HMEA 5K Race/Walk - May 23rd

What happens on May 23rd?

Who is HMEA?

Why you should help?

These questions and more can be answered in this brief video.




If you'd like to register to run or walk, you can go to HMEA.org.
If you'd like to contribute as part of my fund raising page, there is a widget on this page or here: http://www.firstgiving.com/stephensherlock

I hope to see you on May 23rd!

job search notes: hold the date - May 14th

Do you recall our effort last year to bring the unconference to the unemployed and underemployed? We ended up canceling the LaidOffCamp due to insufficient registrations. We have learned from that experience and are giving it a second try.

We have a good location: 
The St John Evangelist Parish Center in Hopkinton, MA. It is great space for up to 200 and best of all, free for us to use. As we are a non-profit and all volunteer group, any proceeds from the event will be donated to the Church.

We have a date!
Friday, May 14th from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM

We have a new event name:
Job Search Jam Sessions

The name says we are all about the "job search". We are looking for collaboration, learning and sharing from each other on this road to the next stop in our career. You have some tips and tricks from your experience. I do. Bob does. Marilyn does. Everyone does. Let's come together in an open space facilitated set of sessions.

We have a new website:
http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com/

Stay tuned for further announcements. We should have the registration page active by the end of this week. In the mean time, hold the date on your calendar - May 14th!

#the5

good morning world. rain, rain go away, New Englanders would like to come out and play!

Reflections on the Social Media Lab Workshop http://bit.ly/dcGbmG"there is value in learning from those tactics that didn't work!" #the5

Take Back Your Voices http://bit.ly/9IeXRK " We have to do something bigger than a bunch of tee shirts" #the5

Cool, fun, awesome, amazing, and other things you’re nothttp://bit.ly/cVF8we "if you listen and pay attention" to @cspenn#the5

The Human Element http://bit.ly/aV71KD "the only business strategy that is not subject to commodification" @julien good advice#the5

The Alpha Bet http://bit.ly/cdxsTi"cultivate a class of users more actively engaged with entrepreneurs developing products" #the5

What are learning and can share today?

Lunch - good hot soup!

Soup, hot soup. There is something about a bowl of good hot soup on a day when it is so wet and rainy.

What did you have for lunch today?

#the5

Follow-Up Faux Pas: Avoid Them! http://bit.ly/bBC3YN "in my experience the modern interview process is NOT a level playing field" #the5

Use LinkedIn to Promote Your Personal Brand http://bit.ly/apZBfe "using LinkedIn for more than just making contacts" #the5

LinkedIn for BlackBerry: Anytime, Anywhere http://bit.ly/9drDt7 "expect regular enhancements and additions to the application" #the5

Will Brain Scans 1 Day Replace Job Interviews? http://bit.ly/ciiuis "set the criteria in the 1st place for ... the ideal employee" #the5

10 Ways to Describe Effective Networking http://bit.ly/d39uLf "9. Be positive when speaking with people" #the5

     

job search notes: LinkedIn YouTube channel

Need to see more insights on how to use and leverage LinkedIn?

Look no further than the official LinkedIn YouTube channel!


You can subscribe to it here

#the5

IDEO's Tim Brown on Using Design to Change Behavior http://bit.ly/b3r6Lm - Be patient with monitoring "success" #the5

Where the Boomers Will Find Jobs http://bit.ly/8Zw6nl "To get that job, you need to broaden your horizons" #the5

See Things as They Are—Then Change Them http://bit.ly/cP2NCI "To ask "why" is to ponder the is-ness of something" #the5

Success if overrated http://bit.ly/ba9ron "you never reach a point where you feel full enough to stop" #the5

Finding a New Home (Again) http://bit.ly/8ZirGo "None of them feels like a place of comfort and refuge right now" #the5

     

Collaboration

Collaboration - is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together in an intersection of common goals according to wikipedia




When people do come together, it is a wonderful thing!

Enjoy!

