As someone who’s been a blogger for four years, I can talk about the amazing benefits personally and professionally. Blogging is a great way to go beyond 140 characters and share with your readers more about you. And after being part of the Gotta Love Chevy OK Program, I realized I wanted to bring awareness to this powerful group of people (thousands of us) who live all across the state of Oklahoma.
And after talking with other Oklahoma bloggers who I admire, I thought it would be a great to coordinate a week in Oklahoma to recognize the bloggers from all over the state. This week will be to network with other bloggers and share best practices and lessons learned along the way. More information about when and how the week is coming soon. And if you’d like to be the first to learn about the big announcement and who I am partnering with, please complete the information form (below). And if you prefer, you are welcome to email me at blogging4jobs@gmail.com. Please include your first name and last name, your email, and blog or website address.
I will add your name to the distribution list to receive updates BEFORE the announcement hits the internet.
Four and a half years ago, I was new in town looking for a job and opportunities to network and build experience. A phone call inquiring about volunteer opportunities led me to HeartLine. HeartLine is an non-profit that services the entire state of Oklahoma doing a lot of different and valuable services including suicide prevention and awareness training, 211, and their 1-800 CareLine.
HeartLine’s 2-1-1service provides Central Oklahomans 24/7 access to information on any type of health or human service, and this easy-to-remember telephone number is the best first place to call to get help, or give help.
HeartLine’s CareLineCall Specialists are available 24-hours a day, every day of the year, offering compassionate listening, crisis intervention and suicide prevention. 848-2273 (CARE)serves Central Oklahoma.
HeartLine’s Problem Gambling Helpline is the result of a partnership with the Oklahoma Association for Problem & Compulsive Gambling. The 1-800-522-4700 Problem Gambling Helpline provides problem gamblers and family of problem gamblers throughout the state of Oklahoma information about treatment and hope for overcoming their addiction.
Every year HeartLine’s fundraising event is the Festival of Hope Gala, and this year’s event is Friday, August 13, 2010, at the Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum in Oklahoma City, OK. In addition to recognizing some amazing folks including Tom & Lisa Price, Santa’s Cause, and Larry Hawkins, they host an annual silent and live auction to benefit their organization. This year is special for me because I am the Auction Chair. We have a number of amazing trips, weekend get-a-ways, and auction items that will appeal to each and every attendee. One in particular that I am very excited about is a Hermes Birkin Bag and Wallet combination valued at more than $10,000. It is the single largest auction donation item in the history of HeartLine and was donated by a very special friend of mine, Ties to Tattoos™ author, Sherri Elliott-Yeary. (Thanks, Sherri!)
The Birkin will be part of the live auction and you are certainly invited to get in on the Birkin bidding auction. Tickets to the Festival of Hope are still available on HeartLine’s website for $125 a person or $1,000 a table. Feel free to give me a call (405.912.4885) directly or email (blogging4jobs@gmail.com) if you have any questions about the event. Xceptional HR is sponsoring our own table as well as live tweeting and streaming the event. Be sure to follow the Twitter hash tag, #hope as well as @HeartLine for real time insights and information into the Festival of Hope.
I’d like to think yes, but after viewing the most recent December Job Report, I’m not quite so sure. In the United States we had 85,000 new people file for unemployment benefits this last month. My concern for the economy and our reported recovery is three fold.
November and December are historically the most profitable months for retail companies who look for consumers to spend their hard earned money in the form of presents and gifts during the holidays. Retailers historically hire millions of temporary workers to serve as cashiers, sales clerks, and inventory personnel to help with the increased foot traffic and sales during the holidays, and still our job loss report released January 8th was 85,000 with more than 15 million Americans still out of work.
Looking back at job loss numbers for December 2008 and 2007 were very different with December 2008 at 524,000 and unemployment remaining at 10% for a second straight month. While at the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.7 million and the unemployment rate was 5.0%.
