A Tribute to the Go-Getters and Dreamers - Helpful tips for going after what you want

I think there's something to be said for those who are relentless in pursuing their dreams. So many people talk of success, but very few are willing to do what it takes to achieve it. We often ridicule those who have tons of ideas that never seem to pan out, without giving credit for them not only having a plan, but mustering up the courage to take the leap and execute it.

Instead, those with closeted ambition and weak commitment throw stones to shatter the dreams of others.
But they are the ones who truly deserve the ridicule. We are the Alices caught in the looking glass between Wonderland and Reality, watching our true selves fast asleep in the green pastures, while life happens and passes us by.

I admit that there have been numerous occasions where I have found myself on both sides of that mirror. How about you? Well if you're anything like me, you're not going to be content with being a dreamer for long. Do you have a fabulous idea burning in the back of your mind but have no idea how to get started? Below is a tried and proven strategy to help you organize your thoughts and develop a manageable plan to bring your dreams to fruition.

Think it -All great ideas begin as a thought. We see a need and we think, "Wow, wouldn't it be great if someone would.....(insert brilliant idea)?" It's crucial that you don't dismiss those thoughts because they could be the start of an amazing project!

Write it - According to national studies, the average human brain has over 3,000 thoughts per day. Now of course, you're not going to write down all 3,000 of those thoughts, nor would you probably want to. But when you have a great idea, don't take for granted that you're going to remember it later. Grab a piece of paper and write as much as you can down, preferably in a notebook that you revisit often. I'm a bit manic about capturing my thoughts so I went out to Barnes & Nobles and bought a package of 3-4 of those cute Moleskine notebooks and stashed them all around my apartment and in my purses. This way, I'll never miss an opportunity to write down an idea.

If you're more technologically inclined and your smart phone or tablet is like a third hand, I highly recommend downloading an app such as Evernote to keep track of your thoughts when you're...say...driving and are hit with a good idea.

Speak it and seek advice about it - Great ideas are useless if you keep them to yourself. Share them with a friend or colleague who you feel comfortable with. I typically have one or two people in my circle that I love to bounce ideas off of because I trust them to be honest with me and give me constructive feedback. I'm a collaborator by nature so I thrive off of idea sharing and often times, one quick conversation with a friend can enhance the quality of my idea so much that it ends up being even better than I originally imagined.

Plan it - So after thinking, writing, and discussing; if you feel like you have a winner, now the real work begins. Lately I've become obsessed with vision boards because they give me a visual representation of my vision for the project. I organize the vision into steps and then cut out pictures and words that demonstrate each step that I want to take to bring the idea into fruition. I also start to make a list of all the resources I'm going to need to complete the project.

(For those of who you are interested in learning how to use vision boards, I'll be writing a follow-up post to discuss how I use vision boards now to flesh out ideas and actualize projects.)

Now if you're more of a list person, make a list, preferably in chronological order, of what it's going to take to execute the project. I would suggest using legal size paper though so that you can get as much of the plan on one page as possible. This will help you get a full view of the plan.

Execute it - With your blue print in hand, decide which steps need to happen first. Words of caution...DO NOT TRY TO DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE. This will only overwhelm you and make you feel like the task is too daunting. In reality, it may be a huge undertaking, But if you tackle it in bits, it becomes more manageable. Evaluate what you have time to take on now and give yourself a time limit for each task, allotting a reasonable amount of time commensurate with the amount of work most likely needed.

Lastly, don't stop until it's finished. There's no point in following the tips laid out in this post if you don't have a mind to finish. Even if it takes you longer than expected, don't stop. You may need to go back and re-adjust the plan at times, but you should always have the mindset that you are going to finish what you started.

What ideas are burning a hole in your head? I'd love to hear them! Sound off in the comments box. 

Christina's Reads

I'm big on sharing great information. Check out some of my favorite reads from around the web this week. Enjoy!

Feel trapped in a dead-end career? Want to make some changes in your life? Alexis Grant reminded me of Why It's Never Too Late to Create the Life You Want.

Boy did I need this one this week. Jude Bijou taught me 7 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Work Get More Done.

If you're a fellow writer, you can certainly appreciate this one. When you've labored over a piece and finally get the edited copy back only to find an entirely different piece, here's how to handle it with class and professionalism. Check out Sophie Lizard's post "That's Not What I Wrote!" What to Do When You're Hit With Heavy Editing.

