“Visiting Paradise, sleeping in Heaven.”

I have written several articles on some of our travels highlighting some interesting points about the places and people we met.

Is your net, working?

Is Your Net, Working?
Networking is a vital part of all our lives and we use it in some form almost daily to obtain knowledge or help to get something done. We generally associate networking with work related causes and rightfully so; but we do use networking for many other purposes, such as childcare, finding doctors, housing or shopping; vacations, education and so on. Are you aware of when you use networking outside of work and do you enjoy it? For most of us, the answer is probably yes. I often say, you can learn from everyone you meet, as long as you are open to it. Networking is a two way street, as you learn or get information, you may also teach or give information back.
Recently, while I was away for a few days, I had two experiences that were good examples of different types of networking. Ironically, the catalyst for both occasions was my love of a good cigar.

I visited an area very well known for fine hand rolled cigars and more nightclubs than you can count. I went to one establishment that looked like a cigar store from the outside. As I looked in from the street, through the window to the right of the door was a display of cigars much as you would see in any cigar store, with rolls of open cigar boxes along the wells holding cigars of all shapes and sizes. Through the window to the left of the door, I could see an artisans sitting at a small table rolling and cutting cigars by hand, wearing a fedora (hat) with a cigar hanging from his mouth as a faint cloud of smoke rose above his head. For me the ambiance of this shop was love at first sight. However once I walked in, I found only the first ten to fifteen feet of the shop was dedicated to cigars. The rest of the building was a bar - restaurant. A surprise to me but I am sure very typical to the local residents.
After looking over the impressive stock of cigars and making my selection, I spent some time talking with the shopkeeper and watching the cigar maker at his craft. It was the first time I had seen cigars made by hand up close and personal. While talking, I noticed after the shopkeeper put my cigars into a plastic bag, he filled the bag with some other material. I asked what it was he put in the bag; he said it was the extra tobacco cuttings from the cigars. He kept all the extra tobacco moistened in a large jar to use as packing in the bags to keep the customers cigars fresh. That was new to me. In turn, I told him at home I place a small piece of apple in with my cigars to keep them fresh, a trick I learned from my long ago pipe smoking days. Much to my surprise, he said he had never heard of using apple peels to keep tobacco fresh but he said it sounds like a good idea that he will pass on to other customers. That exchange about cigar maintenance was a form of social networking unrelated to work. I learned another way to keep my cigars fresh and he learned a new technique that will surely help his customers.
My second experiences with networking, came the next day and was related to business , while I was sitting on a bench at our hotel enjoying one of those great cigars, I was thinking about a project I am working on. To help with this project, I need to seek out someone that is working in a particular industry that will be able to give me some critical information that I cannot get without an insider’s help. Talk about being in the right place at the right time, a company in the industry that I needed to find a contact within was holding a meeting in the very same hotel we were staying in on that day. While I was sitting outside, a group of people gathered not far from where I was sitting. I realized they were from the company I was interested in speaking with, they were taking their afternoon brake. I kept an eye out for someone that looked approachable. My plan was to wait until they started to go back to their meeting. I knew I would have precious little time to strike up a meaningful conversation but I thought it would be a much better plan then trying to engage someone that was already talking with his or her co-workers.
I focused on a man that spent most of his time during the brake working with his cell phone and not really talking with others. As the group headed back in, I went over to the man with the phone and introduced myself. Thankfully, he was approachable and seemed happy to speak with me. Knowing I had little time and respecting his, I gave him my two-minute elevator speech and allowed him to give me his two-minute elevator speech about his company, which I knew in that circumstance, like most of us, he would be happy to do. I thanked him for his time, asked for his card, and received it. I let him know, I would like to call him in a few days to talk about his company. He said he would be looking forward to speaking with me again and would give me whatever details he could. From that chance encounter, I already received some very good information, made a good contact that could possibly become a friend and an understanding that I will be able to get more information from this contact soon.
During a week of leisure, I still made my net, work. Is your net, working?
Ty Ferrell

Parts of The Resume

Identification Information and Education Sections of the Resume
These are the easiest two sections of the resume to layout but are just as important as any other section.
First, we will look at the Identification Section.
This section holds all of your contact information in a very concise well-organized matter for potential employers.