Thanks to Roy H Williams and his MondayMorningMemo for the pointer to this. Read the memo, then click through on each picture to find this at the end of the rabbit hole. The journey is worth it.

Note: when you view the video of Billy Collins reading the Lanyard, I was in that audience at the 2004 Dodge Festival. This was the "wet" festival at Duke Farms.

Earth Hour: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM

8:30 to 9:30pm local time, hundreds of millions of people around the world will switch off their lights and participate in Earth Hour, the largest climate awareness event ever held. As climate change will effect people on every continent, we think a united, global call for action to address the problem is needed.

Quote from the Google Blog here

5 for Friday

Friday and #the5, a good combination called 5 for Friday!

The #SOBCon Manifesto http://bit.ly/at7h3K "a way to give some of that learning and experience back" #the5

Ho‘ohana: Redefine ‘work’ to make it yours http://bit.ly/cbwkpk "To Ho‘ohana your work is to enjoy it" #the5

Fear of philanthropy (avert your eyes) http://bit.ly/ajN24x "One percent isn't a lot, but it's enough." #the5

5 Reasons Why Your Social Network Isn’t Workinghttp://bit.ly/9PI1Go "The social networking relationships I invest the most in" #the5

You’ll Never Know the Truth. Move On. http://bit.ly/bx4aV1 "very few people have the poise to answer a direct question directly" #the5

Another bend in the road of my work/life http://bit.ly/ccwjZ7"Managing work/Life is about choices" bonus 6th find for #the5Friday


What will you learn and share this day?

Remember Iwo Jima

Where were you on Feb 19th?

Can you recall without looking at your calendar?

65 years ago, my father - then a 19 year old US Marine, had landed on the black volcanic shores of Iwo Jima on February 19th, 1945. Fierce fighting took place above and below ground on that island until March 26th.

On or about March 26th, yes, 65 years ago today, Jerry made his way to the beach to await a landing craft to board, to take him back to the safety of a ship, and then back to Hawaii. Solid food, shower, clean clothes for the first time since Feb 19th. Mission accomplished.

From Jerry's Story

Jerry is the one circled.

Jerry talked about his time in the Pacific at the VA Home in Bristol, RI on Thursday. He spoke without notes. He spoke deliberately and in detail. I complimented him on it after and he said "I left out a few stories". One wouldn't have noticed.

You can view that talk on Jerry's Story here.

And when you think back on what you were doing on February 19th.
Okay, you can go look at your calendar.

And when you reflect on all that you did in the time since then, think of the men who fought on Iwo Jima (in particular as this is their time for remembering) and those who fought elsewhere, and thank a veteran for their service.

The one line I was expecting to hear from Dad at the VA Home, I actually was surprised to not hear Thursday. Whenever he has talked about his time there, and until recently - this was not often, he would usually close with: "The real heroes did not come home."

Two photos - wife and mother

I guess I won't have much of an argument against the line that men marry their mothers now that I have found this pair of pictures:

#the5

Good morning, Thursday! time to share some good links with #the5- Gmail Starts Sniffing Out Scammers http://bit.ly/9lfmXK

Google Voice Goes Real-Time (Well, Almost) http://bit.ly/940AQS - there is progress but it is slowly coming #the5

Save the Date for a Webinar With Sir Ken Robinsonhttp://bit.ly/daMu7T March 30th - #the5

Trust … We’re All Pretty Enough http://bit.ly/c0yGaJ @lizstrausswith a good lead today "Am I not pretty enough" #the5

How hard can a brand hit? http://bit.ly/bG6LTi "brand is an emotional aftertaste from a set of experiences" @cspenn with #the5

that's all for #the5 today, have a great Thursday folks! I'll tune in later to see what happens with Twitter Bingohttp://bit.ly/c3Nrya


Check out Jerry's Story later today. Dad will give a talk at the VA Home in Bristol, RI about his experiences in the Pacific during WWII (Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima). We'll broadcast that live and provide the recording for viewing later.

job search notes: Leveraging LinkedIn - updated with audio

The Leveraging LinkedIn presentation I made last week has been updated with a couple of slides and the audio has been added.