Everyone says that as a professional, or as an aspiring professional, it's important to be on social media. But what if you have nothing to say?? Alexis Grant offers some solutions in her blog post What to Say on Social Media When You Have Nothing to Say.

As a self-admitted workaholic, I'm constantly walking the tight rope of the professional versus the personal life. Check out these 5 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance.

Are you a huge fan of lists? Well so am I! Check out 10 Things to Do Every Workday and watch how much closer you are to meeting your professional goals.

What else is new with me?

I'm hard at work recruiting members for my program development board and planning the activity calendar for my professional mentoring program, 20/30 Enterprises. More info to come!

AND I'm gearing up to teach my first College Success course in the fall. Super stoked!

How to channel restless energy into a life plan

Photo by Jagaro

I started reading Alexandra Robbins' Conquering Your Quarterlife Crisis because lately, as I reflect on the past 10 years of my life, I realized that while I have accomplished a lot, and feel that ultimately, I've gotten to where I want to be at this age, I also have started to feel like I'm at the cross roads of Contentment and Ambition.

At first I felt guilty about feeling a lack of satisfaction, because I pretty much have everything I wanted by this point in my life. I have an awesome career in higher ed. I'm one of the youngest administrators in my organization, and I've established a pretty solid professional reputation. Not to mention, I've finally broken into the ranks of the upper middle class, in the process of starting a biz and really doing it for myself, all as a single gal. A true independent woman (Beyonce' would be proud).

I sat down and made a list of all the personal and professional goals that I've accomplished and was very pleased at what I saw. But I also noticed that there was another page that was completely blank.  So I got to thinking...what's next?

I have a thousand ideas, but I needed to break them down into a feasible game plan that would make it easier to set goals and structure action plans. So as an introduction to my 30s, I took the following steps to channel my restless energy into an actual achievable life plan.

Brain storm
I had to really sit down and figure out what it is that I wanted to do. It's not enough to just say, "I need a change". Ask yourself simple, yet provocative questions. What kind of change do you want? What kind of changes are you capable of making? Challenge yourself to give real answers.

So to execute this phase, I had a heart to heart with one of my dearest friends so that I could flesh out what it was that I was thinking and feeling. I described the direction that I saw my life going in, what changes I wanted to make, and what my initial thoughts were on how to make it happen. I allowed myself to be open to taking constructive feedback, just in case my big ideas started to lean a little too far to the left. And then I started to plan.

What I discovered is that I still very much love the work that I have been doing in promoting the benefits of higher education. So the good news was that I didn't hate my job. But I've realized that I wanted to take it a step further and really start to mentor young adults, particularly young adults of color, and provide them with the tools that they need to build a name and a sustainable reputation for themselves professionally.

Write a mission/vision statement: 
Now that you've hashed out the vision, write it down. For me, nothing gives life to my ideas more than seeing them in print. In one sentence, write down what you hope to accomplish and keep it as simple as possible. As a little bonus, I'll share my mission statement for a non-profit that I want to start (a result of my brainstorming).

"To produce a generation of young adults who will become starters, builders, and completers, by providing them with knowledge, resources, and a supportive network."

Your mission statement is not the platform to be superfluous. Use direct language that really gets to the meat of what you want to do. Essentially, your mission statement should say three things.

• Who you want to impact.
• What impact you want to make.  
• How you plan to make the impact.

This will be your north star as you continue to hash out what your next moves should be.

Make the blueprint:
You need a plan, or what I like to call the blueprint. The definition of a blueprint is a design, scheme, or plan. It's going to serve as your birds-eye view of the overall goal that you hope to accomplish.

For my blueprint, I organized my vision/mission into three phases. There's the starter phase, builder phase, and completer phase. I've decided that all of my tactics and programming efforts would need to fall under those three categories to support the overall vision.

Develop a feasible plan of attack:
I quickly realized that while having this fantastic life plan is great, the reality is that I also work a full-time job and have a slew of other responsibilities and activities that monopolize a lot of my time. I'm excited to get started, but I have to make sure that I don't overwhelm myself. So I decided to break down my plan into a few small action items that I knew I could accomplish in a relatively short period of time. Here are a few of my action items.

• Reach out to contacts in my network with similar goals and interests and gain support for vision.
• Establish a core meet-up group with interested individuals and brainstorm potential programming and outreach opportunities.
• Based on list of programming opportunities discussed in the meet up group, develop a sell-sheet to market to target audiences. 

