Central Valley Professionals

Monthly Newsletter
August 2013

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Page

To Contact CVP:
1 1 1 2 3 3 4 3302 N. Blackstone Ave., Suite 225 Fresno, CA 93726 (559) 230-4063 cvpfresno@gmail.com www.cvpfresno.org CVP Coordinator: Annette Wholaver (559) 230-3628 Edited by:
Darlene E. Lobkowski darlenelob@gmail.com & Roselyn Walker roselynwalker@aol.com

About Central Valley Professionals Members Who Got a Job this Month Quote of the Month CVP Committees, Meeting & Facilitator Training Times August Seminar Class Photo Leadership Biography Article How to Avoid Appearing Overqualified

About Central Valley Professionals

Central Valley Professionals (CVP) is the local chapter of Experience Unlimited, a networking group of unemployed and/or underemployed mid- and upper-level technical and managerial job-seeking professionals, which is sponsored by the Employment Development Department (EDD). The EDD provides our active members with the resources and guidance on job search activities, which meet and conform to the State and Federal laws, Equal Employment and all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws. CVPs mission is to provide a supportive environment to allow active members to assist others and obtain employment and return to work as soon as possible. All our services are free to new and active members, as well as all Central Valley employers. Listed below are the services that CVP provides: Classes/workshops/training sessions for job searching Computers, printer, Internet and Wi-Fi access Telephones, fax and copy machines Employee job listings and referrals Resource library Guest speakers that speak at a seminar once a month

Congratulations!
Got a Job:
Samuel Arciniega-Mares B. Joanna Fishkin Lydia Rojo T. Frank Sustaita Adrian Quintero-Villeagas Jennifer Deigan

Quote of the Month

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." Thomas A. Edison

Central Valley Professionals Committees

ADMINISTRATION: This committee creates and catalogues all forms and flyers used by CVP to make sure the content is approved. They maintain membership files, create name badges and produce the Rsum Book. This committee is also responsible for presenting semi-weekly Orientation sessions, maintaining the CVP calendar of events, and preparing the Newsletter. COMPUTER SERVICES: This committee maintains the CVP member database, provides reports to the CVP Coordinator, and provides member information to other CVP committee chairs and co-chairs. They also provide computer assistance to members who need it. INFORMATION & RESOURCE: This committees primary responsibility is communication. They use the web and social media to connect employers with people seeking employment. They maintain the CVP website. INTERVIEW: This committee offers practice interviews to new members. They videotape the interview, if the member gives consent. Practice interviews are done on the first Thursday after seminar week. MARKETING: This committee builds and maintains a positive image of CVP. They create and deliver a message of value for the membership, clients and community. They network with local media, business and organizations to promote the message of CVP. RSUM: This committee reviews rsums for inclusion on the website, CD and Rsum Book, as well as reviews and edits new member rsums. They work together to ensure that CVP members have a resource for developing their best rsums. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: This committee is responsible for facilitator training, scheduling speakers and workshops, preparing handouts and putting on the monthly CVP seminar. They provide administrative support as requested by seminar guest speakers and maintain the training room during the seminar. Facilitator Training
9:30 a.m. each Wednesday (except Seminar Week & General Meeting day)

CVP Committee Meeting Times

Administration: 11:00 a.m. - Tuesdays Computer Services: 1:30 p.m. - Wednesdays Information & Resource: 9:00 a.m. - Fridays Interview: 11:00 a.m. - Thursdays Marketing: 9:00 a.m. - Fridays Rsum: 9:30 a.m. - Thursdays Training & Development: 8:30 a.m. - Wednesdays

NO

Committee meetings during Seminar week, except Computer Services

2013 CVP Seminar Class - August

Graduates (L - R): Rse Eberl, Judith Vosseler, Shioban OHara, Adrian Quintero-Villegas, LaTravana Cotton and Kenneth Stocks

CVP - Leadership Biography

Darlene E. Lobkowski
Chair Administration Committee

Im a true valley girl having been born at my grandmothers maternity home, along with my twin sister, and raised in the Fresno area. My husband is a first generation Russian-American, and since we have no children of our own, my sisters three sons and their spouses, as well as her nine grandchildren (ages 4 15) are like our own. My many years of involvement at St. Peter Serbian Orthodox Church have and will continue to serve me well. It has given me the opportunity to improve my leadership skills by serving on the Board of their ladies auxiliary as Vice President then President; and later I was elected as President of the Church Board. It was also my pleasure and honor to plan and host many dinners for our former Bishop and other visiting monastics and clergy. I obtained a Legal Secretary Degree and started my career working in law offices when legal secretaries performed a lot of the duties a paralegal now handles. After working in the private sector for a few years I had the opportunity to go to work at Fresno County Superior Court. There I spent the next eight years working and