But even if retails companies might be hiring (they were down 10%) but unemployed eligible workers also weren’t buying. Take the average middle class worker who makes $50,000 salary a year. If they reside in Oklahoma, the average weekly unemployment benefit is $392 which equates to an hourly rate of $9.80 an hour for a 40 hour work week. This amount is well-above the average cashier’s hourly wage in my experience. If the only companies who are hiring are temporary holiday positions, I’d much rather save the cost of day care, gas, and work dress clothes and wait out the recession collecting my meager unemployment benefits.
Companies also historically lessen their financial obligations in the form of human capital not only at the end of quarter (which happens to be December for many) but also at the fiscal year end which for many companies and businesses was December 31st. Interestingly enough most retail companies fiscal year end is Februar28th and for government is June 30th.
State budgets are being cut. Sales tax revenues are less than expected. Government hiring is slowing. In Oklahoma, the state that I call home, just announced a 10% cut in spending for 2010. Not exactly the ideal situation for an economic recovery.
On the flip side, temporary and contract hiring is expected to increase this year. Companies are not yet ready to commit to hiring and re-hiring staff until they see some measurable growth in their market. Even if a company has the funds and means to hire and grow, they are reluctant to do so instead opting to employ a “dry powder theory.” By hiring temporary and contract workers, they can keep their investments liquid eliminating overhead costs like benefits, social security, and other government taxes and expenses associated with human capital management. Personally, the dry powder theory sounds more like dating without the marriage commitment.
…In Part II of “It’s a Dry Powder Job Market” I’ll discuss tactics for employees, candidates, and the unemployed to consider and employ in the Dry Power Job Market.
It’s no secret that everyone is going green these days. People are working to reduce their carbon footprint and lessen the negative impact their families and businesses have on the environment. I was fortunate enough to attend the Oklahoma Alternative Energy Conference held in Oklahoma City, OK. The conference which was held December 2nd & 3rd, 2009 explored the future of natural gas, wind power, and alternative energy efficiency as the industry grows not just in Oklahoma but throughout the United States.
Last year while gas prices were at their highest in recorded history, the topic of alternative energies and other renewable resources surged to the national spotlight as businesses, industries, and consumers looked to reduce our oil and gas dependence while protected their pocketbooks. Conservation was a key in 2008 as Americans were found to consume 25% of the world’s oil. Oklahoma along with other south central states, have been a leader in U.S. Oil and Gas Industry. And as oil and gas prices grew so did the popularity in exploring alternative energy strategies. Oklahoma leaders like Boone T. Pickens introduced the Pickens Plan which sought to reduce the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil while creating new jobs and growing alternative energy programs within the United States.
People like Kylah McNabb who works for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce is an advocate and promoter of the alternative energy industry within Oklahoma and moderator of one of the panel sessions at the conference. Kylah who is a Wind Development Specialist was hired in April of 2009 and works to create a solid partnership with both Career Tech and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce with the goal of advancing the industry while developing training programs within the state.
“Oklahoma’s CareerTech system is working to engage industry partners while incorporating existing programs such as basic math and computer skills, machine skills, and AC/DC electronictheory. New programs for safety, general wind energy and climb tests are being created,” McNabb said.
Take a look at my video interview with Kylah as we discuss this new and emerging technology and where job seekers can learn more about careers and training programs.
Dear OKDOT (Oklahoma Department of Transportation),
I read recently in the Oklahoman about your use of Twitter as a way to update Oklahoman travelers about construction, heavy traffic, and weather conditions. Twitter is a fantastic way for you to connect with drivers and travelers whether its during our daily commute to work or if someone is just passing through. For the last year and a half, the Oklahoma social media community has used Twitter as a way to inform other users who reside within the state of construction, icy roads, and backed up traffic. You may remember that during the ice storms last year, we used the hash tag, #okcice as a way to categorize our tweets for Oklahoma Twitter users who wanted to stay abreast on the latest weather conditions. And this last year during the Oklahoma Fires we also used the hash tag in our tweets, #okfires. It was because of tweets from my fellow Oklahomans that I was made aware of highway closings on I-35 because of the fire as me, my husband, and our infant daughter made our way north to visit my family in Kansas.
