Once I get plugged into the community, i’m sure i’ll have more interesting things to share.

I’m kind of bummed I missed Community Manager Appreciation Day on 1/23/12 (#CMAD2012)…but I will definitely participate next year =)

Peace out!

- AYT

1. Arts-n-Crafts – I’m a Jo-Ann’s w*ore and i’ll admit it.  I get a rush in that store and other arts-n-crafts money pits such as Michael’s and Hobby Lobby.
2. House Hunters International – A reality tv show about bold individuals who choose to live outside the box and move to a new country. Some move for work, but most of them are just ballsy.
3. Pinterest – Its a new favorite thing but my did it make a quick climb to the top! If Tumblr an Etsy had a baby, its name would be Pinterest.
4. Dancing! – Bailar!..Whatever you want to call it, I love it.
5. Traveling – I believe it to be a form of worship to travel the world and admire God’s creations.
6. Eating – OMG, like traveling…to TASTE all of the magnificent edible creations by God’s people is another form of worship to me.
7. Wine – Old World, New World…I love it all and love learning about it all. (https://www.facebook.com/SipWineClub)
8. Cheese – Yes, this is considered eating but deserves a bullet all its own =)
9. Mugs – Yup.  Those things you sip out of with a handle.  Love them.  Inexplicable.
10. Good books – ““Those of us who have been true readers all our life seldom fully realise the enormous extension of our being which we owe to authors….My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through those of others….Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do.”  ― C.S. Lewis

I’m not one for making new year’s resolutions but I am going into this year very purposefully.  There are many milestones I want to hit this year both professionally and personally.  To be quite honest, i’m still in planning mode but I can tell you in advance they will be in the areas of:  Fitness, Finance, Spirituality, Faith, and expanding my network (i.e. – making new friends).

Overall, 2011 ended up being a great year thanks to career risks I took toward the end.  I could have been a better friend, girlfriend, sister and daughter.  I met some really amazing people and established relationships that I need to make sure I build on for 2012. I left 2011 asking only one question:  WHERE DID THE TIME GO??

Regardless, I have a renewed energy going into this year that I hate to admit has everything to do with my career progress.  I honestly let my discontentment with work affect my life outside of work.  I just need to figure out what my 2012 is going to look like.

Here are a few things I KNOW I want to do this year:

• Attend SXSW
• Start a CSR program for a company
• Write a Social Media plan
• Lose 4 inches in my belly
• Learn a programming language
• Be on a reality tv scavenger hunt

Case Study:  http://www.article13.com/A13_ContentList.asp?strAction=GetPublication&PNID=1344

Tons of Organizatins:  http://csrjobs.nl/usefull-links/

I thought the cartoon was hilarious but touched on a real issue.  Consumers are demanding that companies demonstrate that they care for the communities they profit from beyond financial donations.  Companies must find a way to balance operations/profitability with addressing legal, environmental and/or philanthropic issues relevant to their business.

I will touch on this more in the future.

XOXO,

AYT

On Saturday, October 22, the awesome people over at Rolling Out Magazine so graciously hosted the event which was held at the History Center in Atlanta, Ga.  Not 10minutes after being there yours truly won $100 from American Express!  I needed that.  The event was opened by Tami of the blog Talking with Tami.  There were tons of giveaways in which I racked up again.

The speakers were: Tracy Jennings, Michele Thornton, Keisha Walker, McGhee Williams Osse and Natasha Hastings.  Each woman shared their personal success stories and bits of wisdom.  I gained a lot of perspective from the event.  Admittedly, I tend to be hard on myself about how long it took me to get to a place where I understood what I wanted my life to look like and actually go for it.  With that being said, it was refreshing to know some of these women made career-altering decisions in their late 20s and into their 30s.

The most resounding message was how important it is to brand myself.  This blog is part of my attempts to do this =)

I applaud Rolling Out and I look forward to attending this event in the future.

“Be a brand, not an accessory.” – Michele Thornton

XOXO,

AYT

I secured the bomb volunteer opportunity with AmeriCorps Alums doing all sorts of business development work.  Fast forward a couple months to a job opportunity that became available with the team.  I just knew the stars had aligned and that all the volunteering I had done over the years was finally about to pay off.  I went through 3 interviews, spoke with 5 different people, wrote an article and created a communication plan.  By far the most challenging interview i’ve ever done.

Lets not even go into the campaign I did for the job.  Ok, lets.  I developed this awesome platform #Akuba4Alums that used Twitter to campaign to the Executive Director on 3 reasons I should get the job.  Awesome right?  I know.

Welp!  I didn’t get the gig and they couldn’t provide me with any feedback that I could use in future interviews.  Imagine hearing someone say this:  You were a strong candidate but we decided to go with someone else and we have no feedback on your weaknesses and why we didn’t pick you.  PAUSE…

I’m forever grateful for the opportunity and the fact that I made it to the very end with such a rigorous process tells me that I gave them a run for their money. I am by no means deterred by this experience.  If anything, it gave me the juice I will need to continue to pursue my passion.  CLEARLY i’m capable if it came down to 4 individuals and we did everything short of give blood and hair samples to prove we were the right candidate.

I’m ready to see what widows and back doors open through my persistence.  I charge each and every person reading this post to continue to press on through your respective challenge. If you can’t find a way, MAKE a way.