The great news is that I've already accomplished two of these goals and am quickly moving on to the third. 

Planning to take a leap? How are you turning your restlessness into a power plan? 

Staying Productive and Healthy During Flu Season

http://www.healthymummy.com/pregnancy/morning-sickness/

Over my vacation I was battling the flu. Now that the worst of it is over and I've returned to some sense of normalcy and productivity, I decided to take this time to write about my experience because there were a few takeaways (yes, even from being sick) that I thought would be helpful to share. As a driven and ambitious young professional, nothing is more menacing than the threat of sickness. For us, sickness = less productivity, lost billable hours, and an overflowing inbox.

But the reality is that sickness is inevitable; so what that says to me is that maintaining your edge is all in your attitude. What I've seen is that people typically deal with being sick one of three ways.

1. You deny that you're sick at all and try to plow through.

And while this may seem like the epitome of champion behavior, it also opens the door to "crash and burn" syndrome. You find yourself ignoring all of the signs that say you need to slow down and take care of yourself. You become more sluggish and start paying less attention to detail, which can lead to some costly mistakes in your work.

FAIL.

2. You succumb to and wallow in your sickness.

You draw the shades, cuss the dog, put on the depressing music, and hug your cup of Theraflu tight. You've pretty much given up on the idea of work. The problem is that that looming deadline is still there. But you don't care. The universe has cursed you and you intend to let her have her way, therefore nothing gets done on your watch.

FAIL.

3. You admit you're sick and make the best of it.

WINNER!

You have accepted the fact that you're sick so you're going to make sure you get the treatment that you need, but still try to be as productive as possible in the interim. This is definitely the most desirable way of dealing with illness. Yes, you should definitely see your doctor and stock up on your meds and chicken soup.  Take time to rest yourself and regain your strength. However, you may want to plan small intervals of time where you focus on getting some lightweight tasks done.

So what kinds of projects should you try to tackle? What worked for me was periodically logging in to my email and sorting through what could be answered quickly and starring what required a little more thought.

Another thing I did was use some of my energy spurts to get a jump start on projects that I knew I needed to work on in the very near future. I accomplished this by just keeping a small notebook next to my bed, so that as I was laying there thinking healthy thoughts, when I happened upon a fabulous idea about a project, I could capture it quickly and continue to flesh it out little by little. Now a modification to this would be if you're not feeling up to writing, downloading the Evernote app for your Android device or iPhone comes in handy because it allows for dictation of your thoughts which you can always transcribe later.

Now I know you're probably saying, "this is typical workaholic advice". However, there are some advantages to this approach. Allowing yourself to do nothing for days on end knocks you out of the swing of things. Not only do you fall behind in your work, but your brain eventually becomes adjusted to the inactivity and it gets harder to get back to your normal pace once you're feeling better. It's like trying to go 0-100 mph in 60 seconds. While Jaguars may be built for this kind of speed, the human body isn't. I always remember the advice I received in college from my fitness instructor. She said that the people she often sees quit exercising early on are the ones who tried to do too much too fast. She recommended starting slow, pacing yourself, and then building up to a more intense workout. She never recommended giving yourself a break (meaning stopping all activity). She just recommended scaling back until you felt comfortable upping the ante. This is also a great piece of advice to apply to our careers as well.

So the bottom line is that your health is extremely important. How can you give others your time and expertise if you're not well? But depending upon the severity of the sickness, it doesn't have to mean that you completely shut down either. There are ways that you can scale back to allow yourself time to recuperate, yet still remain productive.

What are some ways that you stay productive even when not feeling 100%? I'd love to hear from you!

Christina's Reads - December 30, 2012

I thought I'd take a little break from writing and share with you guys what I've been reading and drawing inspiration from. Below you'll find links to some pretty awesome posts from fellow bloggers.

Today I learned that being an overachiever doesn't necessarily mean boring. In fact, being an overachiever has never been more trendy and fabulous and quirky as described in this awesome list compiled by Penelope Trunk in 15 Things Overachievers Do

And if you are an aspiring thought leader but are having doubts about the effectiveness of blogging, this post from the Harvard Business Review may change your mind. Find out why they believe that people who are serious about their ideas are blogging.

As we approach the new year, start organizing your to-do lists to reduce clutter and increase your productivity.

