Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts

When we face significant life events we can gain beautifully formed diamonds of knowledge about what it means to live life and achieve goals.  These diamonds are extremely valuable and I feel honored that Michelle Kephart allowed me to share her story with you. 

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I would love to learn more about you.  Where did you grow up?  How would you describe your childhood? 
I grew up in an Air Force family, so we moved a few times. I was born in Southern California, went to elementary school in Maryland (just outside of Washington, D.C.), attended junior high and high school in Clovis, NM, and then finished high school and undergrad in Colorado. I lived in Colorado the longest and claim it as my home state. 

Most of my time growing up was spent playing with my best friend, Koke, who was a wonderfully sweet and loving black lab. Because of her, animals have always been a big part of my life.
 
Can you take us back to the time period of the accident.  What were you doing in your life at the time?  What were your plans that day?  Can you describe what transpired shortly after you fell?  Is there anything you would want people to know specifically related to that day in your life? 

At the time of the accident, I was in grad school at the University of Iowa Collage of Nursing in Iowa City. My good friend, David, was on a road trip from Virginia to California with his friend Devon. They stopped in Iowa City for the night and I decided to join them for the rest of their trip.  It was a an awesome trip!  We had so much fun climbing trees, climbing mountains, visiting friends, and enjoying all of the different landscapes we traveled through.

When we arrived in California we met with David's friends for a round of disc golf. I decided to climb a tree at the disc golf course and that's when my life changed.

The branches of the tree broke beneath me and I broke my neck (C-5 Spinal Cord Injury -quadriplegic). The people with me were outstanding!  They didn't move me, they called 911 right away, and they helped me stay calm while we waited for the ambulance.

While I was waiting on the ground under the tree, my mind started drifting to a dark frightening place where I thought about my future.  I started to panic and I made a strong final decision to only focus on right now. 

I needed to get through that moment, and there was no reason to think about anything else.  Besides, I had no information to base the future on, so why should I waste my energy thinking about it!

The next few weeks are a blur, but I really want the people present to know that it was completely an accident.  No one is at fault.

What was it like to go back to school, especially since the rehab team encouraged you to take a year off?
Going back to school was the hardest thing I had done at that point. It was more difficult emotionally than being in the hospital.

At the hospital, I was asked:

"What are your goals for this hour? For today? For this week?"

Then we worked on those goals.

At school, I said "I want to graduate from nursing school." Some of the faculty said, "Okay, get to work!"

Other faculty said, "Wait! Are you capable of graduating? Can you become a nurse? Will anyone want to hire you?"

Those questions were a bigger problem than my paralysis.

The most remarkable part is that those questions have no value.

There is only one way to respond – “I don’t know”.  Nobody will ever know the answer until success is attempted.

I had to fight for months just for the chance to continue school. At first the school allowed me to take 2 courses; one was online and the other met once a week.  When I passed both with flying colors, I found myself facing more road blocks.

Rather than letting me try with the possibility of failing – which is the opportunity given to every other student – they made me prove myself before allowing me to continue my course work.

People are faced with these disabling meaningless questions every day.

It’s normal to consider them when you are first formulating a goal.

But, once you’re ready to pursue your goal those questions are not worthwhile.

No one else gets to decide what's possible for you.

No one else knows just how much you are capable of.

Maybe you don't even know what you're capable of, but the only way to find out is to try.


Can you describe a current typical "day in the life of Michelle"?  

On work days, my caregiver comes to my apartment around 5:30 AM.  She helps me dress and get ready for the day.  The paratransit bus, a wheelchair accessible door-to-door service picks me up at 7:30 AM.  Rides on this bus need to be scheduled a couple of days in advance. 

Sometimes they take me directly to my nursing job at the clinic and sometimes we pick up and drop off other people along the way.  I'm usually fortunate to have the same driver each morning who gets me to the clinic by 8:00, but there is never any arrival time guarantee and depending on the day I sometimes get to the clinic at 9:00.   

I teach Medical Assisting classes twice a week from 2 PM - 6 PM. The school is about 2 miles from the clinic.  Before I got my beautiful service dog, Rumba, I use to ride my wheelchair to school.  It was a 30 minute commute and I could leave the clinic when I was ready to leave.  Due to our unpredictable weather, I decided to start using the paratransit for this commute so that I didn't risk subjecting Rumba to the intense storms and heat we often have in Georgia.  The paratransit bus is commonly late by 1-2 hours, so I schedule to be at school extra early.  I've lost a few work hours to this, but that's better than being late to class. 