Leveraging LinkedIn 3-17-2010

View more presentations from Steve Sherlock.

#the5

it is late in the day but time to do #the5, have you shared something worthy today?


The Social Media Bubble http://bit.ly/aIuoUa "Real relationships are patterns of mutual investment" #the5

It's All About the Friendships! http://bit.ly/cctzND "What's your "investment plan" for the week?" #the5

Jobs http://bit.ly/aWKDC1 "I'm talking about the desperate need for jobs for young Americans" #the5

5 Tips To Maintain Momentum In Job Search http://bit.ly/aWsQMo"You have to believe that it will happen" #the5

Google Bookmarks Gets Public and Private Lists, Collaboration Toolshttp://bit.ly/bS0Ie2 "one of Google's lesser known services" #the5

that's all for #the5 today, stay dry here in MA folks! I'll tune in later to see what happens with Twitter Bingo http://bit.ly/c3Nrya

#the5

good morning, Monday! Have you see the MondayMorningMemo? a good way to start today http://mondaymorningmemo.com/newsletters/read/1865

Water Music http://bit.ly/aOQRs6 this gets Monday off to a fun start! #the5

Mantras R Us: The Pocket Guide to Effective Zen Leadership http://bit.ly/aH5ax5 “Be an enabler not a disabler” #the5 @starbucker

Think Globally http://nyti.ms/b7JVls "what they all have in common is their superior directness" great read! #the5

Revisiting: Can I Read Your Blog Like a Book? http://bit.ly/9YSHzl "I should be able to read your blog like a book" #the5

Beach Notes: Surf Temple http://bit.ly/91418S "What’s the vantage point in your life?" #sobcon #the5

that's all for #the5 today, have a great Monday folks! I'll tune in later to see what happens with Twitter Bingo http://bit.ly/c3Nrya

      

5 for Friday

fighting a cold this Friday so I'm about to do #the5 and head back to get some rest


Top Ten Presentation Tips http://bit.ly/9HfEYX "gives the audience a sense of where they’ve been, where they are" #the5

Real-time Brand Management — Lessons from Virgin America's Hellish Flight http://bit.ly/afhVtP "Companies need a "trust bank"#the5

Banks = Outsourced Socialism http://bit.ly/9YhYlB "if anyone other than the people are allocating resources" #the5

8 Ways to Better Understand the Internet of Thingshttp://bit.ly/ar3ZSj "turn appliances on and off via Twitter" #the5

Blog: The Laid Off IT Guy! Have You Been Told That You Don't Have Industry Experience?http://bit.ly/c20AWm #the5

#the5

good morning folks, Thursday has begun and it is time for #the5 - What can you share today?


One voice among thirty - why one person's vote mattershttp://bit.ly/cNVtx6 "understand the significance of one person’s vote" #the5

The Difference Between Recipe and Restaurant http://bit.ly/cgdYqD“execution is everything.” @chrisbrogan @tompeters #the5

Cloud Computing is a bad metaphor http://bit.ly/aKGStz@scottberkun talks about the clouds in his coffee #the5

Over-sharing: problems with social networking and privacyhttp://bit.ly/cY5u5r "adhere to some common-sense boundaries"#the5

Waving or Drowning? http://bit.ly/awbay4 "Tell me the kind of change you're championing" #the5

that's all for #the5 today, have a great Thursday folks! I'll tune in later to see what happens with Twitter Bingohttp://bit.ly/c3Nrya

mix the future, things, and why

Let's start with Emma's idea for a short story:



Let's add the idea of "an internet of things"



Let's stir in "starting with Why"



What do you get from this mix?

job search notes: LinkedIn Session document

Leveraging LinkedIn for your job search:

Leveraging linked in_3_17_2010

View more presentations from Steve Sherlock.

