be utilized in an attempt to engage the PROCESS of student progress and achievement of excellence and success; the more ongoing and FORMATIVE version of assessment provides the kind of "REAL-TIME DATA" diverse learners need on a regular and consistent basis if they are to be held accountable for participating in their own progress.

Formatively assessing students allows for the creation, development, and nurturing of effective and targeted teaching. This ongoing assessment provides the data or information needed to continue driving forward improved student performance and achievement; regardless of the demographic of the student.

When students (both those being led, and those who lead others) either ask for or are freely given meaningful and targeted feedback, the door for self-reflection and self-correction is opened wide.

Also, opportunities are created for the person providing the feedback to mentor and guide the learner to achieve high levels of improvement, excellence, and success; as well as to crystallize for the mentor or teacher which "teaching points" might need adjustments for different kinds of learners.

So, like Mayor Koch did in New York City when he wanted to make sure he was consistently on point while trying to meet the needs of so many varied and diverse constituents, colleagues, and superiors; students, teachers, and leaders of all types might indeed benefit from honestly, transparently, repeatedly, and frequently asking and answering one simple question:

“HOW’MI DOIN’?”


Then, listen with an open ear, mind, and heart to information about any areas possibly needing improvement; and continue to grow and develop those areas that may currently yield success. And, remember that formative assessment is a process, not a product. Therefore, it may take time for the desired results to really kick in to full gear...

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader

What's all the hype about 21st Century skills???

“Genius” might be an appropriate descriptor to use when referring to the 2002 co-founding of Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) by Ken Kay & Diny Golder-Dardis.

http://www.weareteachers.com/web/cybersummit/home;jsessionid=2A5731C9378124486B3923002E6BE6D4

After observing a “…profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st Century communities and workplaces…” P21 started an aggressive promotional campaign to nationally publicize its highly-regarded and widely-accepted mission statement:

“Serve as a catalyst to position 21st Century skills at the center of U.S. K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders.”

Endorsements from the U.S. Department of Education and eight organizations representing both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors helped strengthen both the message and the start-up monies needed for P21’s work.

So what’s all the hype about 21st Century skills, anyway?

P21 has defined the skills that are necessary to be an effective citizen and an effective worker in today’s global society:

· Information & communications, media & technology…
· Thinking & problem-solving…
· Interpersonal & self-direction, collaboration, accountability…
· Global awareness…
· Financial, economic, business literacy; entrepreneurial…
· Civic literacy…


Among those validating this message are some governors & heads of state educational systems, parents, educators and childcare providers, HR directors, and leaders of colleges and universities around the nation.

College & University admissions officers and their umbrella organizations have begun to spread the message to high school students about the importance of engaging in community service, volunteerism, clubs, teams, and other activities that will serve as a balance for the rigorous academic content the students are held accountable for. The College Board has also posted an abundance of information about Growth Industry Jobs on their website.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/majors_careers/237.html

Human Resources Directors who were surveyed by P21 revealed key areas they look for when recruiting and hiring people: critical thinking, information technology, health & wellness, collaboration, innovation, personal financial responsibility.

Correlations may be seen between what HR Directors who were surveyed are seeking regarding potential employees and the following statement from the U.S. Department of Labor (2009):

“The majority of this job growth comes from three subgroups: computer and mathematical occupations; health care practitioners and technical occupations; and education, training, and library occupations. Examples of occupations within these three areas are: computer software engineers; database administrators; desktop publishers; medical records and health information technicians; and special education, preschool, and elementary teachers. Among health care practitioners, registered nurses--by far the largest occupation in this subgroup--should account for more than a third of all new jobs.”

http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/hotjobs03.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24794156/
http://www.doleta.gov/business/industries/

Some may ask “whose responsibility is it to develop these needed 21st Century skills in children?” And, the resounding response would likely be: It’s everyone’s responsibility.

Parents & Educators are finding the need to greatly shift thinking and traditional practices that were the acceptable norm during the 20th Century, but are no longer appropriate or applicable for today’s 21st Century learners.

The demands of these “digital learners” coupled with the demands of the shifted global economy requires a more current, 21st Century way of thinking and doing in order for the country’s young (and old) to successfully excel and compete.

“Business as usual” is quickly becoming an outdated mantra in both the modern and traditional sectors.

Find out how your individual states are responding to P21’s call-to-action for the consistent and systematic implementation of 21st Century skills-building at the K-12 levels across the nation…there’s an entire generation of young learners depending on these responses…

http://www.weareteachers.com/web/cybersummit/home;jsessionid=2A5731C9378124486B3923002E6BE6D4
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/career/employment/jobs-some-industries-still-projected-grow

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader

Baby Boomers Getting healthy & Staying healthy...Fighting Diabetes & Depression...

Baby Boomers will tell you that either they themselves, or someone they know (or have known) has battled against the onset or threat of onset of Diabetes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC):

“Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes. Of these people living with diabetes, about 18 million have been diagnosed, and about 6 million do not know they have it. In 2007, about 1.6 million adults were newly diagnosed with diabetes, and at least 57million adults were at risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death. It is also a leading cause for complications such as blindness, kidney failure, and lower extremity amputations.”

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/

Reports from current studies further reveal that there may be a link between the onset of depression and the risk of getting diabetes, and the onset of diabetes and the risk of suffering from depression.

The CDC has reported that:

“Depression and anxiety are two major causes of illness and death in the United States and are associated with reduced quality of life, social functioning, and excess disability.”

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsBRFSSDepressionAnxiety/

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1735710620080617

Consistently healthy living and dietary habits may help prevent or postpone the onset of both diabetes and depression – two reported leading causes of death for the Baby Boomer generation and their parents.

Annual check-ups in your physician’s office are highly recommended. This way any undetected ailments will show up in the blood work that is done; opening the door for honest conversations about current lifestyles and eating habits.