Then the bus takes me home after work.  The timing is unpredictable.  Sometimes I leave work early, and sometimes I wait outside up to 2 hours after the buildings close, depending on when the bus can pick me up.  Each day is unpredictable, but it is better than being stuck at home without a ride. 

I try not to use the paratransit bus on my days off because anything outside of a normal routine can sometimes leave me stranded somewhere without a ride.  If I decide to go somewhere on my days off, then I'll use the regular city bus.  I drive my wheelchair 1 mile to the bus stop.  The city bus is guaranteed to take 1-2 hours no matter where I go, but I don't have to schedule the ride in advance.

Is there anything else that you want readers of this blog post to know?

People are generally awesome.  It can be difficult to ask for help, but I've found that most people enjoy the opportunity to help.

In addition, I feel like I'm complaining in some of my answers above so I want you to know that I'm generally not a complainer.  I have a great life.  Researchers have made a lot of progress recently for spinal cord injuries, but I'm not sitting around waiting for a cure. If a cure is found, I'll be ecstatic. But if it isn't, then I'll still be happy knowing that my life was fulfilling and I didn't waste any time.
I have to find different ways to do things, but I'm still living my life and following my dreams.

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Thank you Michelle for sharing your story!  Your story not only increases mobility awareness (National Mobility Awareness Month), but gives everyone an opportunity to connect, learn from you, and demonstrate love.  Here are some of the diamonds in her story…

* Use Grammarly for proofreading because… it’s hard for a Manger to play an important roll in your organization.*  ^{Sponsored Grammarly Advertisement.}  

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Just say the words “cover letter” and you strike fear in the hearts of millions.  {I just did}

The first thing people do when faced with job searching is focus on their resume.  We spend hours and hours fine tuning that document only to be faced with writing a cover letter. 

The following list takes cover letter advice and turns it inside out to see how it works in real life.  What I want to do is demystify cover letters and reduce your stress.  

1.  Cover Letter – Let’s Define it…

It is either an email, online job application, LinkedIn message, letter, or any form of communication to tell someone why you are contacting them and attaching your resume.  Maybe if we called it “Contact Email” it would feel less stressful from the start. 

But honestly, this definition didn’t alleviate that much cover letter stress. 

2.  Write a great opening sentence.  Seriously? 

All of a sudden there is tremendous pressure to write the most amazing first sentence on the planet.  How do we get past this stressful road block?

We can start by acknowledging that almost 80% of all jobs are filled through networking. 

Therefore, if you are optimizing your job search, the majority of your cover letters are being sent to either direct or slightly indirect contacts (i.e. someone knows someone you know).  That means people receiving your letter will probably look at your resume.  All you need to do is not mess up the letter.  

You don’t need a super catchy opening sentence!  {Gasp}  Yes, I am going against lots of advice out there, but your opening sentence for these types of contacts just needs to be professional, informative, sometimes personal, and to the point. 

Make sure your letter mentions the person you know in common and adheres to all grammar rules because you never know if they will forward your email directly to their Human Resources Department. 

Modify the following sentences to fit your personal situation and experience: 

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I am currently considering new career opportunities and I wanted to contact you to see if your company has any potential positions that would fit my IT administration experience.  

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Recently I have been searching for a new career opportunity and I wanted to send you my resume in case you think of anyone who might be interested in my skills and safety management experience. 

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Recently I met / talked with Deborah Wilkerson, Director of Marketing, and she suggested that I reach out to you because she thought my skills and abilities would be of interest to XYZ International Corporation.

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3.  Mention Job or Company Content Demonstrating your Research.     

This can kill cover letter momentum in a heart beat.  How do you summarize a company in less than a page?  Start by following these tips:

- Mention the job you are applying for in the cover letter

- Briefly discuss how your skills and experience will bring value or be a good fit based on the company’s mission statement or values

- If something about the company caught your eye when you did your initial research to determine if this was the right position to apply for…. then mention it.  But beyond that don’t worry. 

4.  Keep your Paragraphs and Sentences Short and Succinct.

If the pressure isn’t already loosening up maybe this will help.  Keep your cover letter short!  Focus on making it easy to read and avoid large blocks of overwhelming text. 

This might not reduce the stress for people that have a lot to say.  But remember that hiring managers do not have a lot of time to sift through paragraphs describing 10 different ways you are amazing.  Focus on never repeating anything and sticking to 3 – 4 paragraphs with 3 – 4 sentences each! 