#the5

Top o' the morning to all! may the luck of the Irish be with you all today! it's time for #the5

Booking Guests for Your Podcast http://bit.ly/b9ZkNe "head and shoulders above other podcasters" is @adamweiss #the5 (Note: I bought my podcasting kit from Adam at the first PodCamp Boston back in 2006. It has been a very good investment!)

Blog: The Laid Off IT Guy! Condo Rehab http://bit.ly/9Fe8Im "turned out to be an all out remodel project" #the5

How US Government Spies Use Facebook http://bit.ly/9w5Fg4 "LinkedIn can be useful in finding expert witnesses" #the5

Internet of Things Explained (Video) http://bit.ly/aEFFKG "we can actually begin to hear the planet talking to us" great news! #the5

Twitter is the New Tool for Job Seekers http://bit.ly/ayy6J4 "a crude, yet effective, example of social media networking" #the5

that's all for #the5 today, have a great St Pat's folks! I'll tune in later to see what happens with Twitter Bingo http://bit.ly/c3Nrya
      

job search notes: Sam I am's networking tips

The last book in this series of job search notes applying what can be learned from Dr Seuss comes from the timeless classic "Green Eggs and Ham."

You recall the story? 'Sam I am' is aggressive and persistent in his attempts to get the un-named gentleman with the hat to try green eggs and ham. The gentleman refuses to try.

We have all see Sam (or Samantha to be nonsexist about it)! The arrogant and aggressive personality, always showing off, always prancing around as if the world revolves around them.

It is hard to network with Sam (Samantha)! They are the kind of folks you want to stay away from.

The lesson: Be good. Be open. Don't be aggressive.

From my own archives:

One blogger who is good at the approachability factor is Scott Ginsburg, that guy with the name tag. He talks a lot about the approachability factor. He uses his name tag as his front porch. Check him out. Understand what your front porch is today, and how you might be able to improve your approachability tomorrow.

Why should you create that open and welcome feeling?

Let's go back to Green Eggs and Ham:

Sam!

If you will let me be,

I will try them.

You will see.

And what happens when he tries green eggs and ham? He likes them of course!

Wouldn't it have been easier to try it sooner? He might very well have, had Sam been more open and approachable.

The message for us: we are looking for is to get an interview. We need to leverage our network to obtain it. Once that far, we assume that what will be, will be (and we will get the position)!

Be approachable, create a welcome front porch.

I hope this has been a help for your job search efforts.


Other entries in this Dr Seuss Series for job searchers can be found here

PS - For St Patrick's Day, why not try green eggs and ham?

#the5

good morning, catching the train to Boston so we'll do #the5 now - what can you find and share today?


Web Illiteracy: How Much Is Your Fault? http://bit.ly/blyl10 "Web designers could be paying more attention" #the5

The Jargon/Credibility Correlation http://bit.ly/dAKGfY "his current resume failed to emphasize any of these specific words" #the5

7 Steps to Using the Power of Intuition in Your Job Searchhttp://bit.ly/9qJbmW "often undervalued or dismissed in Western culture" #the5

Using social media with intent http://bit.ly/9MPU2A "Is your social media strategy random or do you use intent?" #the5

Branding: When Words Become Meaningless http://bit.ly/bK229q"Spend less time on the name, more time on product development"#the5

job search notes - The Cat in the Hat's advice

The sun did not shine.

It was too wet to play.

So we sat in the house

All that cold, cold, wet day.

I sat there with Sally.

We sat there, we two.

And I said, "How I wish

We had something to do!"

Of course, when you are searching for your next job, there is plenty to do. Not like in Dr Seuss's The Cat in The Hat.

There are job boards to check: Monster.com, Craigslist.org
The Ladders LinkedIn has job postings too!

There is your network to care for. Reach out to wish someone a happy birthday, or a nice day. Check in to see how they are doing.

Always be looking for an opportunity to position yourself.

The Cat in the Hat said

"I will pick up the hook.

You will see something new.

Two things. And I call them

Thing One and Thing Two.