You may not realize but I myself am a social media consultant and have an upcoming book on how businesses can leverage Twitter. Beginning in January 2010, people can purchase my book for under $20 which is well under the $7,500 you were reported to have spent. However, I thought I would provide you and others with some direction and guidance (free of charge) on how you can grow and improve your Twitter Communication and Marketing Plan.
Join the Conversation. Simply put. Social Media communication should not be a one way dialogue. You need to engage the Oklahoma Social Media community which as last estimated by Oklahoma native and technologist Matt Galloway in April 2009 was estimated to be at least 1 of every 100 Oklahomans. This means posing questions, responding to the comments, listening to others, and being an active member of the Twitterverse.
Beyond 140 Characters. There are times that communication needs to go beyond 140 characters. I recommend leading your social media followers to a website or blog to provide your readership with more in-depth information about road closings, contact phone numbers, and emergency preparedness information. This might include a twitpic of some traffic or insight on how potholes are repaired.
Have a consistent voice. I am disappointed with your comment in the Oklahoman about how you will not have one person manage your account. In order to build rapport with the social media community, develop relationships, and for consistency purposes your tweets should have the same style and flow. This allows us to get to know you better, and there are a number of social media strategists including myself that can help you do this for much less than the $7,500 you spent analyze your Twitter usage. I don’t recommend hiring an intern at least initially. Because social media should be such an important part of your business plan, it is best left to a seasoned expert internally or externally.
Reciprocity. Twitter is more than just joining the conversation. You must follow others. At current count you are only following 75 Twitter accounts while more than 500 are following you. People like to be acknowledged and recognized. Failing to follow people is like not giving every one in third grade class a Valentine on February 14th and people don’t like that. Follow people back.
Grow Your Following. Just imagine if you did just these four things. I believe that your social media following and influence would grow from just above 500 followers to 3,000 in under two weeks and no article in the Oklahoman required. It appears that you were already impressed by the 500 followers you gained since the Red River Rivalry. Imagine how 3,000 would feel.
I truly hope that you and others take the advice I have given at face value. Twitter is a fantastic tool that if done correctly can drastically reduce your advertising expenses while uping your cool factor and growing your brand virally. Please give it some thought and feel free to call me at anytime.
Last week marked the two-month anniversary of my arrival to Oklahoma. After being in California six months, missing home and nowhere to use my degree in communication, it seemed best to go back to the 405.
Leaving California with just a pocket full of money, no job, and nowhere to live, I certainly had my work cut out for me. Prior to coming back to Oklahoma, I spoke to a friend about my job concerns. She told me her boyfriend was on a website called Linkedin and had success with it. Having never heard of the site, I dismissed the idea of checking it out.
Putting in applications at retail stores and call centers got old after a few weeks and I finally decided I needed to up my game and start thinking outside the box. On a whim, I decided to check out LinkedIn to see what my friend was talking about. Being an amateur on the site, I just browsed for a few days and slowly built my professional profile. I posted a message that I was looking for a networking event to go to in a group called Freedom Networkers. Frustration was starting to take over and I needed a different way to meet potential employers.
Members of the group emailed me a schedule of events. I attended my first event on a Thursday and before I knew it, I was a networking machine. During my first week, I attended nine events (four in one day!) and met as many people as possible. I began to tailor my pitch as far as what kind of job I was searching for and really began to build a rapport with the people I was seeing frequently.
Presently, I am working for myself as a Social Network Developer and met my first client while at an Oklahoma networking event. I also have contacts that refer their clients to me for their social media needs, all because of networking. They say it’s not what you know; it’s who you know and now I am living proof!
To learn more about guest blogger, Tess Mack, visit her blog and follow her networking travels in Oklahoma and Texas at Life on the O List. You can also check out Oklahoma networking events at Freedom Networkers.
Dear 
Last week marked the two-month anniversary of my arrival to Oklahoma. After being in California six months, missing home and nowhere to use my degree in communication, it seemed best to go back to the 405.