Where is Paradise

‘Paradise’


What is it and where is it to you?
Have you given much thought to that question? For most people the answer is, probably no.
Frankly, nor have I but I would love to know what vision comes to mind for you when you see or hear the word paradise.
Paradise can mean many things to any individual. It came to mind for me when a friend said he was going to paradise. Before they mentioned a specific place, my mind was flooded with images of many places with palm trees, white sandy beaches and blue water. Try asking someone “what or where paradise is to them”. After you get over the strange look they will surely give you, you may be fascinated or at least amused by the answer.
Many people may think of utopia when they hear the word “paradise,” but I rule that out because the definition of utopia suggests being in a trance or an unreachable place where no one really lives, whereas paradise seems to be tangible for most people. The most common definition of paradise is ’a place, situation, or condition in which somebody finds perfect happiness’.
From my earliest memory of being aware and having some understanding of the word “paradise,” it represented a far off place I would probably never get to see firsthand. However, I was able to go there anytime I wanted, in my mind’s eye. As a child, I did not call it paradise; I called it daydreaming. At the age of seven or eight, one of my typical trips to paradise was getting into our family car (a 1955 Chevy), sliding behind the steeling wheel and pretending to drive off. Now do not get me wrong, I was not contemplating stealing the car, it was just a past time that many of us did back then. Baby boomers like me did not have video games and such at that time and programs that we would want to witch on television were very limited. Another major fact was if the weather did not interfere, we simply wanted to be outside almost all the time.
At that age in our family, we did not wander off through the neighborhood. In fact, when we were outside, if our parents looked out the window, we had better be within their view and that is all I will say about that. I would go out to the car and make my escape to my paradise frequently. As I recall, I had two versions of paradise at that time. One was what I would often see on television where I envisioned driving though a place lined with palm trees, sandy beaches and crystal clear waters always close at hand. People were always happy, it never rained and of course, there was no need for jobs.
In the other version, I would reach a place where people strolled on boardwalks, enjoy some of the best amusement rides on the East Coast overlooking a beach and not so clear water, while the intoxicating smell of popcorn, peanuts and hotdogs filled the air. The latter did have a name, Wild Wood, New Jersey. In my childhood, our big summer vacation was a trip to Wildwood to spend the day. A day we anxiously awaited from the first day of spring. As I moved into young adulthood and started venturing out on my own, my concept of paradise changed. The make believe trips in that parked car were replaced with real trips to a summer favorite, visiting Willow Grove Park, a amusement park outside of Philadelphia, a couple of times a year. In its heyday, it was one of the best parks in the entire country.
Over the years, as I grew in age, wisdom and finances, my idea of paradise morphed drastically. Paradise became picnicking in Valley Forge Park, Pa., trips to New Jersey’s boardwalks with its piers (amusements) including The Steel Pier, where you could see horses actually diving off diving boards into the water below, and trips to Six Flags in New Jersey. Later Paradise became Virginia Beach, Bush Gardens in Williamsburg Va. and Disney World. Over time, I had the good fortunate and opportunity to visit most of the states in our country. Surely, I found the real paradise on the beaches of Florida and visits to our country’s West Coast soon gave me more options on what paradise may be. Finally, as my sphere extended beyond our countries borders, the new visions of paradise leave me speechless at times.
All that I have spoken about so far speaks to where paradise may be located, at least, to me. In closing, I would like to speak on what paradise may feel like. The times you are with your loved ones, they are reasonably happy with their lives, and you are all truly happy to be together. Could that be the real “paradise” no matter where you are?

Ty Ferrell Sr.

Building Your Resume

The Body of the Resume
Experience / Employment History / Skills
In this section of the resume, you will tell the potential employer what companies you have worked with and the positions you have held. You will also give a brief history of your responsibilities and accomplishments that correspond with each job. The key here is brevity.

The Objective Statement

Building Your Interview Package Part 2
‘The Objective Statement’

My last article (Building Your Resume) illustrated how to identify and organize your nine - ten competencies into a document that shows your strengths and is your springboard into a great resume.
The resume is a critical part of your overall interview package that will help you respond properly to questions you will get from an interviewer.
Thorough knowledge of your resume will help you stay focused on your best attributes and skills as well as help the interviewer better see how you will fit in the position.