At times there may be a need for medicines to be prescribed, however, more and more doctors are first prescribing to their patients a renewed lifestyle of smart and healthy diets, exercise, and overall living.

For centuries people have relied on natural home remedies to prevent, fight, and cure diseases.

There has been an increase in the number of sources describing natural home remedies currently available and easily accessible that may help prevent and fight both diabetes and depression.

If you happen to be someone who is not keen on the idea of having to take prescription medicine over a prolonged period of time, you may want to look into these home dietary and exercise remedies that are being described. In any event, you should consider first consulting with your physician to make sure whatever healthy living regiment you pursue is the right/best one for your specific case.

Reclaiming your health will take a lot of work on your part….but, the benefits may just last you an entire lifetime…Get healthy & Stay healthy…


http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html

http://www.grannymed.com/meds/diabetes.aspx

http://www.womenfitness.net/yoga_for_diabetes.htm

http://www.natural-homeremedies.com/homeremedies_diabetes.htm

http://www.natural-homeremedies.com/homeremedies_depression.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2126980_use-yoga-fight-depression.html

http://herbs.ygoy.com/2008/04/12/fight-depression-with-herbs-herbal-remedies/

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader

EARLY BIRD Back-to-School Savings...

It’s never too early to start taking advantage of some of the advertised and unadvertised Early Bird Back-to-School Savings.



Try to take a moment to check out the links below to find out about a slew of savings on clothing, shoes, and school supplies for your school-aged children.



The links will sometimes lead you to other links, so make sure you have time to carefully go through the pages because there seems to be something on every page that spells:

$$$ S-A-V-I-N-G-S $$$

Happy Early Bird Shopping!!!

http://www.citidex.com/3150.htm

http://staples.shoplocal.com/staples/default.aspx?action=entryflash&adref=staples_right_hand_nav&cm_sp=merchandising-_-Specials%20Page-_-Local%20Circular





http://couponing.about.com/od/apparelarticlesnews/a/backtoschool.htm





http://www.amazon.com/Back-to-School-Supplies/b/ref=amb_link_84610731_2?ie=UTF8&node=1065840&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1P5VQR1Q4TMMF9EZZV2G&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=482654451&pf_rd_i=1000390651





http://www.thechildrenswearoutlet.com/shop/index.php





http://shoesaccessories.suite101.com/article.cfm/shopping_for_back_to_school_shoes




http://shoesaccessories.suite101.com/article.cfm/shopping_for_discount_shoes

"That SAHM I am! That SAHM I am!"

Title: Professional SAHM

Key Accomplishments: Provide senior leadership in the collaborative and coordinated logistics; public relations; activities; security; medical treatment; meal preparation; facility improvements, upgrades, and maintenance; budget development and administration; scheduling; goal-setting; daily instruction, and other varied functions as the need arises for the husband and children I am happily responsible for.

Stay-At-Home-Moms (SAHMs) have no gaps in their work experience…

One SAHM recently asked the following questions regarding other SAHMs:

Are any SAHMs taking classes or attending conferences to stay on top of their field of study for when (if) they decide to return to work outside of the home? What are some other things SAHMs are doing related to their professional skill-base while they’re home?


I decided to think about what my own response to those questions might be…

I’ve been out of my field of study for five years, and hope to remain at home for at least another four, so I haven’t really given much thought to preparing to return to work outside of the home.

But, I think if I were going to return soon, I might subscribe to any publications related to my field (for me that would be music educators’ journals). I would also plan to attend the annual conference for the New Jersey Music Educators’ Association.

I would certainly brush up on any skills, and research new music available for band and chorus. I’d try to read as much as possible and research on-line lesson plans appropriate for any classes I might possibly teach. Networking on electronic sites is also a great way to stay connected and get updated information about any new trends in your industry.

When I posed those same questions to other SAHMs I got a very enlightening variety of responses:

·Some SAHMs haven’t really thought about returning to work outside of the home because of the years they’d determined to be SAHMs.

·Others have taken part-time or half-time positions so they have flexible enough schedules to be home before their school-aged children get home from school. This has helped balance the time needed for any after-school or extra-curricular activities the kids may be involved in.

·Part-time and half-time positions might include working as a paraprofessional or instructional aide in your child’s school, working as a half-time teacher at the pre-school or kindergarten level, etc.

·Master’s Degrees have been completed by some SAHMs once the kids were all in school and they had morning hours free to attend classes.

·Another possible option seems to have become the completion of on-line courses and/or on-line degrees – the self-pacing aspect of this option might be appealing to individuals looking for a certain level of scheduling flexibility.

·Some SAHMs have started home businesses, while others have marketed their skills to act as consultants to already established businesses.

In a nutshell, there are really so many flexible possibilities when you have the benefit of a SAHM's “flexible schedule.”

I think above all I would just recommend thinking out-of-the-box about what works best for you and your family -- every SAHM's situation and degree of flexibility is so different from the next person's...

And, definitely continue to stay connected with other SAHMs to check in on what folks are doing.

Hopefully, these thoughts have helped trigger some helpful ideas for you. I’ll speak with you again next Saturday…

Stephanie Evans
Professional SAHM


Stephanie Evans and her husband, Bill, live in New Jersey with their three daughters who are ages five, three, and one. Stephanie has a B.S. degree in Music Education and taught Music for 11 years in the public school system. She loves children and enjoyed being a teacher, but she loves being a SAHM even more!

It's not just a party...IT'S AN EVENT!

When Lisa Richardson-Hall and Devvan Dowdy met as college roommates at Virginia State University some years ago, neither of them knew at the time that they would become business partners of their co-founded and co-owned company, Eventfully Yours.