These things will not bite you.

They want to have fun."

Then out of the box

Came Thing Two and Thing One!

And they ran to us fast.

They said, "How do you do?

Would you like to shake hands 

With Thing One and Thing Two?"

See, coming right out of the box, the two Things were immediately networking!

So what is the real message from Dr Seuss and The Cat in the Hat?
1 - take care of your network
2 - don't be afraid to have some fun!

I hope this was of some help for your job search effort!

Other entries in this Dr Seuss Series for job searchers can be found here

#the5

good morning all, more rain scheduled today for Franklin and other sections of wet New England, no ark in sight so we'll do #the5

Ninja Mind Control Trick http://bit.ly/a93Nvv, this ties in with the Globe article today http://bit.ly/byGlzR 2 4 1 to start #the5

Tax breaks for developments in MA - Boston.comhttp://shar.es/mod93 implication is that's bad, but it's not really all bad #the5

Community, Conversation, Contribution? http://bit.ly/9hyAGH"important to know why you are contributing in the first place" #the5

If Writers Taught and Teachers Wrote .http://bit.ly/aImzNI "the prospect of injecting new professional energy into both areas"#the5

But it's better than TV http://bit.ly/dbBOBf "one of the underappreciated world-changing stories of our time" #the5

that's all for #the5 today, have a great Monday folks! I'll tune in later to see what happens with Twitter Bingohttp://bit.ly/c3Nrya

Enjoy!

job search notes: Dr Seuss goes fishing

one fish

two fish

red fish

blue fish

....

This one has

a little star

This one has a little car.

Say! What a lot 

of fish there are.

Such is the familiar opening for Dr Seuss' book written in 1960. How does that help those on the job search?

One of the demographic factors of this recession is how the downturn has affected folks of all ages (although there are age groups where they have been affected more so than any other).

From the US Dept of Labor JOLT Summary

Net Change in Employment

Over the 12 months ending in January, hires totaled 48.4 million and separations totaled 52.4 million, yielding a net employment loss of 4.0 million.

What is JOLT? The Job Opening and Labor Turnover report. There is good new in the report:

There were 2.7 million job openings on the last business day of January 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The job openings rate rose over the month to 2.1 percent, the highest the rate has been since February 2009.

What does this mean for those looking for a job?

There are really a whole lot of fish in the sea. The competition is tough but not impossible.

Dr Seuss closed "one fish two fish red fish blue fish" with:

Today is gone. Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one.

Every day,

from here to there,

funny things are everywhere.

Be confident! Be yourself!

Network and have some fun meeting folks along the way.

Help them in whatever way you can.

One of them will help you.

One of them will be the fish you need to land your dream position.

Good luck! I hope this has been helpful for you.


Other entries in this Dr Seuss Series for job searchers can be found here

Dr Seuss published over 60 children's books during his lifetime. My family library has a dozen or so. Ten Dr Seuss books are what I am using as a jump off point for this series. Some are better suited for this than others. If you have a similar library and find one that I haven't covered, feel free to cover it yourself, or let me know and I can post it here for you.

job search notes: your personal learning network

Educators are taking about creating "personal learning networks". The life long learning required of us to keep up with the changes makes this a requirement. As we network to find a new job, we are meeting folks and learning from them about new connections. The search and networking is job focused.




Consider keeping notes on your search effort some of these folks you probably should include in your own personal learning network to remain current and up to date with the changes.

Mr Byrne, writing at Free Technology for Teachers, did a good overview of how to create your own personal learning network here:




There are many names for learning networks like these. Mastermind groups, buddy groups, etc.

What do they have in common?
There is a connection and conversation around a content that matters to them that ultimately allows the group to build a community.

What would your learning network look like?

Business After Hours

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce held a "Business After Hours" networking event at Dean College Thursday evening.

Dean College was a gracious host, with good food and refreshments in their newly renovated Library and Learning Center on the Dean campus. President Paula Rooney was amongst the several Dean representatives present.

