Summer Job

I went up M hill today to think.

I have applied at a few restaurants for a part-time job. As a VISTA Member, I could not get a second job. Now that I am free as a bird, I discovered that I am tired of being poor. I am very glad I have something I love to fall back on: 20 years in food service, front of the house and kitchen. While cooking brings me joy, serving brings in a better supplement to my income. The right restaurant for me will have an opportunity to do both. Maybe catering. Haven't done that in a while. 

Applying at restaurants now is different than when I was a student or even before that when I was a hospitality industry professional. Now, during interviews, they ask why do I want to work there and if I think I'll be there long.

I have learned this year that a desk job is not what I am looking for in a career; I need far more interaction than that. I have always loved food and food service, and I hope a full-time job for the summer will turn into a permanent part time fun job. I am enjoying my internship but I miss working in a restaurant. I miss the fun and people. I miss the smells and clangs from the kitchens. I don’t miss the aching feet and back. I have struggled this year far more than I thought I would. I think I want to do something familiar. This is going to be a long summer when Max goes to South Carolina to visit for a few months. He misses his friends and I don’t want to go back, so we compromised. And I’ll have tons of extra time to work my butt off!

So if you know of a restaurant that might be a good fit for me, please let me know. 

Art and Culture

I have to admit, meeting a current Bush Fellow while I'm awaiting word on my application was a bit intimidating and exhilarating! As part of her presentation, Linda showed us her resume. I have heard about functional resumes like Linda's but mine is totally different. I have different skills, of course, but her organization didn't use dates or years of prior jobs so much as it showcased her accomplishments. I like that. I like my resume how it is, and I spent a whole lot of time on the design and organization for it. I am not so organized as some and it was quite a chore to put it all down like that, even if it does feel good to remember things I'm proud of while working on my resume. But I also like the style to showcase of my triumphs so I may look at it again from this new perspective and see what I can change. I like how her resume was all on one page, too; mine is front and back. 
The video on creativity was beautiful to watch. I often have to remind myself to take a few steps back and put on a wider lens. Fortunately, that's also a line from one of my favorite Ani Difranco songs, so reminding myself is also entertaining. Participating in WCLI has put me in the position of most opportunities, like the narrator said was necessary to get a good picture. This class is helping me get a better picture of what I can do as well as what I want to do. When I took photography, my teacher provided the film for the express purpose that we would not be afraid to take hundreds of pictures because that is the only way to get one perfect image. The narrator said that he takes about 400 shots for an article that may ultimately use as many as 30. In the digital age, that's even easier to do! My camera broke last week, after my transmission (yes, in the new car). It seems like it's harder to move myself forward than my career at this point, and I thought life would get simpler after I graduated.
I have been listening to the CDs Vesta gave us. My son, as I knew he would, has confiscated the lullabies to listen while he goes to sleep. I used to dream of being a singer. I loved art in all its forms but the socialization provided by the schools in my area were not encouraging. I moved my ambitions to the kitchen, where I still create art each day. Cooking is how I unwind after a particularly stressful situation. In fact, if I'm upset and not cooking, that is a cause for concern. If I am upset and you have a pantry or fridge full of ingredients, invite me over :) I promise it will be worth your while.

My thoughts on our group project

I thoroughly enjoy learning about the community.  I have benefitted greatly as an individual from participating in WCLI and I am honored to have been accepted. I feel that the connections I have been able to make as a member will help me along my career path. The trainings on personality types and learning my strengths provided invaluable knowledge and help me understand why I feel I have to work so much harder to connect than what I observe in others around me.

Honestly, I dread the portion of each meeting that is for us to work on our project and have for several weeks.   Well, the last three weeks have been better.

I disagree with the group structure we chose for our committees. During our early classes, we took personality tests and completed group activities designed to show us our strengths. I feel like we were supposed to use that knowledge to organize our committees. Instead, we formed cliques. In a group of 9 strong women, a clique is toxic to progress. The vociferous lack satisfaction with our progress displayed  last night accurately reflects this choice of structure.

I feel like the clothing drive is the main focus. In actuality our drive team, in my opinion, is short-changed into being runners for the event rather than an active committee. Publicity chair is currently driving the whole affair, but the agency we have chosen to help does not want any publicity at all. I still feel like publicity should really be a sub-committee of the drive team. Facility committee has their timeline in place and a polished representative. Anne, thanks for taking over the timeline tonight in Nicki’s absence.  

I also feel like I have no voice in class. I fight to write the letter because I feel like nobody likes my ideas. I know who reads what I write; your picture pops up next to your name when you log in while I’m logged in. I have long prided myself on being a team player. I prefer to be part of a group than work independently. I suggested the blog and our Steering Committee liked it enough to suggest it to the class. I believe they wanted to watch our progress, especially those who don’t live in town. But for me, participation is zero, strike for idea one.