5.  Avoid overusing the word “I” and limit filler words.

Reduce the stress even more and just write initially from your gut.  Just get something down on paper.  After you finish the first draft, take a break and then re-visit the text later.  Return to your text with a goal to remove words like:

• I
• On
• In
• To
• Of
• And
• For
• As

6.   The first sentence should not start with “I”

Avoid starting the cover letter with the word “I”.  In general, cover letters should be  focused on the company and what you can do for them.  Try starting with:

• Recently, I was alerted to the Business Consulting position available in your Montgomery, AL office…
• With over 10 years experience in the marketing profession, I have proven skills and a performance track record that can immediately benefit your company as a marketing manager. 
• Thank you for recently connecting with me…
• Your companies recent award for excellence in consulting is extremely impressive and I was thrilled to see a Senior EHS Manager opportunity available in the Dallas, TX office.       
• My name is Susan Brown and I am contacting you regarding XYZ company’s marketing manager job posting… 
• Recently, I have been researching opportunities within the environmental management profession and…
• As an Information Technology professional with over 10 years experience, I have learned that the best way to achieve success is to motivate employees with well-defined expectations and empowerment.  These leadership skills, coupled with excellent time management, will bring immediate benefit to your companies IT Department. 

Remember to be specific describing either the position, company, or how your experience fits the available opportunity.   

7.  Address the letter to someone! 

Do everything you can to avoid writing “To Whom it May Concern:” because it might not concern that many people what the cover letter says after that.  Try to find a name to address the letter to through the company online directory, internet search, LinkedIn, or by calling the main company phone number and saying:

I am interested in applying for a position I saw available on the company website and I wanted to make sure I address my cover letter to the correct person.  Would you be able to give me the name and spelling of the Environmental Department Manager? 

(If you know the department you are applying to you can ask for that department manager OR ask for the HR manager who receives and processes resumes.)

As a last resort, you can try “Dear Hiring Manager”. 

An About.com article shows survey results demonstrating that employers prefer: 

• Dear Hiring Manager (40%)
• To whom it may concern (27%)
• Dear Sir/Madam (17%)
• Dear Human Resources Director (6%)
• Leave it blank (8%)

This tip probably didn’t reduce your stress very much, but at least you can improve your chances by just nixing the “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir / Madam”.

8.  Proofread. 

People will not be impressed if there are misspellings or grammar mistakes in your cover letter.  But even when you are networking it is important to keep in mind that professionals put their credibility on the line when they pass along a resume. 

Most individuals can’t forward resumes or messages when the emails contain "i", "dont", or anything misspelled.  The reputation of the person you are contacting is on the line when they recommend a candidate for consideration within their own company.  Proofreading can be stressful, but websites like Grammarly help to alleviate that stress.    

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9.  Be Thankful and Continue Networking!

Remember to be thankful in your job search communications and continue networking!   

You never know when someone will be unable to offer you a position, but they can instead offer you some networking connections.  Here are several sentences you can consider using:

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In addition, if you know of anyone that might be interested in my skills and [insert] experience I would greatly appreciate any networking contact information you can send to me. 

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Thank you so much for reviewing my qualifications and passing my resume on to your management team. 

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I appreciate you taking the time to review my resume.  Please let me know if I can answer any questions about my career search.  Thank you in advance for potentially forwarding my resume to any of your networking contacts that might be interested in my skills and experience. 

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Hopefully theses tips helped reduce your Cover Letter stress!   

Please contact me at judiwfox@gmail.com if you are interested in finding out how we can work together on your cover letters and job search communications.   

Thank you!

I really needed to see this { focus } image today.  I wish I could remember where I found it, but I love it’s simplicity and how much I need to really focus and finish up some projects.  Hope you are able to find your own focus today!

What a lot of people don’t know about me is that I really enjoy editing resume’s.  I just love crafting sentences to capture someone’s strengths.

As I was searching for the right action verbs recently, I came across this list of strong action verbs for resume writing.  It is great how they organized the verbs into categories.  But what I really wanted was to be visually inspired by action verbs.  Which led me to http://www.wordle.net/. 

Hope you enjoy the strong action verb inspiration image for your own Resume Remodel.   


   

The original list is at:  http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/action-verbs.pdf

You can see these strong action verbs in "action" on Jessica's Before and After Resume Remodel.

Don't hesitate to contact me at judiwfox@gmail.com if you would be interested in having me review, edit, and remodel your resume.  Thank you!

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As a side note, wordle is really easy to use and they offer many color choices.  I really wanted to use my own colors for this project so I found an image on Pinterest and captured the HTML color codes with Instant Eyedropper.

 
A3BDBA

B0BFBA

5C6366

B4A98B

DEDAB5


Image color inspiration credit goes to Design Seeds! 

She shares amazing images with beautiful colors.