Building Your Interview Package

Controlling your Destiny and Getting Your Dream Job.
This is the first of several articles I will publish that will speak to controlling your destiny with respect to finding and getting your dream job. There are important documents you need to build before you go to any interview. I use the term “build” because this procedure requires a lot of research, critical thinking and condensing all of your experiences and skills into a few pages. It starts with building an impressive resume that grabs the attention of potential employers.
It is my intention to offer enough help through my articles for anyone to build a strong resume and give a command performance in any interview. It is imperative that you have a well-constructed resume ready before you start your interviewing.
Here are the generic or basic components you will need for any interview.
· Resume
· Core Competencies
· Objective Statement
· Cover letter
· Elevator speech/commercial
· Application Letter
· Thank you letter
We will break them down one at a time in separate articles that will help put a winning interview package together landing that job for you. I am a firm believer that all your focus should be on completing one segment at a time. You will find each completed segment will help you construct the next part.
The Resume
A resume is a brief recap of who you are and what you have accomplished in your life. Another term for resume is Curriculum Vitar (CV) or Vita, so if you see those terms in any document just know it means resume.
When a company receives your resume, it will be one of many. Will your resume stand out and be memorable? This article is to make sure your answer is YES!
Your resume must be a well constructed document of your qualifications, experience and academic achievements that will compel the reader to want to know more about you; like a well written book that keeps a reader turning the pages. Your resume must also be relevant to the position you are seeking. Example, if your background is an office manager and you are seeking a department manager position in a retail store, speak to your leadership and organizational skills overall and not specifically about the industry from whence you came. The purpose of this article is to point out just how important your resume is in job seeking. Far too many people see the resume as just something they need to put together to go along with whatever else they may need for an interview. I cannot say this strongly enough; without an outstanding resume, there most likely will not be an interview. You must view job seeking as a full time job itself. The more time and attention you put into it, the better your outcome. Remember, we are talking about you controlling your destiny.
There is so much to say about how to create a winning resume, rather than re-write the book I will suggest a good path to begin. Here are the basic parts of a resume
· Contact / Identifying Information
· Career Objective Statement
· Experience / Employment History / Skills
· Awards / Honors
· Education
This article will address the first component needed to start constructing your resume, your Core Competencies
Core competencies are your areas of expertise, abilities, fundamental knowledge or skill sets that you have or do very well and make you a qualified candidate for a particular position. We all have these competencies but may not readily know how to articulate them when asked. That is because most people do not spend much time thinking about them; we just do what we do. This is a very important segment of your interview package. It will be the cornerstone to building the rest of your resume. Your objective statement, experience, skill set and qualification sections are all moving parts of your competencies.
Here is a great way to get to know your competencies, prioritize them and be able to communicate them verbally or in written form with just a moment’s notice.
Here is what you need.
· Pencil
· Notepad
· One hour of uninterrupted time to stay focused
· On a different day, another hour of uninterrupted time to stay focused
Here is what to do.
Think about processes (skills) your use with respect to getting things done and reaching goals. An important point to remember, you may use your true competencies (skills) in several places. For example, on the job you may make sure all tasks are completed on time. At home, a parent may make sure all homework assignments are completed and handed in on time. In the community, you may be on a committee and are instrumental in making sure your meetings start and stop at the proper times. All of those actions fall under a competency called time management.
Set aside the first hour and complete your lists of what you feel are your competencies. Think about it and list them all. The list should have twenty five to thirty competencies. On a different day set aside another hour to review your list several more times and start crossing out things that you do not think are real marketable competencies. You should end up with nine or ten very strong competencies.
Some basic competencies that employers look for are;
Time management
Leadership
Organization
Problem solving
Follow up
On a separate sheet of paper, make five columns using each of the competencies headings just named. Write each one of your nine or ten competencies under the appropriate column. Going forward, these are the terms you should use when talking about you skills (competencies) with potential employers. This is the foundation that you will construct your resume from and will get you ready for command performance interviews.
Look for my next article where we will talk about how to use your list of competencies and we will construct the next segment of your resume, The Objective Statement.