Lisa recently agreed to be interviewed by LifelineExtensions.blog to share down-to-earth, honest, and practical tips about starting a business that allows someone the flexibility to work from home.


LifelineExtensions: Lisa, thanks for fitting this interview into your extremely busy schedule. Talk a little bit about who you are – your background, education, and any previous work experience.

Lisa: I grew up in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the youngest of six children. Up until 10th grade I attended public school, but around that time I started to lose some of my focus. My father picked up on this immediately and called one of my brothers, who was attending Yale University at the time, to tell my brother he was bringing me to Connecticut to live with him so I could finish high school there.

I still tease my dad about “yanking me away from my friends and shipping me up to Connecticut!” But, in all seriousness, I believe that’s what saved me. I attended an all-girl Catholic school there, and was accepted into Virginia State University.

Initially, my major was Education. But, I started to notice all of the great internships students majoring in Hotel Management were taking advantage of. I was really impressed by the internships and by the work being done by the Hotel Management students, so I changed majors.

My first internship was at Harrah’s in Atlantic City where I lived for the entire summer. Then, the next summer I interned at The Marriott in New York City, which is where I lived during that summer. The following school year I was accepted into the Disney Program internship for an entire semester!

After college graduation, Disney invited me back for their Management Trainee Program. So, I lived in Orlando, Florida for three years until I got the call from New Jersey to say that my mother had passed away. I knew then that I wanted to be back in New Jersey close to my father and the rest of my family.

Back in Jersey an opportunity became available to be part of a team to open a Hotel & Conference Center in Basking Ridge, where I managed the front office for about nine years. That’s where I met my husband, Rob. One year after we got married we had our first child, and it was at that point we decided I would become a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom).

LifelineExtensions: Was this when you decided to start a business?

Lisa: Believe it or not, it was a little while before then. I remember so vividly planning my wedding along with my best friend and former college roommate, Devvan Dowdy. We enjoyed the experience of planning the wedding so much that we started talking about possibly starting a business together so we could plan events all the time. That’s when

Eventfully Yours was birthed, which we formed as a Partnership.

Our first event was a Mother’s Day Brunch at The Armory in Perth Amboy. It was so successful that people immediately started asking us to plan events for them. One of our next events was a Sweet 16 Party. By then, word-of-mouth had really started to drum up business for Eventfully Yours.

LifelineExtensions: How did you come up with the name Eventfully Yours?

Lisa: We wanted a name that was different and creative. Something that would shout out the message that we wouldn’t be simple party throwers, but we would instead develop your party idea into the creation of an EVENT!

LifelineExtensions: Word-of-mouth promotions can certainly work to a business owner’s advantage, but tell us a little bit about who your customers are. Also, how do you determine what kind of fee structure to use with your diverse client-base?

Lisa: Our customer-base is developing a pretty diverse mix. Teenagers have been some of our most dedicated customers, with us coordinating a lot of their Sweet 16 parties. As a result of just one party, we can easily have either that same parent book us for parties of other children in the family; or the friends of the person hosting the original party enjoy themselves so much that sometimes they ask us right on the spot if they can call us to book a similar party for them at a later date.

We’ve also catered to Baby Boomers who are planning Retirement Roasts, birthday parties, and other celebrations coordinated. Not too long ago, we did an event for the Department of Health and some other events for local politicians and corporate executives. We’ve got two big corporate events coming up that we’re really excited about.

Regarding our fee structure, we generally have contracts where Eventfully Yours earns 20% to 25% of the budget for the event. With our smaller-scale customers there is sometimes a flat fee, which really seems to work well for these clients. The important thing for us is to build a strong level of trust in this area so that our customers will not only be satisfied with the event and all the trimmings. We want them satisfied and comfortable with the financial component, as well.

LifelineExtensions: Have you ever had to deal with challenging customers, and if so, how have you handled them?

Lisa: Funny you should ask! Not too long ago we did have a situation where the customer expressed complete dissatisfaction about a part of the event coordination. Thankfully, having a background in hotel management provides you with the kind of skills you need to deal with customer complaints; which happen every day in the hotel industry.

During training and coaching sessions there’s a lot of role-playing and practice in turning potentially explosive situations around so that the customer knows you want the best for him or her, and eventually walks away feeling attended to and satisfied. With the situation I mentioned I allowed my hotel management background to take over, and fortunately everything worked out for the best.

LifelineExtensions: Were there any other hurdles to date that Eventfully Yours has had to jump over?

Lisa: Yes. One huge hurdle was during our start-up phase, which is why I recommend to everyone starting a business to become very knowledgeable about both the creative AND the business side of your company. We think we may have been so excited about the business and the experiences of coordinating events that we didn’t keep complete records, and one huge mistake we made was not having our taxes done professionally by a certified public accountant.

We actually lost our incorporation because we didn’t file our taxes properly. Thankfully, we’ve been able to recover and learn from our initial mistakes; but we hope others take the advice of hiring professionals to take care of the business side so you can focus on the creative side.

Devvan now focuses on pulling all of the creative pieces together for the events we coordinate, and I focus on securing events and working with the professionals we now have taking care of the records on a computerized system so we can gain access to them if and when we need to.



LifelineExtensions: I guess what I’m about to ask about would be a good problem, but has there been any event so far that Eventfully Yours has been asked to coordinate that would honestly have been a little too big for the company to successfully pull off at your current operational size?

Lisa: I’m glad you asked that because this is an important thing for anyone wanting to start a business to know. After we’d coordinated one of the events we did for a local politician we started to get a lot of positive feedback. Eventually, that feedback became an invitation for us to interview to be selected to coordinate a really big political function. We were so honored to have been invited to interview.

But, right after the interview we just knew we weren’t in the position to coordinate that event to the same high caliber we require of ourselves when planning all of our events.