And in that same vein, Penelope Trunk made me re-think the entire concept of being busy.

Happy reading!

Christina

Turning off the biological clock and living the life you want

In November I turned 30, and in so many ways, it felt like a rebirth. A lot changed, but it was for the better. I fell in love with a man who makes me feel like it's absolutely splendid to be me. After five years of being an admissions counselor, due to reorganization, my position was eliminated; but then I was subsequently promoted to director of my department. I shed some people from my life who were toxic to my growth and development, applied to study abroad in Italy in 2013, and I made the decision to pursue being a solopreneur.

I finally felt that I was in a place where I was boldly taking steps toward the next phase of my life. But the question looming for me was, "what will that next phase be?" For many women my age, the natural steps are marriage and motherhood. And while I definitely have the desire to take those steps one day, I still struggle with accepting if the time for that is now. There are still so many other leaps I'd like to take before I take THE leap.

Is it wrong for me to want to pursue my personal and professional goals first before settling down to raise a family? I gave myself a resounding "no!" Women are often put in a position to feel that they are on a time schedule. But I think this restricts us in so many ways. One of the biggest lessons I've learned in 2012 is that it's okay to admit when I'm not ready for something. In fact, it's perfectly fine and beneficial for me to take time to continue developing myself into the woman that I know that I can be, so that I can add good things to the lives of others.

When I enter a marriage, I want to walk into it already fulfilled and content in the life that I have built for myself, and rest upon the knowledge that the man that I marry and the children we bring into the world will only add to my life.

So the gift I've given myself for Christmas this year, is the decision to turn off the proverbial biological clock. Will you join me?

Don't Be a Selfish Networker!

http://scm-l3.technorati.com/11/04/29/32617/me-me-me.gif?t=20110429181226

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend Adam and I were discussing an entrepreneurial speaker series that he has been coordinating every month for the at-risk teens he advocates for. He said that he was looking for some speakers for upcoming sessions and immediately, my mind sprang into action. I've been fortunate enough to be surrounded by many friends who work for themselves and it just made sense to reach out to them to see if they would be interested in sharing their stories. They're not necessarily celebrities, but they're all making significant impacts in their industries. I know I'm really terrible with buying gifts and sending cards, so with the holidays approaching, I thought, why not give the gift of connecting?

One of the most effective ways I've found to help keep my relationships tight with the people in my networks is to find ways to connect them with information and opportunities that are going to benefit them even if it doesn't directly benefit me. Too often, I think we approach our relationships from the perspective of "what's in it for me?" and only reach out to our networks when we see opportunities to help ourselves.

Looking to re-engage and resurrect that old feeling with the peeps in your network? Try these tips on for size.

1. Jazz up your Gmail contacts list with notes.
First things first. Let's get organized! Our smart phones have become repositories for contact information. We connect with people everywhere; online, at networking events, work events, business trips, etc. It's so simple to store anyone's information that we meet, but do we have a system in place to remember who the heck these people are and why we wanted to connect with them in the first place?? Working in college admissions, I'm meeting people constantly, whether they are prospective students or community leaders who would make great referral sources. So what I started doing was taking advantage of the notes section in Gmail contacts. If they had their own business, indicated a particular interest in an area, had a particular need that I could supply, or if we discussed a potential collaboration, I documented it under their name. I also utilized the groups function of Gmail to organize my contacts into like categories. So when Adam mentioned needing some speakers, I was able to alert my friends who are entrepreneurs to this fantastic opportunity with a simple click.

2. Go to work for your contacts.
I know this sounds strange, but it works! A couple of weeks ago, Rachel Strella, owner and CEO of Strella Social Media, and also a friend of mine, was promoting her Twitter workshop. Not only did I sign up, but I worked diligently to recruit others to sign up for the workshop as well. I went through my contacts and targeted people that I knew had an interest in learning more about social media and would really benefit from the workshop. I was able to set up a situation where everyone wins. Rachel gets exposure to potential clients and my contacts get valuable information, which leads me to my final tip.

3. Share interesting and relevant content.
Have you ever been reading a juicy gossip article or blog post and you think, "I've got to share this with someone!"? It's the same principle. If you stumble upon great content, don't keep it to yourself, especially if you think it would be relevant to  someone in your network. I frequently do this and I find that all too often, they are willing to return the favor. If you create your own content, it's also not a bad idea to share that with them as well. Doing this kind of outreach has inadvertently led me to a number of collaborative opportunities.