When my class voted, 6:3, for the clothing drive, I admit I was disappointed, strike for idea two since mine was the only other idea in the running. I don’t feel any connection to the project chosen, but I jumped on board and measured the room and wrote a letter and made a bunch of corrections based on suggestions from the passionate few who offered them. I suppose I could have done more, passion is my forte, but I don’t feel it.  

I suggested we build our teams by our color attributes because that way our skills would be divided evenly among committees, and there goes strike three for me. I have been an active member of Toastmasters Top 5 since last year and I requested I be one of the media contacts for the group because I have practiced being interviewed under a variety of situations, but was dismissed; strike four. I get discouraged too, you know, when I feel like my contributions are undesired.

WCLI has helped me grow as an individual, has placed me in a position of great opportunities, and was the impetus for finding the job I have now. I spent my service year getting myself connected to this community, and I get to spend the interim between VISTA and my fellowship (I find out in July if I will be awarded the Bush Fellowship) as a marketing intern. I feel blessed to be here in the western part of South Dakota, and I hope to become more involved in future generations of WCLI as I continue to develop my skills and make myself a more useful team member in a different capacity. 

In addition, I would like to thank the Steering Committee for allowing me to create this blog. My vision for this blog was a place to brainstorm outside of class and that we would learn how to maintain a professional presence in a digital environment. I hoped that we would all post reflections after class, even just your favorite key point. I thought we could brainstorm ideas from home between classes and get our frustrations out online. When I am frustrated, I write it all out, save it as a draft until I've cooled down, and then I edit. Heavily. And when I am reasonably confident that I am not impugning anyone, I post. 

I appreciate the openness of a blog for communication and criticism. I intend to use this blog on my resume to showcase my contributions to prospective employers when asked what have I done since I graduated from college. I hope that my words accomplish that goal. 

Business Letter Format

Julia, thank you for sending me the letterhead you designed and for finding the time in your very busy schedule to finish the flyer. I noticed my initials were missing from the copy you had and I’d like to explain the reason for my initials on the letter.  

My major was Writing and Publications Studies, but for this letter, I researched business letters (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/write-effective-business-letters-HA001139158.aspx) and technical writing (http://pptbusiness.net/the-business-letter.html). 

It is appropriate to put my initials on the bottom of the letter I wrote for the class since I am not the one signing it.  I participate in this manner: behind the scenes, even on the publicity team, but I do want recognition of my contribution. Comments on this post are of course welcome.

We are Go!

Our client has approved our letter! As far as I know, that was the last approval needed. Minus the letterhead, here is our letter:

Dear (Church Member)

WCLI is a program presented by Leadership Rapid City that educates and empowers women with diverse backgrounds to develop a deeper awareness of their potential to make a difference and become productive contributors to their community. Our class has chosen to revitalize a women’s career clothing closet with a donation drive. The clothing closet provides no-cost business casual clothing to job seekers in our community.

Items needed are:

·         All sizes black and khaki pants, especially plus size

·         All sizes basic white or neutral shirts with collar, especially plus size

·         Closed-toe black shoes, tennis shoes and no-skid shoes

·         Black or brown belts

Ninety-eight percent of women using the closet are 18-35, are currently participating in work training programs and will work in the service and hospitality industries.

Thank you for your generosity and support to the WCLI class. We appreciate your help to promote this clothing donation drive in your weekly bulletin and collecting donations from your congregation. The Clothing Drive will be June 4 through 12. A member of our WCLI class will be in contact with you soon about the dates for the clothing drive and to pick up donations. If you have any questions regarding our project before then, please contact Nicki Ducheneaux at 415-3585 or nick.dx@wdt.edu.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter,