We weren’t selected, but again; the interview process was good for us. That process served to motivate the two of us to really be “hungry” to grow our business so that we can operate like a corporation instead of like a successful and respected “Ma & Pa” business. We sat down at that point and did a lot of reflection about our start-up, current operational status, and a market plan for where we’d like to go as the business continues to grow in both size and reputation.

LifelineExtensions: Now, you’d mentioned word-of-mouth promotions having helped grow the business since its start-up. Have you included any other marketing campaigns, especially in this economic landscape we’re now confronted with?

Lisa: We hadn’t, but we’ve started several enhancements to how we market and promote Eventfully Yours. The word-of-mouth marketing tool was helpful for both of us because we are both SAHMs, and we were pleased with the fact that we’d been successful in having the business provide sustainable income for both of us.

However, when Devvan and I sat down to talk about our need for a more improved marketing plan after the interview I’d mentioned earlier; we decided then that we definitely need to have a website up and running so that past, current, and potential clients can visit the site to find out about the business, and make reservations for us to coordinate events for them.

We’re also developing an advertising element to our marketing campaign so that the name Eventfully Yours becomes the first name people think of when they want to hire event coordinators.

Let’s face it, competition exists. But, among some of the local competition you have larger businesses that have been in business longer; so Eventfully Yours is realistic about HOW we compete against these competitors.

LifelineExtensions: So then, what in addition to the marketing you’ve already done successfully, and your new campaign, makes Eventfully Yours stand out; especially to your higher paying C-level customers?

Lisa: We believe the fact that we treat every event as if it were our own has led our customers to experience great satisfaction with our service. Literally anyone can throw a party. But, Eventfully Yours doesn’t throw parties. We coordinate events regardless of the size of the event. So, we’re pitching to more of those C-level customers you’ve mentioned so that even more of them are included in our business portfolio.

LifelineExtensions: And, along with an increased customer portfolio comes the need for increased manpower. How have you factored that in?

Lisa: You’re absolutely right. So, we’ve developed a team of 10 to 15 people who work with us when we coordinate larger events. We wanted to provide opportunities for college students to gain work experience while they are still students, like we both did; so we began recruiting talent.



LifelineExtensions: It’s always great when businesses make these opportunities available to students. With such a strong background in hotel management and people relations, Eventfully Yours is probably looking for students with that certain je ne se qua – that almost unexplainable “right stuff and natural presence.” Talk about what that looks like in terms of any student fortunate enough to be part of your team.

Lisa: Personality that shines through immediately is a must! We want young people who are stars in their own right! Of course, we provide extensive and intense training and coaching prior to any event, but we need team players who have the mindset and attitude that always puts the customer’s needs first.

And, definitely individuals who are always alert and “on.” Being in the event coordination business requires excellent listening and speaking skills because you’re constantly engaging and interacting with customers and their guests. You have to be able to read the pulse of the crowd to know right away if there’s anything you or any other member of the team should or should not be doing.

This also means that everyone on the team has to be keenly aware of what’s going on with other team members. If you prefer the life of the “free agent” this may not be the business for you to consider pursuing.



LifelineExtensions: Great advice, Lisa. What advice can you give to both college and high school students regarding courses they should take to help prepare them to develop the needed skills?

Lisa: Definitely courses focused on tapping into your own personal creativity. After that, classes that actually teach the mechanics of event planning and focus on helping the students develop image presentations that will help make them stand out from their peers and their competitors.

Business classes on how to operate a successful business and effectively manage projects are critical. It’s also important to take classes on budgeting and managing finances. And, then public speaking, communications, marketing, and group dynamics’ courses will provide excellent theory and hands-on practice. Of course, Devvan and I can’t say enough about taking advantage of internships and opportunities to volunteer as a great way to learn and practice needed skills under the leadership of practicing professionals in the industry.

LifelineExtensions: Lisa, do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers on behalf of Eventfully Yours?

Lisa: First, thanks for making this interview so much fun!

Next, as final thoughts I would say it is absolutely awesome to have a business that affords you the opportunity to be both a successful business owner and a successful SAHM. Seven years later Devvan and I can still say we feel so blessed by the way things are progressing with the business...

For anyone out there aspiring to start a business, please know that YOU CAN DO IT.

There is so much opportunity out there nowadays in so many different industries, so avoid limiting yourself by trying to fit in just one single specialty box. Don’t be afraid to expand your thinking by considering the things you’re good at and things you’re passionate about.

Those elements along with the dedication and time you’ll invest in staying updated and current with industry trends will serve you well. It will also help you continue developing both your creative skills and your business skills while you work toward building a sound, highly respected business with sustainable income. The possibilities are limitless if you’re willing and able to put in the work to make it happen.

LifelineExtensions: Thank you for this excellent and down-to-earth interview, Lisa. Now I want all of LifelineExtensions.blog’s readers to have the contact information for Eventfully Yours in case they’d like to retain you to plan their next event:

Eventfully Yours
25 Brenner Street
Newark, New Jersey 07108
973-297-0909
Direct: 908-244-9000
Eventfullyyours1@aol.com



Lisa Richardson-Hall and Devvan Dowdy are the founders, owners and operators of Eventfully Yours, a New Jersey-based Event Coordination partnership. Lisa and Devvan are SAHMs who enjoy the flexibility built into their busy schedules as wives, mothers, and successful businesswomen. Lisa and her husband have two sons, and Devvan and her husband have two sons and one daughter.


Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader

Whose turn is it to serve?

Although community service may not be a legal responsibility or requirement; any high school guidance office staff member, college or graduate school admissions’ director, recruiting specialist, and/or hiring manager would probably agree that volunteerism is currently being viewed as a healthy ingredient for every individual to maintain in his or her regular personal and professional diet.