overseeing the Courts expansion from 8 13 courts. I became the youngest head Superior Court Secretary at the age of 25, and was appointed secretary to their new Court Administrator for my last three years with the Courts. Then my next venture was as Executive Assistant to the President and Vice President of the ONeill Companies, a large farming and cattle operation, along with ONeills Westside Market, in the Five Points area, but with their corporate offices located at their former meat plant in West Fresno. After 26 years with them, the companies sold their various operations and Mr. ONeill retired and I found myself without a job. I spent the next two plus years at CVP assisting our Coordinator, and Chairing the Administration Committee. Then I trained an incoming CVP Coordinator before going to work at Childrens Hospital Central California in the Medical Staff Services Department. After five years at the Childrens Hospital my position was eliminated, with two-thirds of my work going to automated online verifications (license renewals, etc.) and the other one-third split between two other positions. Now, here I am back at CVP Chairing the Administration Committee and assisting the organization in other areas whenever the occasion arises.

Articles of Interest to Job Seekers

How to Avoid Appearing Overqualified

Posted by Matthew Gottula | Filed in Articles, Get the Job

Being overqualified for a job should give you more of a competitive advantage, right? Not necessarily. Unfortunately, being highly qualified can be more of a liability than an asset in a job search. As an experienced job candidate, nothing is quite so frustrating as being told you are too qualified for the job. With high unemployment rates and a difficult job market, many highly qualified workers have little choice but to apply for jobs below their education, skill, and salary level. Unfortunately, these candidates high level of expertise and experience can be a barrier to employment because hiring managers believe they are overqualified. Employers are hesitant to hire people they deem overqualified because they fear the workers will soon leave the company, that they will demand a larger salary, or that they will be bored or unhappy with the position. Furthermore, the employer may feel intimidated to work with job candidates who are perhaps more experienced than they are, and that they may be looking to steal their position. Overcoming the dreaded overqualified label is difficult, but it is possible. However, dont just dumb down your rsum. Omitting your skills and experience is dishonest and not recommended. If you were the CEO of a company, it would be foolish to hide it just to avoid looking overqualified, only to have the employer find out later.

If you think you may be overqualified for the position, the best strategy is to address the perception head-on, before hiring managers even have a chance to think of it themselves. Develop a cover letter and a short statement at the top of your rsum explaining exactly why you are seeking the position given your background. Then, during job interviews, you can elaborate on why your skills, accomplishments, and enthusiasm make you perfect for the job. What else can you do to avoid the O word? Here are some ways to convince the hiring manager otherwise:

Focus on your longevity in previous jobs. Show that you stuck with previous companies for the long haul. Your loyalty with them will demonstrate to the employer that you wont leave their company the moment a better opportunity comes along. Make a commitment to the employer that, barring unforeseen circumstances, you will stay with the company for at least two years. Be open to learning. Show what aspects of the offered position would be challenging and interesting to you. Give examples from previous jobs on how you have kept yourself challenged and valuable. Take salary off the table. Make it clear that youre flexible about salary and that what you made in previous jobs is not relevant to your current job search.

Express passion for the company and field. Demonstrate your ability and willingness to do every aspect of the job, including tasks that might seem trivial or beneath you. Ask good questions about the companys needs and plans for the future, and express a keen interest. This will also show the employer that you intend to stay with the company long-term. Be a team player. Keep your communication warm and positive, avoiding any hint of condescension. Instead of saying, If hired I would come in and fix this, try a more communal approach, such as, One technique we could try is Talk about team success and ask what being part of the team would mean. Try to come across as competent but not a know-it-all, willing to work with people who are perhaps less experienced than you. Focus on the present. Dont talk about how things used to be done, or what things worked in situations a long time ago. Tailor the points of your rsum and interview to match the points listed in the job description. Stay focused on the present needs of the employer and how you are the one that can solve their problems. Show that you are eager to learn and grow, but dont say you intend to climb the corporate ladder. Make it clear that you are comfortable with where you are in your career. Age-proof your rsum. This is also a tip for older workers. In general, your rsum should only have your most recent 10 12 years of employment history. Omit the year of graduation on your education. Consider switching to a functional, rather than chronological, rsum; this format will put the focus on relevant skills, rather than job titles. Have a good reason. Dont admit to yourself or others that you are settling. Hiring managers will only take overqualified candidates seriously if they

are convincing and have a valid reason to take a lower-ranked job. For example, maybe you dont want to work the crazy schedules of a high-ranked role anymore and want a better work/life balance. Or you truly have a passion for the work, even though it is a level below where you were in the past. Have a positive attitude that you will excel regardless of the title, and it will come across in interviews. Like many problems faced by job seekers, being overqualified is a problem you can turn around to your advantage. By applying these tips, you will be able to turn this perceived liability into a strength. Article from: http://www.careerealism.com/

Photo from: http://pinterest.com/careerealism/careerinspiration/ http://be-wild-and-havefun.tumblr.com/post/41312351545