So how do you keep your networks engaged?

Just shut up and write!: Tips for the frustrated blogger

http://scattered-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2012/03/writers-block.html

I'm a strategist at heart. People who know me, affectionately, and sometimes tauntingly, call me "the politician" because I like to always be one step ahead of the game. Always calculating. Always thinking of what the next move should be.

In plenty of situations I find this to be beneficial, however when it comes to my writing, not so much. I found myself over-analyzing what I should put out from week to week, to the point that I just ceased to produce anything.

I started my blog with the purpose of sharing something of my journey as a pipsqueak, higher ed professional wannabe with other 20 and 30 somethings who are on their own roads to professional greatness. But I wanted to do it in a sister to sister "let me tell you my story over a cup of coffee" kind of way rather than in a 12-step, preachy sort of way. Somewhere along the line though, I think I got lost. I would literally generate tons of topics in my mind and write nothing.

But with 2013 looming, I've decided to give my thought process an overhaul in an effort to really grow my blog and be more productive and consistent as a writer.

So here are three things I've decided to do to get myself back on track.

1. Re-evaluate my brand and my platform.

I realized that part of the reason I was having difficulty committing to something to share was because I had lost my compass. I was thinking of topics to write about solely based upon what I thought people would want to see me write about, as opposed to speaking on the topics that I am known for and well-versed in. I love higher education, but at heart, my brand is about self-empowerment, development, and career strategies. I look at education as a means to launch one's dreams, not as my manifesto.


2. Change the title of my blog.

Another thing that I discovered was that I had really boxed myself in with the title of Community College Voice. While I am an unashamed community college champion and often write from the perspective of working at such a remarkable institution, it often led to me feel compelled to base all of my content around that. So that's why changing the title of my blog to "Give Me a C!" made so much more sense. In many ways, I see myself as a cheerleader for life and opportunity. I thought that my blog should more accurately reflect that.


3. Write as I go.

Through countless numbers of blog posts and articles, I've learned that one of the most effective ways to consistently organize and produce content is to keep a content calendar. While the concept makes total sense to me (being the queen of organization that I am), I have to admit that I'm really not one that writes that way. Because I gather post ideas from so many different sources throughout the day, I find that as I get the idea, I have to carve out the time to bang it out right then and there. What I've learned to do is utilize Evernote to capture all my ideas and organize them into story lines and posts. I find that this flows much better with my thought process.

So now, armed with my new attitude, I'm ready to take another crack at this. I'm taking my first swing today?

Got writer's block? Name one thing you're doing or have done to get the juices flowing again?

Inappropriate Social Media Hook-Ups - Installment #1

pocketnow.com

In this day and age, being "plugged in" 24 hours a day requires little more than the acquisition of a smart phone and a few social networking mobile apps. With that said, it's very easy to get comfortable sharing every little detail of our lives in real time. But just because we have the capability to do this, should we? I would say that if you are serious about building a reputable professional reputation online, you probably shouldn't.

Now this doesn't mean that you aren't entitled to have a personal social life online (possibly an oxymoron), however, with many social networking companies making it easier for their apps to talk to each other (i.e. the recent marriage of Facebook and Instagram), I'm finding that people are connecting accounts that really shouldn't be connected, or at least not in the ways that necessarily make sense professionally. And believe me, I get it. Many of us have multiple social media accounts; and the thought of having to log-in to 3-5 separate accounts to share the same content is tedious. But sometimes we have to exercise a bit of common sense and really think about what we're hoping to accomplish before we start auto-linking accounts.

Over the next few posts, I'm going to explore some social media hook-ups that just should not happen unless a strategic plan has been put in place for connecting them. First up is Linkedin and foursquare.

While your friends and family may find it intriguing to know how many times a day you go to Starbucks and Chipotle, unless your business is in promoting local eateries, your contacts on Linkedin don't necessarily need to know that you just became the mayor of T.G.I. Fridays. I can't tell you how many times I've come across these kinds of updates in my activity feed on Linkedin from colleagues. To be frank, it looks spammy and if I continue to see this, it makes me reconsider keeping you as a connection.