Engaging in ongoing service projects and activities designed to allow someone to offer free, unpaid, no-fine-print, no-strings-attached, old-fashioned help to one or more other people who may benefit from the help; is a “win-win” formula for everyone involved – both the givers and the receivers are renewed, rejuvenated, replenished, and re-focused.


Unfortunately, pure and legitimate service will still sometimes cause raised eyebrows followed by the question: how much is this gonna cost?



For people who, along with a purposed determination, dare to believe that our experiences, expertise, education, and everything we’re passionate about can be used to extend lifelines to help others (sharonmariabiggs, 2009); community service, volunteerism, philanthropy, and service learning are among the basic needs that have to be satisfied in order to truly live.


Community Service is not a new concept; it has been around since the beginning of time in all walks and areas of life, all across the globe.


Yet, it seems as if somewhere down the line real or imaginary strings were attached to authentic good deeds that were done just because they needed to be done. The strings turned into ropes, choking the very life out of some individual’s passion, will, desire, and belief in the power of serving.



But, just like not many days can pass before humans need the fulfillment of the other basic needs: food, shelter, and water -- an increasing number of people are fulfilling their need to provide varying kinds of community service to different individuals or groups.

Fortunately for our world, with so many people so very much in need of extended lifelines, community servants are now continuing to share their talents, time, resources, goods, and services AT NO COST BUT AT ALL GAIN.


So, if you’re stumbling to figure out just what kind of service activity your personality or position will match; take a moment to look at the links below to see if you can come up with a few ideas.

Then, just dive in and start serving if you believe it’s your time to do so.

Chances are someone or “someones” have already lined up to immediately grab hold of the lifelines you’re about to extend to help them…don’t miss your turn…

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader


***LifelineExtensions.blog is a community service extended and intended to help others***




http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/volunteer.html#

http://www.rootsandshoots.org/?gclid=CI6Yo9yK65sCFRBM5Qodc2Ct6g

http://www.grdodge.org/aboutus/geraldine.htm

http://www.learnandserve.gov/about/lsa/index.asp

http://www.eirc.org/event/NJASECD-Leading-the-Future/58.html

http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/familygiving.html

http://www.epa.gov/teachers/community-svc-projects.htm

There's hope for the parents of children with Neuroblastoma...

Neuroblastoma is a term that refers to a growth or mass usually common to babies or young children. Some medical experts have said the maximum age is two years, while other experts claim that children up to five years of age can sometimes have the disease.

Medical experts from The Cancer Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, and other respected medical organizations are pouring a lot of time and energy into tackling this mysterious disease, while at the same time trying to compassionately help NB patients and their parents navigate through the world of oncology treatment and/or maintenance.

http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=77780

http://www.uchicagokidshospital.org/specialties/cancer/neuroblastoma/index.html

One other caring individual has taken up the cause to conduct ongoing awareness campaigns and fundraisers designed to raise monies to help further the research that's already being done to help youngsters win their battles against Neuroblastoma.

This person is 24-year old Anna O’Connor of Chicago, who unlike many other Neuroblastoma patients, was diagnosed with the disease in 2002 when she was 17 years old.

http://www.annabanana.org/

Anna’s story is a remarkable one, and well worth everyone becoming familiar with. One will see a timeline and chronicling of the temporary health & wellness setbacks Anna has had to deal with from time to time during the last seven years. But, despite the setbacks; Anna seems to have allowed her heart and love for youngsters to help develop a passionate and laser-focused ambition to raise as much money as she can to help with the fight against Neuroblastoma.


“Anna’s Hope” is the name of the foundation founded by Ms. O’Connor when she, during her own treatment phases, realized how insufficient the funding for Neuroblastoma research is compared with funds allocated to the research of other types of similar diseases.

It is "Anna's hope" that her organization will help increase the funding for Neuroblastoma research, allowing a larger number of NB survivors access to the appropriate medicines and treatments that have been working so effectively for Anna during the maintenance of the disease in her body.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/health/21canc.html?_r=1&hpw

Forging ahead and focusing beyond even recent health challenges, Anna and her dedicated team raised close to $28,000 recently during their Annapalooza 2009 Festival in West Chicago!

Discussion about increased funding for NB research and maintenance therapy heightens the level of optimism of one New York couple who received the news that their youngest of two daughters is battling against Neuroblastoma.

“There was a bump on the baby’s back pretty much since birth, that was diagnosed as hemangioma and treated by the hemangioma specialist. Then, by the time she was 16 months old we started to notice a significant increase in size of a new bump on the baby’s neck so we took her to the pediatrician to have this checked out. We were told by the pediatrician that the baby had a cold and an enlarged lymph node. Antibiotics were prescribed for the cold and we were given an appointment for a few weeks later. The bump was still there at the time of the next visit, and we received a stronger antibiotic medication to administer to the baby. All this time the actual mass was growing undetected,” shares the wife.

“Now, my wife had an appointment with her own doctor shortly after the baby’s visit to her pediatrician, and she brought up to her doctor the issue of the growth in the lymph node on the baby’s neck. Before my wife could even finish describing what the growth looked like, her doctor told her we would need to immediately have blood work and x-rays done on the baby. My wife’s doctor also asked if we knew of a blood specialist we could go to. Since the baby was already being treated by a hemangioma specialist, my wife told her doctor that we had someone to go to. Later, when my wife recounted the story to me, we both knew this didn’t sound very good at all,” added the husband.

The hemangioma specialist was scheduled to see the baby months later for a regular check-up, however, after receiving the emergency call from the wife, they were scheduled in for an appointment two days later. Both parents decided to take the baby to this doctor's visit.

“When the hemangioma specialist took a look at the baby she literally turned pale! She told us we had to take care of this immediately, and began rattling off things like biopsy, x-rays, surgery…at that point my husband and I went into shock. The trip back home was incoherent as we tried to process what was actually going on,” stated the wife.