Nicki Ducheneaux,
WCLI Clothing Drive Publicity Chair

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Education

Tonight's session title was Education. We learned about United Way in Rapid City and how 211 works.
Sharee called me this afternoon to tell me about a tour of the facility if I got there early. I'm glad she did; I didn't get her email. Mary took a few of us through the facility and graciously answered all of our questions. Thanks, Mary!
Lynne of Rapid City 211 began by asking us what "Community Resources" means to us. We are women of diverse backgrounds; we were familiar with the term. Lynne explained the difference between dependence and independence, and that 211 is designed to foster independence. 211 is a resource that will help callers locate resources specific to their needs. 
If someone calls 211 and says their house burned down and need shelter, they may not be able to think beyond that basic need. Call specialists are trained to intuitively know what other, unspecified needs the caller may have. If my house burned down, I would also need food, clothing, furniture, bedding, bath towels, dishes, pots and pans, soap...the list could go on for quite a while. Fortunately I have never faced that devastation. And if I ever do, I know who I'm gonna call: 211!
In addition, 211 can also answer random questions: Are there fireworks at Rushmore tonight? How much does a cloud weigh? And those are just for fun. Lynne encouraged us to call 211 and try to stump the call specialists. I am very glad we learned about this resource because my son is an inexhaustible fountain of questions for which I have no answers. He grinned his devilish grin when I told him he could ask 211. 
Lynne also told us about the website but didn't go into much detail. By interacting with a call specialist, a caller will typically receive better service than surfing their website. The burned down house is an example of that in practice. 
I met Anne earlier in the day at a community meeting at the Journey and also learned about 211 from the Sioux Falls perspective. Lynne was at that meeting, too, but did not present then. 211 is redesigning their website, ready to launch this fall. Currently the site consists of mainly pull-down menus and the search engine is not prominent. They are modeling the new site after the one in Tampa, or at least, that's the one he used for the presentation. The new site will have stronger search capabilities and will be more user-friendly. The site is geared towards agencies that refer people to 211 so that they can search for their clients and to check on their own information. People in need of 211 services can access the site at public computers located in public libraries, and some agencies have computers their clients can use to access the information. 
Renee from United Way also spoke to us last night. All donations to United Way are distributed locally, within the Black Hills. There are 814 nonprofits in Pennington County. United Way supports 49 nonprofits in the Black Hills, including Sturgis, Northern Hills and the Southern Hills. Their board members serve for three years and then must rotate off; there is almost always a waiting list to join their board. Each year, all 6 staff and 35 board members visit each of the 49, soon to be 53, agencies supported by United Way. Our local United Way funds primarily agencies; the Imagination Library is the only program they fund. This is not the way all United Ways work, some fund primarily programs. 
Renee invited us all to participate in this year's Day of Caring which will be Thursday, September 1. I will be camping in Nevada that week but several class members expressed an interest. Susanna mentioned a playground at Lakota Homes that she has been working towards. The Day of Caring can provide the labor she needs to assemble the playground! 
Our group project is plugging along. The letter I wrote has been updated--thanks for your suggestions and edits!--and I'm sending it to Tracy for approval, and then to Lorena for the final ok. Anne found long racks requested for the closet for $80-120. We learned that the Swanky Blanky is closing and may have donations, so Anne volunteered to follow up for that and seek out other possible donation sources. Becky wrote a blurb for the church bulletins. After we receive the final approval and have our letterhead, and are able to send the letter out immediately, we will begin calling the churches. We decided to call for the initial contact, follow up with the hard-copy letter, and then follow up a week later with additional information. Right now, the initial contact is still under publicity, but I would like the drive team to help us with that. (I don't have a landline, so I'd really like to divvy the calls up a bit more)
Jennie and Katheen, we missed you and your valuable input! See you all next week!

The Public Sector

While I was in Yellowstone, I was glad our last class included stories of rescues. Tammy told us that her dog has accomplished two successful finds. I kind of thought that a dog would almost ensure a find but finding is actually rare. I kept that information foremost in my mind while we kept to the trails like the signs suggested. 
In class, I mentioned a book I read, Cold Zero. Christopher Whitcomb was a member of the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), a super-elite sect of the FBI. I asked our FBI representative if Cold Zero was sensationalized but she hasn't read it yet. Chris Whitcomb is a fabulous writer, either way; he has an amazing personal story, and I recommend the book.
Sherry mentioned that it's easier to steer a moving car and that's a philosophy I've adopted since moving to Rapid City but never put words to it, just an unconscious move till now. My service year was entirely forward-moving and much of it at a clip that kept me stumbling around looking for secure ground. But I managed to steer myself into a good direction without slowing down and launched into my new job last week.  Sherry also mentioned that most people will talk to you if you offer to buy them lunch, and don't be afraid to pester the local recruiter. It's easy to get discouraged when you are declined but moving forward has more rewards. I have a list of 100 Ways to Build Social Capital. I just wrote in buying lunch for someone just to listen. I like to talk, though, so it's going to be a challenge.
I admit I've never thought of employment in the public sector, except for the search and rescue. I love dogs and that's always appealed to me. I haven't been rappelling since I was a teenager but I think I may be able to do it. If I had to. I'm glad she told us about her dog, and their two successful finds. I read a novel a long time ago about a woman who had a rescue dog and their working relationship. I was mesmerized and thought I'd like to do that for a living, but never made it past the planning stages.
Misty, the Sheriff's Deputy, told us how she fell into her career after a degree in Recreation and Tourism. I feel like that, like my degree doesn't quite fit what I want to do with my life. I hoped that English, Writing and Publications Studies emphasis, was broad enough to apply to almost anything. I think it helps me create word pictures sometimes, and that's helpful in a variety of situations, but I also tend to wax poetic more than my peers. I wonder how many career police officers have degrees that are not related to Criminal Justice?  


I have received updates from Anne, Susanna and Nicki for our letter of introduction. We also received a comment on the blog from someone in Australia for the first draft of the intro letter. He suggested that there was too much information and an introduction should be shorter. Vesta, on our Steering Committee, suggested bullet points and I incorporated those as well. I've made some suggested corrections to the letter and will finish tomorrow. I like to sleep on a paper I've written and look at it with fresh eyes before I submit it. It's been a long and glorious weekend but I'm glad to be back home. I like it here.