For those looking for employment, Career Source Tampa Bay is hosting a FREE “Veteran Career Fair” on Thursday, April 30th from 10am to 1pm. Location: TPepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121 N. 50th Street, Tampa Fl 33610. The career fair will be open to the rest of the public from 11am – 1pm. Veteran entry will begin at 10am. For more information or to register go to: www.careersourcetampabay.com.
Earth day has vastly changed over the years. When I was younger, Earth Day consisted of picking up garbage, recycling bottles or reusing items found around the house. On this day, it is time for a human awareness about what really needs to happen in order to save our earth. As humans, we must take responsibility for our actions. The human awareness of the harmful affects of using plastic has reached an all-time high. The chemically engineered product has interrupted the health of the earth. We use plastic for cups, bags, clothing, hair products, hair extensions, technology, cleaning products, bottles, eyewear, straws, windows, flooring, baby products, food products, lawn decorations, dental replacements, lip sticks, tires, cars, audio equipment, construction, paint, toys, guns, eye contacts and any other item that you can think of. Plastic is not biodegradable. In order to reuse plastic items, they must be recycled. But, most plastic items are not considered recyclable.
The truth is, plastic exists forever. Plastic pollutes our oceans and causes some types of cancers. We use and rely on plastic as a convenience factor without thinking about the negative consequences it has on the earth. Instead using a several plastic disposable cups for your morning coffee, bring a cup to your local coffee shop. Instead of using several plastic bags for groceries, bring reusable bags. Be mindful of purchasing clothes that are made of polyester and reuse plastic items around your home. Being mindful of the harmful affects of plastics is just one way we can improve the earth and become more aware of the affects. Remember, there are small things you can do to make a big impact on decreasing plastic consumption.
Jenice
Reference information: Mother Earth Living
Employment Event: Career Source Florida
For those looking for employment who may need some extra assistance with preparing and finding a position, a job club will be held next Friday April 24, 2015 from 0900 am until noon. The location is 609 North Powers Drive, Suite 340, Orlando, Florida 32818 at the West Colonial “Career Source” Office.
The job club will consist of networking, open dialogue about issues concerning finding the right job, resume critique and referrals to open positions that may interest you. If you would like to attend, please email Jaime Quarnoccio, Veteran Representative-LVER Email Address: JQuarnoccio@careersourcecf.com or phone 407-531-1231 x7339 for more information go to Career Source Florida for more information and event announcements.
All the Best,
Jenice
This week’s Monday Morning Mindset focuses on “Accepting Miracles.” We have heard the old saying “Miracles happen everyday.” This can be true for you if you so choose it to be. Where we fail in our understanding is what constitutes a “miracle.” A miracle for you may not mean the same as what it may mean for me. I choose to “see” and “experience” miracles everyday, for instances waking up. Waking up is a miracle; we slumber all through the night without any awareness of what it takes for the human body to function without our being awake. We tend to think of things being a miracle when we “can’t believe it.” Isn’t that just the opposite of what a miracle is supposed to be? We need to revaluate what we consider a miracle. Food for thought, actively think and look for miracles you can believe in – then be thankful for the experience.
Today’s Forgiveness Friday focuses on “The Forgiveness Formula.” Forgiveness takes time and efforts. Once you realize that you will never be able to “press a button” and forgive and forget the easier the path toward forgiveness will be. It is important to realize that you are a part of a larger “Forgiveness Formula.” The book “The Forgiveness Formula” talks about the “pathology of forgiveness which you were born into.” Yes, you have our own ways of forgiving, but you also have family dynamics which have shaped how you forgive. How does your mother forgive? How does your father forgive? How do your siblings forgive? How does/did your grandmother or grandfather forgive? These are patterns have shaped your “Forgiveness Formula.” Take some time and write out the forgiveness patterns you have and those of your close family members. Then connect your forgiveness patterns to those that you have similar forgiveness patterns. Do you see a pattern? When I completed this exercise, I noticed huge similarities. The good news is you can change your “Forgiveness Formula” with time and efforts. Focus on who you want to be and the part forgiveness plays in your own life.
Barnes and Noble Book Reference: The Forgiveness Formula
This week’s Monday Morning Mindset focuses on “Compassion for Others.” Compassion starts with the ability to have self-compassion in any given situation or moment. Often, we equate compassion to the ability to relate to somebody else, compassion is also the ability to understand when another is disappointed with something or someone whether the action occurred purposeful or indirectly. It is common practice to want others to feel how we feel about a situation, but the related aspect of emotions has a tendency to misdirect our intentions to show compassion. With practicing of compassion, I’ve come to realize that it first starts with the ability to have compassion for self. Being that each situation will be different with different people, it’s important to understand that compassion is an active aspect of every relationship you have. It is important to remember that just because you may practice compassion towards another, does not necessarily mean that your compassion will be received equally. Instead of finding excuses for why something isn’t or is, find a relatable factor to show compassion within the situation and then except the fact that your compassion may or may not be by the other person(s). The real growth comes when you have the ability to exercise self- compassion and then transfer it over to compassion for others.
