Resume & LinkedIn

10Pictured left to right: Andrea March (Co-founder Women’s Leadership Exchange) my daughter and Leslie Grossman (Co-founder Women’s Leadership Exchange) at the Women’s Leadership Exchange in July of 2008 (Long Beach). My daughter is seven in this picture.

I requested that Toastmasters District One create a position for me in 2011: Social Media Chair. I held the position 2011-2012 & 2012-2013. I’m taking a break June 30th & giving someone else a chance to grow their career for the next term and the ability to list work experience on their resume and LinkedIn profile. It can be hard getting work experience to list on resumes and LinkedIn – ask anyone in college or anyone that has already graduated and hasn’t landed their first real job.

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Pictured left to right: Monica Alexander, Women of Prominence, Executive Director; Gloria Davis (Girls Club of Los Angeles, Executive Director and my daughter at the Black Business Expo on May 24, 2013. My daughter worked 11 hours at the booth between Friday and Saturday extolling the virtues of Toastmasters to people curious about the communication and leadership tracks offered.

Moving forward, any volunteer support I provide will come in the form of supporting my daughter serving in leadership roles for one year terms. In California, a student needs a 4.0-4.5 to get into their school of choice. I’ve been training my daughter since she was seven on a variety of skills including sales, communication, fund raising, marketing, taxes, persuasion, intent, networking, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, calculated risk, health, technology and more.  I’ve told my daughter one hundred times that she can enter any field and it’s very smart to volunteer when entering a new field. This strategy applies to people older than twelve too.

Guest Blog Post: “15 Slots of Networking” by Joel Ordesky

By Joel Ordesky

Joel Ordesky is an executive in the entertainment business, has led ExecTec, his Los Angeles bases weekly networking group, for over 5 years now. You can find out more at Ziggs: http://www.ziggs.com/apps/profile/Bio.aspx?uid=2014

I have for some time been sharing my new theory of networking. Since I know that driving oneself to network is a challenge for everyone, I thought this week I would outline my theory of the 15 slots.

Simply put in any given week there are 15 slots or opportunities to connect with others, 5 breakfast/AM coffee, 5 lunches or mid-day drop-byes and 5 dinners or drinks.

Now I am sure your boss, significant other, lending institution and or off-spring planning on spending their inheritance keep you well motivated to get done a plethora of tasks and projects, however no one (barring a retained executive coach) truly keeps you accountable to yourself.

Now I know lots of fantastic professionals and many of them are very good at networking however everyone struggles with being consistent about their networking endeavors. While transitioning professionals clearly must amp up their networking the truth is that if we all maintained a consistent level of networking then being in transition would not be as much of an issue. Clearly few of us are digging our wells before we are thirsty and many who have a well forgot where they left it.

I have led ExecTec, a Los Angeles based weekly networking group, for over 5 years now and I clearly remember one member who went into transition for the second time in the 5 year history of the group and showed up saying, “yep I know, I know I blew it, I got a job, stopped networking and now I have to start up my networking efforts again.” Are you doing the same?

Now naturally you could not fill all 15 slots with one-on-one networking opportunities even if you had nothing else to do. Even if we allow 1 out of 4 slots to be filled with networking “events” like ExecTec or association meetings there is a limit.

The slots are meant to give you a away to measure your performance.

Those looking for work should be targeting 3-8 slots a week with 1 to 2 being group networking functions (which will be critical to finding new people to fill the other slots). Working professionals should be filling 1 to 3 slots with one group networking function (anyone should be able to fill 1 slot out of 15 per week).

You are looking to connect with anyone and everyone. Get outside your circle, vocation, industry and meet with people you might not otherwise meet. You never know, that unlikely professional that seemingly has no direct value might be the person to connect you with the person who will fund your dream or open the door to that great job.

During these interactions don’t go straight for your elevator pitch or corner your contact and demand the name of three more potential victims. The goal is to establish a relationship and connection. What you must do is ask what you can do for them. Specifically transitioning professionals have a fantastic opportunity to invest their time in being of aid to others. Trust me nothing will make more of an impression then your doing for someone else. They will remember and they will look for ways to assist you now or later. Even working professionals can and should ask how they could be of aid to the other person. This approach will almost assure that no one will ever turn down an opportunity to meet with you another time.

With a relationship established you are clear to make plain your goals and when the time is right to seek direct aid for those goals.

Lastly establish a presence that keeps you in the peripheral vision of those that you have connected with. This means finding ways of interacting with your contact on the social networking sites where they exist. This helps keep you in their minds between in person interactions.

The goal is to connect and establish solid ties with other professionals, whether you measure success by how many of the 15 slots you can fill. After all you can loose the job, have your company bought out, change careers or move cross country but you can not loose a strong network and armed with that anything is possible.

If you are an executive based in Los Angeles, you are welcome to visit ExecTec, a weekly networking group http://www.ExecTec.us or you can find Joel Ordesky here: http://twitter.com/firqby

The John Wooden Global Leadership 2009 Award Dinner

My evening at the UCLA Anderson School of Management John Wooden Global Leadership 2009 Award Dinner on May 21st was amazing! I heard John Wooden, coaching legend for UCLA Bruins talk about leadership in a way that was foreign to me. Nothing sophisticated or complex. His biggest influence was his father. We received a copy of Mr. Wooden’s latest book & I like to read a few pages when I wake up. I also have my 8 year old daughter read a page to me here & there. It’s a fantastic read.

I loved the bonus of watching Ken Chenault, American Express Chairman & CEO receive the 2009 John Wooden Global Leadership Award. Another great leader, this man’s company sponsors many of the business organizations I belong to.

I would have loved to say more to Ken Chenault as his wife took this photo of us. It was late & I wanted to be courteous, but I wish I had taken a moment to tell him a little bit about my background & how much all of the programs American Express sponsors have helped me to flourish. I didn’t graduate from high school (that fact is trivial compared to other hurdles I have faced in my lifetime), yet I have been given many opportunities to improve my lot in life. On that note, I will say: Thank you for the opportunities to develop myself as a leader & an entrepreneur, Mr. Chenault.

http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x22667.xml

http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x22081.xml