Serious professionals are looking for valuable content to help them stay up on current issues within their field, or they're looking to make meaningful connections with other like-minded professionals and they don't have a lot of time to do it. They tend to be attracted to people who consistently post interesting and relevant content. So if you are trying to get noticed by potential employers or other colleagues in your field, and you absolutely must link the two social networks, here are a few tips for making it work in your favor.

Make a relevant connection. If you're into project management and you met up for dinner with friends to discuss planning a team project, perhaps you can note that in your check-in. Or if you are looking to break into the hospitality industry, you could comment constructively on the service and quality of food. The possibilities are endless, but the moral of the story is that whatever you share, make it meaningful.

Share responsibly. If you spent time at a gentleman's club or the neighborhood bar over the weekend, it's not really necessary to post this on Linkedin. Trust me, it won't make potential employers or colleagues want to take you seriously as an up and coming professional. No further explanation necessary.

Make foursquare work for you. Do you have Linkedin contacts on foursquare that you'd really like to connect with? Find out what restaurants they like and invite them to an informational interview at their favorite spot. You literally have tons of information about the people in your networks at your finger tips. Use it to your advantage.

Now, just to clarify, there's nothing wrong with linking your social media accounts, but at the end of the day, you really have to look at what makes sense and what's going to better enhance and promote your personal brand to your professional circles. Next time we'll talk about how you can make social media giants Facebook and Twitter make beautiful music together.

In the meantime, I want to hear from you. How are you using your foursquare and Linkedin connections to either attract potential clients/employers or grow your professional network?

Are Ivies still the "gatekeepers" of social mobility, or will public school do?

"Elite higher education is a precious commodity with moral overtones and that humility and modesty will always be in short supply when selective institutions serve as gatekeepers to social mobility." 


~Andrew Delbanco "A Smug Education"


I read an Op-Ed last night in the New York Times about the notion that Ivy league colleges and universities promote a sense of elitism that crowds out those looking to ascend the economic ranks, thus leaving those on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder in the dust. You can read the full piece by Andrew Delbanco here. I just had to write about this because it made me wonder how relevant this perception even is today.With mounting tuition rates across the nation at many public and private colleges and universities, and not much promise in the increase of income levels across the nation for most middle-class families, the reality is that most students (and quite frankly this has been the reality for a very long time) are not starting their college careers at a top-tier institution, much less an Ivy anyway. 


We are even beginning to see a trend of more affluent families considering two-year colleges for their children as an entry point to completing their bachelor degree. So with that said, is it even fair to hold Ivy institutions hostage to the title of "gatekeeper" when it's evident that plenty of individuals are finding their way in through other doors? And not only are they finding their way in, but they are making waves as they do.


I think of countless numbers of my friends who have gone to community college, state colleges, or other lesser known public institutions, and they are now entrepreneurs, film producers, award-winning photographers, doctors, teachers, and doctoral candidates at prestigious graduate schools. So I guess my question is, do we really need an "elite" education in order to obtain social mobility? 

Weathering the Storm: 3 Tips for Dealing w/ College Re-organization

Image from www.mitre.org

Without a doubt, the world of higher education is changing. Budget cuts across the country have made plenty of institutions rethink the way that they do business just to stay open. As I wrote in my previous post, community colleges in Pennsylvania are also being hit below the belt as well, with some institutions having to eliminate low-enrolled programs, cut back services to students, and even reduce their workforce.

Higher education is seeing some dark times.

Pennsylvania: The State of Community College Funding (or lack thereof)

In 2008, President Obama sounded the alarm that community colleges would be the key to regenerating our economy. In an interview with the Wausau Daily Herald, he said “In a moment when people are finding it harder and harder to get ahead, it’s time to call upon our community colleges once again.”

Is your community college adult-friendly?

About a week ago I published a guest blog post for Evolllution.com on why for-profit and career/technical programs can be good options for some students, particularly adult students. I highlighted the flexibility, convenience, and relevance of such programs as great selling points because a lot of adults are seeking training that will accommodate tight work schedules and family obligations.

Fundraising for Dummies: Tips From an Allocation Panel Insider

In December I was asked to sit on an allocation panel for the United Way Capital Region. After a series of site visits and pouring over pages and pages of fund allocation requests and current budgets, I must give kudos to grant writers, financial officers, and other non-profit managers who have to hustle each year to get funding. You really have to go through the fire. 

Community Colleges: The Great Remediators?