Today’s Satisfaction Saturday focuses on “satisfying your need for energy.” Many of us have hectic workweeks and find ourselves exhausted by Friday. On Saturday, all we want to do is relax, sleep in and taken the day in our own relaxing way. Although it is tempting to sleep in and do nothing on Saturday, try to think of ways to increase your energy by going out for a walk or having brunch with a friend. You have the ability to satisfy your need for energy without tapping out your time or ability. Find out where your local fresh vegetable and fruit market are and find a new recipe to cook. Whether you are going to the gym for a workout or going for a stroll through your neighborhood, take time out to satisfy the need for energy and replenish it with the nutrients needed to sustain a healthy balanced life.
This week’s Monday Morning Mindset focuses on “taking it one step at a time.” There is an old saying that goes “Rome was not built in a day.” This is not only a metaphor but also a practical life lesson. Accomplishing your goals takes diligence and day-to-day tasks in order to be successful. I can recall joining the military at a young age and initially wanting to earn my associates of science degree. When I initially started school it was overwhelming and I often found myself discouraged. I would think about how long it was going to take me to finish my degree. After speaking with my academic advisor I realized that I was thinking about my goal in the wrong way. Instead thinking about how long it was going to take me to get my degree, I refocused and concentrated on one class at a time. With any goal we have in life it’s important to understand the end goal, but equally important are the day-to-day tasks in order to accomplish the goal. Don’t be discouraged by how far you have to go to get to your goal, instead try to remember how far you’ve come. Becoming mindful of how you think about goals provides an overall foundation for positive growth and development towards actually accomplishing your goal. Give yourself a break; take it one step at a time.
Today’s Monday Morning Mindset focuses on “building Up.” You have an important part to play in this world; we all have a life purpose. Your purpose may be to influence, motivate and uplift. You purpose may be to provide encouragement or to promote goodwill. Either way, you matter and your purpose is significant to the lives of others. Take some time this week to seek to find your natural ability to commit to your life purposes and become actively significant in the matters of “building up.” When you choose to build up, you build up others around you. Everyone has a purpose, find your purpose – no matter what it is, you matter and you have the power to build up and promote goodwill from where you are.
Jenice
Today’s Monday Morning Mindset focuses on your health. Many people make goals of losing weight at one time or another in their life. The actual ability to lose and maintain a healthy weight depends on the food you are consuming. It is important to exercise and drink water daily, but what you eat is even more important than how much you exercise. This is something that we all hear time and time again from commercials, society, our families and sometimes even our self-conscious. The most important thing is what you actually put in your mouth. With commercialize processed food it can be hard to make healthy food choices on a regular basis. Instead of making an outlandish goal of losing 100 pounds within a certain amount of time, make smaller more realistic goals for yourself. You will allow yourself to succeed one moment and one bit at a time.
Reference: Health.com
Today’s Forgiveness Friday focuses on “Words.” Have you ever noticed that after you said something aloud that it came to be true in your life at one time or another? We have a tendency to speak without thinking. We complain without thought and gossip without recalling facts. We give opinions when not asked for, or give information without revelation. Then in the same instance have the audacity to be offended when our “words” are not taken in a manner suitable to us. My point is, it is time for forgive yourself for mindless words. There is nothing wrong with having a good time with friends and family, but when our words start to become hurtful or unwarranted it is time to press the pause button on the mouth. Words become things, so if we say mindless words we are in retrospect hurting ourselves. Being mindful of words is a matter of thinking about what you are saying, as you are saying it. Forgive yourself for mindless words and choose to come up higher in your ability to use your words for higher purposes.
Today’s “Thankful Thursday” focuses on finding and being thankful for new beginnings. New beginnings are the birth of brand-new things that manifest in your life. With new beginnings comes the realization of understanding the efforts of hard work and self-motivation paying off. New beginnings are a time for celebration and reflection. With every new beginning something else must end. The optimistic mind focuses on new beginnings as a plateau for new adventures, new journeys and new relationships. Instead of focusing on the past, focus on new beginnings of your the future.
