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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2010
CONTACT: Theresa Maher
CELL/TEXT: 602.571.0793
EMAIL: theresa.maher@jobing.com
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/JobingPR
JOBING FOUNDATION’S EXPERIENCE YOUR FUTURE DAY IS RECOGNIZED BY THE GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA
Governor Jan Brewer recognizes day dedicated to exposing Phoenix-area youth to future career opportunities.
PHOENIX (April 9th, 2010)- On April 22nd, 2010, the Arizona Society for Human Resource Management State Council, in conjunction with the Jobing Foundation, will hold the second annual Experience Your Future Day. This event, dedicated to connecting local businesses face-to-face with local youth to show them first hand what it is like to work in different professional industries, was recently issued a proclamation by Arizona Governor Janice Brewer to formally announce April 22nd, 2010 as “Experience Your Future Day.”
“This is an incredibly important milestone for us”, says Vicki Steere, Executive Director of the Jobing Foundation. “We are thrilled to see Governor Brewer and the state of Arizona show their support for the readiness of tomorrow’s workforce.”
Experience Your Future Day provides a forum where over 8,500 8th grade students will meet face-to-face with over 90 local companies to gain knowledge of what these organizations do, and the responsibilities of their different employees, in an effort to help shape their career goals and objectives. This is a cooperative educational event supported by participating school districts (Avondale Elementary School District, Creighton Elementary School District, Glendale Elementary School District, Littleton Elementary School District, Peoria Unified School District, Riverside Elementary School District, Scottsdale Unified School District, Washington Elementary School District), the Jobing Foundation and local-area employers.
Experience Your Future Day is being held April 22nd, 2010, from 9am-2pm at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The event is NOT open to the public, only students from participating districts and registered employers will be permitted entry. Sponsor & exhibitor spaces are still available for local employers, educators and professional associations. Scholarships are available on an as-need basis. For more information on the Jobing Foundation Experience Your Future Day log on to www.experienceyourfuture.org.
About the Jobing Foundation
The Jobing Foundation creates programs, provides volunteer opportunities, and supports educational outlets in local Jobing communities. The Jobing Foundation is committed to helping people find better jobs and career opportunities to improve their lives and was founded in November 2007 through a grant from Jobing.
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One of my favorite shows on the Food Network is one called “Chopped.” For those who have never seen it, the basic premise of the program is that there are four professional chefs, a three-course meal, and a variety of really odd ingredients. In each round, the chefs open up a black basket. Inside the basket is a group of ingredients that the chefs must incorporate into that course. For instance, the appetizer course might include cod, chipotle sausage, jicama, and graham crackers. They have to take these ingredients, add some stuff from the kitchen, and serve up a professionally prepared masterpiece in 20 minutes. The concoctions of these chefs are then judged by other food experts. At the end of each round, one of the chefs is “chopped.” The remaining competitors move on to the next round. The finish of the dessert round means one chef tastes the sweet victory of success, while the other is chopped. After each and every round, each competitor thinks they’ve “got it.” The judges’ tastes are definitely subjective.
So what on earth does a food show have to do with job search? To me, it is a perfect metaphor!
For each open position, the hiring manager creates an open competition. The competitors (vis à vis the job seekers) open a basket of random ingredients. The base ingredient is what is shown on the job advertisement. However, there are others that are arbitrary and probably something that the candidate has never worked with before.
The judges (vis à vis the employers) review the resumes and chop the first round of competitors. The phone screen chops another group of challengers. And finally, the interview pares it down even further. There is the winner of the job offer; and there are those that live to fight another day.
With all of these random ingredients, opinionated judges, and unknown players, how can a job search contestant cook up a victory? Just like my favorite food show, I believe the result comes from 30% skill, 50% effort, and somewhere between 19% and 21% is left up to the personal taste of the judges. That’s right. I know it doesn’t add up to 100%, but the judges’ opinion is that one factor that can make or break it. It’s also that one thing that the competitor cannot control. Therefore, focus on the areas that can be controlled… skill and effort.
Start by focusing on skill. Even though several of the competitors may have similar training or experience, there are ways to highlight those that appear to be most important to the hiring managers. Say for instance, the first component of the job recipe calls for four years experience in time keeping, then ensure the first thing in the resume is about time keeping skills. Be sure to be prepared in the interview to discuss time keeping experience, and so forth.
Then give it the effort. This is something completely in the control of the candidate. Give an effort into each and every step of the job search formula as if it meant that it could be the last. Take the time to customize the cover letter and the resume. Spend time researching the employer before the interview. Write a thank you note with the correct spelling for each person in the company you come in contact with. Remember, anyone could be chopped at any point.
Finally, leave it up to chance. Know that there is a spot in any contest where a misstep could occur, or a great maneuver could be overlooked by the critics. That’s why the great ones keep coming back. A race is not won at the starting line. Keep training, keep competing, and keep up the belief that the right set of ingredients will combine with just a touch of sweetness to whip up the just desserts… a perfect career path.