One of the things that made me fall in love with the mission of the community college is the fact that it is equal opportunity and open admissions. We've been affectionately coined "the Ellis Island of higher education". I tell that to scores of prospective students and family during my admissions presentations and I say it with pride. 

But with the pool of resources, particularly at the state levels, shrinking ever so steadily and the cost of tuition at four-year schools rising so rapidly, students are flocking to community colleges in droves because, let's face it, we're the best deal in town. 

Okay so this is not necessarily a bad thing for us, but, are community colleges prepared to handle the myriad of issues that come with this? One issue that comes to mind is the ongoing struggle with developmental education.

So I'm a blogger...who knew??

Over the past several weeks I've been pretty busy writing, not just for this blog, but I've been doing some guest pieces for other blogs. I originally started blogging because I just have a lot to say and quite frankly, I just needed an outlet to get it out. I wasn't sure if anyone would even want to read it, but lo and behold...someone did. So here are a few links to what I've pubbed so far.

Don't Hate on Your Own Shine: How to Supercharge Your Confidence (Brazen Life)

Networking Your Way to Your Dream Job (The LI$T)

Part-time Gigs to Full Time Digs: Finding Quality Jobs and Internships in College (The LI$T)

So these pieces are more young professional-ish and career-advicy-based (yes, I just made up my own words), but I'm also working on some pieces that are more closely tied to my higher ed roots and really speak to questions I've been mulling over in my head the past several weeks like whether for-profit institutions make valuable contributions to the world of higher education or if multicultural recruitment still should be a priority for colleges and universities.

Stay tuned!

Why I Love My Email...A Valentine for My Inbox

I love email. I just do. It's efficient and as a busy young professional who is constantly on the move, it's essential for keeping my life organized, next to my trusty calendar, of course. But lately I'm hearing the faint buzzing of the tech trend police. They say that this current generation isn't really using email as much and that text messaging and social networking is what's in. Some trenders have even gone so far as to say that email is the new snail mail. I say ha! Here is what I know to be true about email......

Is the traditional resume dead, and are we preparing our students for its burial?

http://www.bestsampleresume.com/resume-tips.html

As I was catching up on a little weekend blog reading, I stumbled upon an interesting piece the Wall Street Journal had posted on the demise of the resume . The huge irony is that I'm currently working on the last post in my "backpack to briefcase" series on The LI$T and guess what I'm writing about?? You guessed it. Resume writing!!

So reading this little "extra extra item" gave me some pause. It made me think about the hundreds of students who have been trained since junior high (myself included), that having a solid resume was the best way to make a good impression on a potential employer.

In the digital age where most Americans have a strong online presence, some even from birth (thank proud mommies and daddies who post pics and videos of their bundles of joy on Facebook in real-time), it begs the question of why we are still encouraging our young people to prepare for their careers by agonizing over the best way to craft a piece of paper.

Is it time for our career services offices to start preparing students for a new type of resume? One that focuses on crafting the most effective Linkedin profile, assembles together one's best Slideshare presentations, and highlights their most intuitive and thought-provoking Google+ and Facebook posts.

No doubt, our world is changing and our students, both young and seasoned, are expected to know how to relate to a highly digital, paperless world. I'm curious to know how colleges and universities will adapt.

Keeping the Community in Community Colleges: Blurring the Lines of Recruitment and Good Ol' Fashioned Community Outreach

www.thinkimagine.com

For decades, community colleges have been pillars of intellectual enlightenment and economic advancement in their communities. They have prepared generation after generation of local citizens (both young and seasoned) for the workforce, and to transfer to our nation's finest colleges and universities. The fate of these colleges have always been inextricably linked to the fate of the communities that house them.

Why? In short, because that's where their students and biggest supporters come from.

So as recruiters, why do we often scoff at the idea of doing neighborhood block parties and community festivals? Why the heavy sighs when asked to set up an info table in a church basement? It's understandable with so much to do and so little human resources to do it, we have to be selective in the events we are asked to participate in. However, if we begin to take on the attitude that our communities are irrelevant to us, will we eventually become irrelevant to them?

Is your age in higher ed years the same as dog years?

 

In a little under one month, I will be five years old. February 7, 2007 is my birthday. This is the date that I walked through the doors of my college as a student affairs professional. I don't remember a lot of specific dates (so you can imagine how well I did in my history classes), but this one remains etched in my mind. Why? Because it signified the culmination of all of my 18 years of education (K-12, undergraduate, and graduate experiences included).