I would love to hear your stories of triumph and persistence below.  Also, feel free to vent about things you are currently experiencing.

XOXO,

AYT

http://akubatorvikey.com/alums/

I just knew once I had my passions figured out life would be easier.  WRONG. The new challenge is finding open windows and doors of opportunity.  The reality check was that just because I now have focus doesn’t mean jobs and opportunities are just going to fall out of the sky.  If you haven’t read:  #Akuba4Alums, now would be a good time…Once you finish this post of course.

So now i’m doing everything in my power to create opportunities.  I’m starting with branding myself.  Defining exactly who I am, what my values are and how I communicate this to the world.

Now, I could have this all wrong and discover that my true calling is rescuing baby seals or something just as random, but for now i’m content. At the very least I will be helping people and not a business’ bottom line which is what I most disliked about my Corporate American job.

So now i’m living by the old adage: “If you can’t find a way, make a way.” I’m already on my way.  I’ve given myself the wonderful title of Community Relations Specialist.  When you resolve to manage your own career path, you can do things like give yourself the title you’ve always wanted. Lol.

Anxiously awaiting this journey!

XOXO,

AYT

Disclaimer:  This is one of the assignments I was tasked with during my interview with AmeriCorps Alums. The contents of this article in no way reflect the thoughts and opinions of that organization. I have no affiliation with AmeriCorps Alums, nor have I ever served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer.  I just thought it would be interesting to share. ~Akuba

If you’ve ever read an article about AmeriCorps, chances are you’ve seen the statistics on the number of individuals that commit to service terms with theorganization.  Perhaps you benefited from one of the many programs or read articles about the organizations and communities they enrich.  Or, maybe you’ve heard about the various programs organized and executed by AmeriCorps Alums.

AmeriCorps has provided thousands of individuals the opportunity to serve their community and country through volunteerism and leadership.  Since its inception in 1994, over 700,000 individuals have answered the call to service by joining AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps Alums is a network of AmeriCorps volunteers founded in 1999 whose main purpose is to encourage AmeriCorps members to continue a lifestyle of service beyond the ten month to one year service term.  AmeriCorps Alums stand out from other alumni organizations because it calls for every member to commit to honing their leadership abilities through activities planned within their chapter.  Alumni nationwide have the opportunity to manage business relationships as well as plan and execute major events on behalf of corporations.

It’s difficult not to mention Millennials when discussing the “type” of individual that joins AmeriCorps. Millennials make up a higher percentage of the organization’s volunteers than any other group.  A study performed by the Corporation for National and Community Service and Abt Associates Inc. indicated that in 2008, the median age for AmeriCorps enrollment was 23.8 years.

The lines are unclear about the exact age of this cohort, but many believe that the age range spans from people born in the late 1970s up to the year 2000.  Also known as Generation Y, Echo Boomers and the Facebook generation, this group is notoriously attached to technology, are inundated with electronic distractions and have a propensity to question authority.  They lack loyalty to employers, expect to move up the corporate ladder quickly, demand work-life balance, are socially conscious and prefer working in group settings.

Despite the idiosyncrasies and demands of Millennials, AmeriCorps is one of the leading organizations providing the structure and access to service opportunities that their altruistic nature desires.   Make no mistake about it, these civic-minded adults grew up accustomed to certain comforts older generations never experienced.  Yet, in spite of these comforts, what you see in an AmeriCorps member is someone who chooses to delay entrance into the workforce and has forgone financial stability to serve others.  “A full-time AmeriCorps member gives 1,700 hours of service, at very modest subsistence wages with no creature comforts,” said Ben Duda, Executive Director of AmeriCorps Alums.  What employer would not want an individual that puts other people’s needs before their own and seeks self-fulfillment over a high paying salary?

It’s true that Millennials clash with their older colleagues due to differing work values.  Naturally, these differences may make Millennials seem like less than desirable employment candidates.  The truth of the matter is: the rock star employee or coworker sitting next to you may very well be AmeriCorps Alum.

Individuals that choose to serve through AmeriCorps and commit to alumni leadership roles after their term gain skills that give them a competitive edge in this twenty-first century professional landscape.  “Some of the job skills I learned from my AmeriCorps service term included interpersonal communication with clients, empathy, program development, team work and public speaking skills,” says Ayana Lewis (Hands on Atlanta, 2002-2003).  Most alumni have sufficient business experience and corporate exposure before ever stepping foot in their first job.  Combine these skills with Millennials ability to multitask, problem-solve ambition and eagerness to learn and you get individuals ripe and ready to assume roles of leadership within an organization.

The answer is clear, AmeriCorps figured out a way to funnel the passion of Millennials to produce stellar leaders.  In spite of all the nuances of Millennials, employers can rest assured that they get the most capable, compassionate and talented of individuals when they hire AmeriCorps Alum.  What more can you ask for?

These last two months are bittersweet. I am happy to finally be at the end of this journey, but I can feel the beginnings of anxiety about getting back into job search mode. If anyone knows me, they know how long it took me to find a job I liked (and that liked me) after graduating. I feel like I am preparing myself and I have a killer resume (if I do say so myself), but time will tell if employers feel the same way! lol

That’s all for now. Take care and until next time…whatever you are, be the best one.

XOXO,

AYT