One of my passions is editing resumes.  Recruiters look at Resumes very quickly, so we want to make sure resumes are:

• Easy to read      -      Ex.  Font greater than 9 or 10 points
• Concise               -      Remove filler words and create strong sentences
• Informative       -      Easy to locate your name, current position, dates, education

When I am working with someone to edit their resume it feels like I am painting, repairing, and remodeling to create a more beautiful YOU (on paper). 

Editing a resume is typically not considered “Before and After” eye candy (Where is the HGTV Show called “Flipping your Resume”?)  But hopefully I can make Jessica’s Before and After resume just as inspiring as this beautiful kitchen remodel by “The Inspired Room”.   

Just like a home remodel we need to make some resume features stand out and help other fixtures anchor the resume’s foundation.  Here are some steps we took to revamp Jessica’s resume.

• First we need to make it easier to find her name, phone number, and email.  Basically, make it really easy for people to contact you.
• Increase the font from 11 points…. to…. 12, 14, and 21 points.
• Make each section header stand out (Education, Experience, Summary, etc…). 
• Relocate the GPA and work dates so they are prominent features.
• Reconfigure the work related educational experience. 

 

Here is the overall view so you can get the “big” picture and visually see the impact these changes made to her resume.

The biggest part of this remodel project, which gave her the “Best Bang for the Buck”, was reorganizing the Experience section to include all her great research background.  In the BEFORE resume her Education section is extensive, but underneath that heading she had included research and work related experience.  This needed to be remodeled.

After finishing up the demo work and rebuilding the resume structure, we are now going to give this remodeled resume a strong polished finish. 

• Create a strong summary or objective.
• Re-craft each sentence.  Remove filler words and add strong action verbs.

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The BEFORE resume had a Profile section with basic bullet points detailing her skills, but it didn’t give recruiters information about her background and what positions she would match.  In the AFTER resume we crafted stronger sentences to sell her skills and let the recruiters know that she is an Environmental Scientist with research, fieldwork, and laboratory experience.

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As we discussed above, the GPA is now easier to find, Education is separated from the Honors and Activities, and extra words have been removed.  Word in this section such as: Member, “and” (located in between dates),  “in” are filler words that create clutter.  I like to imagine myself clutter clearing as I shorten up sentences and make them fit on one line.

 

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This is the most critical recent job experience for this individual (below) so we really want to make each bullet point count.  In addition, we want to watch how we use different verb tenses.  If the position is in the past and no longer a current position we need to use past tense.  If the position is your current active position it is better to use present tense. 

Overall the goal here is to rework sentences and remove filler words like:

• On
• In
• To
• Of
• And
• For
• As

“Wrote a report on the patterns in zooplankton abundance in Chesapeake Bay in the years 205-08 and 2010”  Remodeled to look like…

“Wrote zooplankton abundance patterns in the Chesapeake Bay research report”. 

We don’t need to include as many specific dates.  During the interview that is where you can expand and include more details regarding your report.

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Again we are strengthening more sentences by removing:  in the, of, a, on the, the, etc... 

This remodeled sentence shows how you can present your work in two different lights.

“Used the data collected… to present a poster…” or…

“Developed poster presentation based on data collected…”

Try to start each bullet point with the strongest possible action verb that accurately reflects your experience.

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Hopefully this resume remodel inspired you and showed you what is possible with your own resume.  As I mentioned, I am really passionate about helping others with their resumes.

Please contact me at judiwfox@gmail.com if you would be interested in having me review, edit, and remodel your resume.  Thank you!   

PS – This is a real resume and the job experience is accurate; however, all personal identifying information has been changed or removed.  If you are interested in connecting with this individual for a potential opportunity please let me know.

Navigating each State’s Environmental Agency records online isn’t always intuitive, but hopefully this post will make it easier for someone.   

Below I have attached links and tips for finding air permitting records online.  I was pleased to find that there are only 7 states without online links to air permits (Nevada, New Mexico, Kansas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Maryland, and Hawaii – plus the District of Columbia).  

It is great to know that interested parties can find a significant amount of records online, but keep in mind that the quality and quantity of air permitting paperwork ranges significantly from state to state.  The good news is that online records can help narrow FOIA’s (Freedom of Information Act Requests) and help you get to specific facility information faster.

If you aren’t sure where to start or you want to locate specific industry facilities in each state or zip code… you can try either the Air Emission Sources “Where You Live” or the US EPA Where You Live Website.

Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or send an email to Judiwfox@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.  Also let me know if something needs corrected.  The blog post has already been updated to add Kentucky’s records management system.  Recommended updates are greatly appreciated.     

*Map Update – Kentucky has online records.

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