Excited to announce my program has been officially added to the Hillsborough County Public Library:
Title: Smarter Not Harder HR: Resume and Interview Tips
Description: Local human resources expert, Jenice Armistead, will provide necessary and innovative tips and tricks for individuals looking for resume help, government job application assistance, and interview preparation.
Length of Program: 45-60 minutes
For more information and request to speak contact your local Hillsborough County Public Library: http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/locations/
All the Best,
Jenice Armstead
Today’s Forgiveness Friday focuses on “choosing to come up higher.” Life events require us to adjust our eyes to the levels of deficiency within a difficult situation. The levels of deficiency provide us the ability to choose to come up higher, and make a different choice. When you choose to come up higher, you’re choosing to connect with the essence of your true self. Your true self speaks to the stillness of clarity that comes with then. It is in the stillness where we find our true faith, empowerment and beliefs. Choose to come up higher and allow the grace of goodness to submerge your life with abundance. When choosing to come up higher, you must make a choice to understand that fear is a wasted emotion unless you choose to learn to grow from it. Forgive yourself and choose to come up higher. Allow yourself to be empowered to think for yourself and choose to connect with the essence of your trueness.
Military personnel have many jobs while on active and reserve duty. Military personnel are often discharged from the military with little to no information on the process of converting military experience into civilian sector terminology. Military experience is not easily understood by the civilian sector. There are easy ways to convert military experience into civilian verbiage using job description templates found on the Internet.
It is important for military personnel to write out experience as it relates to civilian jobs. This is done utilizing job descriptions sites such as O*Net, Indeed and Career Builder. These sites provide job description information civilian sectors are using to hire applicants. Job experience should be broken down into bullets, which is the basic resume structure. A helpful book when completing this task is “Job Search, Marketing Your Military Experience By David G. Henderson.” This book provides excellent information on how to convert your military experience into civilian experience. It is an easy to understand book that provides examples and tips for converting military experience and is useful for all military forces.
Do some research on military specialties, then get detailed about what the specialty entails. Explain the experience in layman terms, and remember to keep it simple. Conduct Internet searches on “Job Descriptions” to find examples of pre-written job descriptions. Copy and paste the desired job description example and use it as a template to assist with converting military experience into civilian experience.
Create 3 resumes, a short, medium and long resume. The short resume provides a brief overview of position held and tasks. The medium adds tools and technologies of the positions. Finally, the long resume is a combination of all of experience from the first position held to present position. This includes job summary, tasks, knowledge, skills and abilities, tools and technologies of the position. Remember to create the long resume first, use the long resume to create the medium and the short resume.
Happy job hunting,
Jenice
Once you have submitted your government application on www.usajob.gov there are specific ways to keep up with your application status. There are free tools that can be utilized on www.usajobs.gov. There are a few ways to get the status of your government application and you should check the status at least weekly.
After you have submitted your government application, wait until the job announcement closes to check the status of your application. Log into your www.usajobs.gov profile and click on the title “Application Status.” Find the announcement you wish to check on. Some government agencies link the application status the agency site. If so, you will be redirected to the agency website where you submitted your original application. You will be able to view the status of your application here.
If the agency does not use this hyperlink, it will say “no application status available” this is okay. Don’t be discouraged. Click on the job announcement title and a second window will open up. Scroll down to the bottom of the job announcement and find the point of contact. You will see contact phone number or an email address (if supplied). Contact this person and request the “Applicant Status.”
There are times the contact gives you a vague answer about the job announcement status. If this happens, ask a more specific question like “Has their been a selection for the position? Or Have I been found qualified for the position?” This will ensure you get a more detailed answer. I recommend always contacting the point of contact via email to ensure you have written documentation in case you have any issues with the job announcement in the future.
Happy Job Hunting,
Jenice
First, you need to create a word document and type your “basic” resume in your desired format. Once you have your basic resume, make a folder for other more specific resumes you may need to create for job announcements you apply for. Now that you have your basic resume completed you will be able to edit the basic resume and tailor it toward government job announcements based on your qualifications and KSAs.
Second, tailor your resume. Copy and paste the “major duties” section of the job announcement into your basic resume and explain in detail how you meet the “minimum qualifications” of the job announcement. You can do this in bullet format, or in a standard resume format. Either way, you need to custom your resume. Often, applicant’s whom are selected for an interview have the qualifications posted verbatim from the job announcements.
Often, federal applications are reviewed using a “data mining” human resources information system, which assists human resources specialists with large application workload. Job announcements may have a contact number or an email address, this is public information for you to use to ensure your application was received and submitted successfully.