The couple shared that what followed the news was the beginning of a journey filled with specialists, surgeries, hemangioma treatments, x-rays, needle aspirations, and a new pediatrician for the baby.

Blood work and x-rays that continued would later reveal Neuroblastoma as the problem.

The wife says that she could feel the news she was going to get one day couldn’t be good when she was ushered into a conference room filled with a doctor, social worker, oncologist, and several other people. One of the doctors said they would need to make a conference call to include the husband once all of the medical staff was in attendance. The wife shares that she recalls having a few moments to compose herself while waiting for some of the later-arriving medical professionals to enter the conference room; and states that her husband did not have a chance to brace himself for the news once the call had been put through.

“I had just gotten in from work one day sometime after the baby's growth removal surgery had taken place when the phone rang. It was my wife calling me from the hospital where she'd been admitted for a minor procedure of her own. When she told me doctors were in the room with her and we would all be doing a conference call I almost couldn’t take what I thought I might hear. Then it felt like a Mack truck loaded with heavy materials rolled right over my entire body. I was worried, confused, prayerful, angry, and drained all at once. Surgery for the baby? Our baby would need immediate surgery because the mass had become more enlarged and needed to be removed during a surgical procedure."


Observable improvement was noticed when the majority of the growth was successfully surgically removed after two operations. The couple was informed at that time that the surgical procedure should have been sufficient. They say that this made sense to them because according to all of the information they'd received up to that point the Neuroblastoma was in an entry-level stage and there was no emergency involvement at this point.

“Following the second surgery, we started noticing something we didn’t want to see on the baby’s neck. We think the different specialists must have also been getting together with each other and discussing the same concerns,” expresses the wife.

A needle aspiration was then administered to determine the current state of the mass. Based on the results from this procedure the specialists informed the couple that more aggressive treatment would be needed, which would include chemotherapy treatments. The couple sought the input and advice of three different oncology specialists before agreeing to the chemotherapy. All three specialists told the couple the chemotherapy treatments would be the most proactive steps for them to take for the baby at that point.

Surgery #3 was conducted to install a mediport, which is an intravenous device, into the baby’s chest.

The mediport installation would serve to enable constant access to the vein without having to repeatedly prick the baby's arm to try to find the vein. The couple felt that the minor discomfort caused by the mediport surgery – the temporary mediport is visible and can be felt - did not impede the baby’s ability to run and play like any other active two-year old.

Cycle I chemotherapy treatments and the first dosage of medicines have successfully concluded. The couple is now in the process of checking the baby's levels to make sure everything is working properly – and they and the doctors are delighted that everything is working! Cycle II treatments and accompanying meds will soon begin.

And all the while the baby continues to run and play, and simply does not believe that she is at all sick!

In addition, the husband shares that the baby's appetite is just as healthy now as it was before the chemotherapy treatments began. With unwavering optimism and hope, this couple has continued to reinforce the message of health & wellness to the baby, and to everyone they speak with. They, along with Anna O'Connor, believe that they are taking the best proactive steps to be completely healed and cured, and win the fight against the disease.

The couple has also found it critical for the baby, her 5-year old sister, and for the two of them; to maintain normalcy in their everyday routines at home during the chemotherapy treatment cycles.

Summer camp, school, light chores, following directions, time-outs, loving discipline, family meals and other quality time together are still the order of the day. The baby has developed a keen sense of knowing her body, and is aware of times when she needs to slow down to rest or get a glass of water or a snack.

Honesty and using appropriate medical terminology with their 5-year old has also been a big help to the couple. When their eldest daughter began asking another relative about the baby, the relative alerted the wife. Immediately, the wife said to the 5-year old, “I heard you’ve been asking questions about the baby. What do you want to know?”

Nagging the mind of the older sister was why the baby was going to the doctor so much and having to take medicine all the time.

The wife responded to the older daughter's question by saying, “Right now the baby has something called a mass. Some people call it cancer. So, she has to go to the doctor a lot to get her medicine, to get something called chemotherapy, to get check-ups and sometimes to get shots…”

Shots! That was the part that didn’t seem to register well with the older daughter, although she seemed to readily accept and fully understand everything else mentioned by her mother!

The shots, along with other aspects of the world of oncology, appear to have become routine and somewhat commonplace for the baby. A tiny little finger is stuck out when she now sees the finger prick heading her way. Her two-year old mind is not thinking as much about the finger prick as it is about the stickers she always gets during these visits! And, whenever the baby gets a prize from the medical staff for completing a task; she makes sure to get a prize to take home to her big sister, as well.


Astute, compassionate, and knowledgeable doctors and medical staffs are working hard to help the couple manage the Neuroblastoma. A recent visit to the cardiologist to monitor the baby’s heart rate during the preparation for Cycle II chemotherapy included the use of impressive modern technology. The husband explains that the equipment was similar to sonogram equipment, and displayed a clear and easy-to-understand picture of the baby's heart. The cardiologist was as excited as the parents to see that there was no fluid build-up around the heart, and the husband still remembers the doctor saying: “THIS IS A WONDERFUL PICTURE!”

According to the couple, additional sensitivity being shown by the medical staffs involves the descriptions they have used during the different phases of detection, diagnosis, and treatment. At no point since the initial diagnosis has any doctor or medical professional used the word “cancer.” The terms growth, mass, and the disease are used instead.

Because of the rareness of Neuroblastoma – a reported 600 to 800 diagnosed cases in the U.S. each year – the couple has not been able to find out about or link up with many others with the same Neuroblastoma experiences.

Anna O'Connor is continuing her mission to raise awareness about and funds to help further the research efforts being done to win the battle against the Neuroblastoma disease. The noble campaign started by one caring young woman from West Chicago will now hopefully be duplicated by other similar fundraising drives around the entire county.