Jack Lank, President of the United Regional Chamber, welcomed everyone. Jay Leiendecker, Vice President at Dean gave some brief remarks as did Jeff Nutting, Franklin Town Administrator.

A number of business people from outside Franklin came to the event to meet business folks from Franklin and help share what they do to spread the word and expand their business.

With as many people as were at the event, I could not get to talk with all. Those whom I did get to talk with were interesting. Some highlights were:

Did you know that Digital Credit Union is developing an application to take a picture of a check with your smartphone to create a deposit into your account without having to actually bring the check to the teller or ATM machine? I will talk further with Thomaz Demoura, Branch Manager of the DCU office on RT 140 to understand how this will work.

Did you know that if you'd like to hold an outdoor wedding in the area that Country Gardens, a bed and breakfast with a special events facility would be a good place to consider? Located approximately two miles from LaSalette Shrine, I will be talking with Ralph Arguin to find out more about their services.

You may recall a conversation with Linda Waters, President, Back to Business, that I reported here from the Harvest Festival last September. The Confidence Beads that were in development are now ready and available. I will be finding out more to bring back and share here.

This is just a sample of the conversations available at Business After Hours. Consider finding out more about the United Regional Chamber of Commerce and their operations by visiting their website, calling one of their offices, or contacting me. You don't have to be a member to attend their Business After Hours, you can attend as a guest.

Why do I spend time at such events? You may have heard me say/write that something like a split tax is not a solution to our budget problems. A split tax rate creates two classes of taxpayers and attempts to shift the burden from the residential to the commercial/industrial base. That simply makes it harder to do business in Franklin. What we really need to do is not split the pie but make the pie larger! Increasing business opportunity in Franklin is one way to help our overall budget issues. The opportunity to meet and talk with the business folks is priceless!

Creating opportunities for business to operate successfully in Franklin is what matters.


This was originally posted to Franklin Matters.

Five for Friday: #the5

good morning, happy Friday! time to get into #the5 and see what is good to share today

music of opportunity, sound of potential http://bit.ly/bkq6zW the video is well done, spend six minutes to be inspired this AM #the5 

You Can’t Fake It. Stop Trying. http://bit.ly/bpXwjy "Your brain, however, is not so smart" #the5 @seiden with good advice

6 Powerful LinkedIn Marketing Tips for Small Businesses http://bit.ly/acJW2E "is LinkedIn the red-headed stepchild of social media?" #the5

Social Media for Job Search Advice: Stop Fondling the Hammer! http://bit.ly/a6GAH2 look to define your nail! #the5

The Networking One Night Stand http://bit.ly/cT6YtP "make sure this system includes a “tickler” mechanism" #the5

that's all for #the5 today, have a great Friday folks! I'll tune in later to see what happens with Twitter Bingo http://bit.ly/c3Nrya

What can you share today?

music of opportunity, sound of potential

A little inspirational music and story for this Friday. The video clip says it all better than I could.

job search notes: Dr Seuss on foot notes

Dr Seuss can help the job search?
Yes, he did more than write children's books.

In Dr Seuss's usual good manner, he goes directly to the foot of the matter in this book. As a beginning reader, the text is simple and to the point. What is the message?

Get on your feet, get moving!

Meet people! The book ends with:

Left foot. Right foot.
Feet. Feet. Feet.
Oh how many
feet you meet!

The art of networking is meeting people, making connections, finding things in common.

The in-person networking is a must. Online networking is effective but more so when the individuals can meet face to face.

Meetup.com is a good source for networking groups. If you don't find one in your area, you can easily start one.

Check on LinkedIn for groups in your subject area.

Check with your local unemployment agency for information on groups in your neighborhood.

Once you are part of one group, you can find out about others. The one good thing about networking groups is that they are a benefit to all new and regular participants.

I hope this helps your job searching effort! Ge out and meet folks, one of these connections will be the one to lead you to land your ideal position.


Other entries in this Dr Seuss Series for job searchers can be found here