Custom your resume toward the job announcement in order to ensure your application receives the attention it deserves. Keep in mind, if you over state your qualifications your application can be discarded. Be honest, detailed and exact.
Happy Job Hunting,
Jenice
Federal government applications evaluated by a human resources specialists. They will review your responses to the User Information, Core Questions, and Vacancy Questions. The job specific questions will relate to the knowledge, skills and abilities required of the position. Many applications are “thrown out” because of a lack of KSAs addressed by the applicant.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL federal positions are advertised on www.usajobs.gov. DON’T be fooled by “other” websites that promise to advertise federal jobs for a “small cost.” Many of these “other” websites charge applicants to view federal positions and merely re-route the job links, but rest assure that these “other” websites are “pulling” information from www.usajobs.gov to get information about advertised federal positions.
No matter what agency you are applying to, the advertised job will have KSAs or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. You need to read the entire job announcement. At times, federal agencies require applicants to submit addition information about specific job announcement KSAs. (Go to the PRINT PREVIEW button to view the entire announcement requirements)
Example job announcement KSAs:
• Knowledge of the laws and regulations governing the realty program and the ability to use sound professional judgment to resolve conflicts with other resources.
• Skilled in understanding laws and regulation and analyzing realty programs
• Ability to evaluate and process realty applications and proposals and conduct compliance examinations on authorized actions.
This statement is ALWAYS in federal job announcements:
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS MUST BE SUPPORTED IN YOUR RESUME. If your answer(s) are not supported in your resume, or you fail to follow the instructions for the question(s), you will have your answer(s) adjusted to reflect what is provided, for failure to follow instructions.
This means if your resume does not “match” the required KSAs within the advertised job announcement, the agency may manually lower your application score. Federal applications are scored from 0 points to 100 points. Your goal is to receive as many points as possible. Human resources specialists review applications with the highest scores first.
Overall, KSAs are important and you will be evaluated based the information submitted to the job announcement. The key to writing government KSAs is to put the EXACT KSAs which are found in the job announcement within your resume or application WORD-FOR-WORD. Then go into detail about how your qualifications meet the KSAs.
Happy Job Hunting,
Jenice
Happy New Year and now it is time to focus on your New Year’s Resolutions. There is only one problem – is your New Year Resolution realistic? Is it something that will better your life? Or only give you a quick fix? Will it sustain you? Or will you only be sustained by merely obtaining the goal itself? The key is to stay realistic. Do you want to loose weight? Instead of focusing on losing the weight, focus on eating better. Do you want better relationships? Focus on having a better relationship with yourself. Either way, a New Year brings new hope. Keep your hope, keep your focus and keep your motivation through out this New Year. Know and understand that there will be times when you won’t want to focus, that is when you need to focus on the feelings of achieving and believe that your goals are happening one day at a time – just as this new year happens.
There are many benefits to applying and earning a government position. In this economy people are looking for job stability and benefits. The government has job security, benefits and more.
In this economy, the government sector is hiring all types of positions. Many government agencies are still receiving stimulus money to create new jobs in all career fields. Government agencies are having problems finding the people to apply for the positions. That’s right, agencies are having problems finding people, because the public isn’t applying for government jobs as they did in the past. There are positions that need to be filled such as: Grounds Keepers, Administration Assistants, Administrative Secretaries, Engineers, Forest Rangers, Information Technicians, Clerks, Legal Assistants and the list goes on and on and on and on.
There are some keys factors to completing government job applications. First of all, you need to create or update a personal profile on the main free government website: www.usajobs.gov. This is a “free” website that all government jobs are posted on, no matter what government department it is. There are a ton of scams that “say” they need a payment in order for you to gain access to federal positions. This is false! It is completely FREE to search and apply for government jobs. Although, many federal agencies fill jobs using private sector personnel, USAJOBs allows applicants looking for specific positions to “searches” tailored to the seeking candidates needs.
One of the main factors is to review “eligible and qualified” factors of a job announcement you want to apply for. This part can be a bit tricky; the key is to go to the “Who May Apply” and “Requirements” tab at the top of the job announcement. Review the information. There is where the details of “Who May Apply” for the position and what the “Requirements” are for the position. If you feel you meet the requirements move on to the next step and “Apply” for the position.
Remember, when using USAJOBS your profile information is “attached” to your application when you submit it. Make sure to complete your USAJOBS profile before applying for any positions on USAJOBS. Supplemental documents are also “attached” to any application you submit via USAJOBS. Make sure that all your documents i.e. DD214, SF 50, unofficial transcripts, cover letter or training certifications are all attached to the document section of your profile.
Happy USAJOB Hunting
Jenice