This would certainly help couples like Ken & Tyla continue strengthening their fight against Neuroblastoma, as they work toward maintaining their baby's health and wellness...

IF THIS BLOG ARTICLE HAS INSPIRED YOU IN ANY WAY TO JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST NEUROBLASTOMA, PLEASE POST A BLOG RIGHT BELOW TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WILL DO TO HELP...it really does take an entire village...

Visit Anna O'Connor's website at http://www.annabanana.org/, or e-mail her at anna.oconnors.hope@gmail.com.

Donations to “Anna’s Hope” can be made either directly on Anna’s website, or by sending your donation directly to:

Anna’s Hope
P.O. Box 362
Wheaton, IL 60187-0362


Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader

You've got the job...today's four favorite words...

According to one top New Jersey recruiter and headhunter, Eileen Levine of Williamsburg Group Professional Career Consultants, local municipalities have stepped up to help their constituents keep their heads above water in any and every way possible these days. Recruiters like Eileen work on behalf of the person trying to get the job -- these headhunters will work on much of the negotiations with companies for the person before the first interview ever occurs.

With the increased unemployment rate threatening the position homeowners and renters might be in to pay for their living expenses, public libraries, municipal departments, and unemployment offices are now providing “How-To Adult Education Courses” on acquiring jobs, maintaining jobs, building computer skills, resume building, and mock interviewing. In addition, job fairs and networking sessions are occurring in unemployment offices at set times, and anyone needing to use a computer to word process a resume or cover letter can do this at the public library; or the person can work during scheduled computer usage times at most unemployment offices.

Unemployment offices are providing Professional Advancement Searches, which include mock interviews, resume critiquing, resume writing, and networking. According to Ms. Levine, some positions have been filled as a result of these types of networking sessions.

Public libraries have available in their collections the NEW JERSEY MANUFACTURING GUIDE, which is a reference book of all company standard industrial codes. A person can access important company contact information on his/her previous company, as well as other comparable companies in the industry the person is looking to enter. Some local libraries have already begun uploading the guide, so it’s a good idea to find out where to access the electronic version.

Ms. Levine recently shared this and other valuable information with a group gathered at a public library to attend a “The Art of Interviewing & Resume Writing Workshop,” which Levine’s recruiting company designed and offers as a community service.

“I was inspired to make this community service available after an invitation to visit and work with a company in the Midwest that wanted outside consultant advice about how to create a more effective Human Resources Division. The work done with the company was successful in helping them streamline or increase where needed, but it spoke volumes to me about how much the general public really doesn’t know about how their resumes are processed in HR departments – so I decided I needed to tell them,” shared Eileen.

Levine also states, “When I got back to New Jersey I immediately started contacting public libraries about getting on their schedules to conduct the free workshops. Some libraries already had colleges or universities providing career help workshops, so I decided to attend one to see how it was conducted. I realized at that point that the workshops I had envisioned offering included a very different approach than those being offered – mine were designed to be more practical in both content and in delivery – I simply wanted to talk to the workshop participants; not present to them. To date, I’ve provided almost 20 well-attended and well-received workshops around the State. I owe a debt of gratitude to the township mayors, who are extremely committed to helping their constituents; and who saw the potential value embedded in my workshops. I’ve also begun setting up the same type of workshops to take place in local area churches.”

Eileen, with over 25 years in the recruiting business, was chock-full-of-information to give to her workshop participants at no cost. Ms. Levine told her audience, “getting the job is 50% personality and 50% ability to do the job.”


Here are other helpful tips provided by Ms. Levine to help people land interviews and hopefully jobs:

**Start to “think out of the box” so you don’t limit your possibilities. Think of untapped talents, hobbies, or things you like to do – these areas of expertise may very well be turned into legitimate income.

**When using any of the on-line recruitment agencies, keep in mind the volume of resumes they receive and need to process in a given week – update your resume and re-date it in their database every 30 days.

**Human Resources Departments are receiving large numbers of responses for positions, so your introduction letter and resume should easily convince them to call you in for an interview. Keep the resume legal and correct, and make sure it is proofread before sending it out.

**Avoid abbreviations in the resume unless you are in the IT World.

**Keep your social security number private until after you’ve received an offer.

**Your driver’s license number should only be included on applications/forms if you are applying for a job as a driver.

**Take 3 copies of your resume, professional reference list, and other paperwork with you to all interviews in case additional copies are requested.

**Anyone out of work for more than 2 years should have some type of volunteer work experience or childcare experience noted on the resume – avoid questionable service/work gaps.

**Make sure your resume states your accomplishments in sentence form, and don’t write text in the “first person.” You may need to create a checklist of your accomplishments first; then convert the checklist into clear and concise sentences.

**Self-employed individuals should state that they are self-employed on their resume, and use vendors and other contacts as professional references.

**College students should begin sending out their resumes in January or February if they are to graduate in May.

**Send your paperwork to the person who does the hiring at the company (e-mail or snail-mail) – take the time to find out who that person is.

**Your professional references should not be your coworker who does the same thing you do at the company – use someone from a different department, or a superior or subordinate.

**Keep track (a list) of where you send your resume, and the dates sent. Also, consider printing out a copy of the hiring company’s job spec sheet so you can refer to the job requirements if called in for an interview.

**Review the company’s website and print out some of the information to study before an interview. Take a copy with you and place it in a visible spot during the interview. This lets employers know you were interested enough to look into their organization.

**Remember that phone interviews are pre-screening methods, so pretend you are sitting in front of the interviewer and allow your responses to convince the person to call you in for an interview.

**In the summer, Monday afternoon and Friday morning interviews are best if you are scheduled on either of these two days because of summer hours enjoyed by some companies and their employees. Let the person inviting you in know your available times, but don’t give excuses that could eliminate you from the candidate pool.

**In general: arrive 15 minutes early, call the company on your cell phone if you’re delayed because of traffic, consider taking a trial run to get to the interview site before the day of the interview, leave all large bags and all cell phones in the car, avoid wearing perfume or cologne, no large jewelry and no extremely casual clothing – dress “Business Smart.”

**Be kind and courteous to the person at the reception desk – THIS IS YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW FOR THE DAY.

**If asked to complete an application on site, do so. Don’t write “See Resume” at any time – the company is judging how well you follow directions.

**Where “Desired Salary” appears on the application write “OPEN.” You can negotiate this after you’ve gotten an offer.

**After waiting for about 40 minutes in the waiting area to be seen, politely ask the receptionist if the interviewers are running a little late –this makes sure everyone knows you’re there waiting.

**Show complete flexibility with the HR person and just listen to what he/she tells you about salary, benefits, etc. Don’t try to negotiate at this point – you haven’t received an offer yet.

**If asked by the hiring person, “what will it take to bring you in?” You should say, “what did the last person who had the job make?” Or, “make me an offer.”

**During interviews over lunch ORDER LIGHT, NON-MESSY FOODS, and drink water or soft drinks. Spend most of your time engaging in conversation with the interviewers – they are trying to see how you gel with the team. You can eat when you get back home!

**Demonstrate during the interview that you are both a team player and an independent thinker.

**Don’t appear desperate for the job, even if you are! Be confident and proud of your accomplishments.

**Prepare and ask questions during the interview: For starters -- How long was the person before me in the position? How long have you been with the company? Please tell me a little about the product or project the company is working on?

**Also, ask: How am I doing so far? Is there anything else you’d like to know about me? Do you think I could do the job based on what you’ve seen and heard?

**When asked to tell about yourself say: I’m not a 9 to 5-er, I’m results-driven, I’m a team player…avoid rambling about details on your resume because they’ve already read it.

**Ask for a tour of the job site by saying, “I was wondering if you had time to give me a tour.” If your request is not granted don’t press the issue. At least they know you were interested in seeing the company grounds.

**One final question for the senior hiring person should be: When do I start?

Levine also recommends sending handwritten, purchased “Thank You” cards (blank inside for writing a brief note) and snail-mailing the cards to the interviewers. “This way your card is sitting on the interviewer’s desk when other candidates are being interviewed, which is a constant reminder about you.”

More suggestions included calling the company if you haven’t heard from them after 10 days to see where they are in the process. After 20 days it’s a good idea to send a note to ask “how are you getting along in the process -- am I still being considered?”

“Today it’s okay to have more than one job listed on your resume within one or two years so don’t be ashamed of that,” shared Ms. Levine. Eileen also reminded the group that transferable skills don’t matter much anymore, so it might be time to acquire new learning and new skills in order to get a job. College students in the group were also told they should strongly consider taking a second major so they are not locked in to one industry after graduation.

Workshop participants were informed that despite an estimated projection of a 4 to 5 year economic slump and crawl back to some semblance of order; remember what you are worth in your industry and don’t take less than you’re worth unless the other perks and amenities will compensate for a decrease in salary.

Middle American companies, according to Levine, are not hurting as badly and are still hiring; so individuals who’ve worked for larger companies in the past might consider the 50 to 500 employee company as an option. “When interviewers ask you how they can be sure you won’t stay for a short while and then leave when the economy recovers, tell them they don’t have to worry because in the time it will take for the economy to recover you would certainly still be with them,” expressed Eileen during her closing statements.

Websites provided by Ms. Levine as an alternative way to search for jobs are: http://www.attorneys.com/ http://www.dice.com/ http://www.accountants.com/.


For more information about how you can work with Eileen Levine’s company, contact her directly at 732-329-3344, or WGEileen@comcast.net.

You can also e-mail your resume directly to Eileen if you’d like to consider signing up to receive career-building guidance from her company during your job search. Find out more about Levine’s company, Williamsburg Group by logging onto their website at www.williamsburgroup.com.


Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader

Here's To Good Health...

Folks are taking advantage of these and other free and low-cost HEALTH & WELLNESS offers currently available.

You might just need to do a little bit of on-line research to see if you are eligible for a particular health & wellness program being offered. Here's to good health...


***Walgreens ~ free health care at its Take Care Clinics for the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year ****providing tests and routine treatment for minor ailments -- patients still pay for prescriptions. Free services offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Find your local Take Care Clinic:

http://www.takecarehealth.com/clinic-locations.aspx?region=26





***Janssen Ortho Patient Assistance Foundation Patient Assistance Program offering free prescription medications for a period of up to one year to people without health insurance. Must reapply for offer after one year to continue receiving free prescription medications. Check to see if you qualify for this program:

http://www.access2wellness.com/a2w/patient-pap.html

***Pfizer MAINTAIN Program (Medicines Assistance for Those who Are In Need) providing free Pfizer medicines to eligible patients, delivered right to a person's home. Program to help eligible patients recently unemployed and currently uninsured continue receiving their Pfizer medicines -- offer runs through the end of the year. Check eligibility requirements and medications being offered:

http://pfizerhelpfulanswers.com/pages/programs/ProgramDetails.aspx?p=116#





***Stop & Shop providing up to 14-day supply of select generic antibiotics free with Stop & Shop Card and doctor's prescription --- for all customers. Offer runs through the end of August 2009. Check with your local Stop & Shop for more details:

http://www.stopandshop.com/antibiotics





39 Dollar Eyeglasses sells discounted designer eyeglasses and sunglasses all year round to all customers. Check styles on-line, then order on-line -- remember you will need your prescription measurements from your doctor for any prescription glasses:

http://www.39dollarglasses.com/

Blog to let our readers know about any other free or low-cost health & wellness deals out there...