Latinos@Work

Latinos And The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: How Are You Participating?

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve . . .” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, January 16, 2012, our nation celebrates the 26^th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday with a “Day of Service” and to encourage ongoing action throughout the year.

Dr. King had a strong history of reaching out to and collaborating with the Latino community. He publicly and privately supported the efforts of the National Farm Workers Association (today’s United Farm Workers of America), as well as, many other Hispanic movements.

Hundreds of Latino organizations are reciprocating by supporting this national initiative. “Dr. King has inspired people from around the world to advocate for equal opportunity. Honoring his legacy through service pays tribute to his dream,” said National Council of La Raza (NCLR) President and CEO Janet Murguía.

What are your plans for today and participating in our evolving generation of service?

Below are a few links to help you find some great projects that need volunteers in your area:

MLKDay.gov 

Servir.gov 

NationalService.gov 

National Council of La Raza community affiliates

In January,1992, César Chávez wrote Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- “My friends, today we honor a giant among men: today we honor the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.…If we fail to learn that each and every person can make a difference, then we will have betrayed Dr. King's life's work. The reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. had more than just a dream, he had the love and the faith to act.

Posted by Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias

Principals, Global Diversity Solutions Group LLC and MulticulturalResumes.com

Authors, Barron’s The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos

Also at http://twitter.com/LatinosAtWork

Contact: Murray@GlobalDiversitySolutions.com or rmb@GlobalDiversitySolutions.com

Career Resolutions Latinos Can Keep In 2012 - Part 1

For Immediate Release (for those who have not figured it out yet): 2012 has been designated as the Year of the Latino Professional. Prominent players that contributed to this selection include:

• Employers must be competitive locally and/or globally and have set significant goals for Latino recruitment, retention, and upward mobility.
• Colleges and Universities are evolving programs to address the needs of Latino students, alumni, and the companies that employ us.
• Mainstream and Latino Professional Organizations for launching more major initiatives to improve our professional growth and career advancement.
• YOU who is dedicated to your professional evolution

In the spirit of the New Year and the Year (decade or millennium) of the Latino Professional, we encourage you make career resolutions that are a combination of those that challenge you to grow, some that are easily achievable, and an anti-resolution or two. Successful resolutions are founded in results-driven S.M.A.R.T. goals which are:

Specific

Measurable

Action Oriented

Realistic

Time-Constrained

The 2010 Resolution that will Rock Your World: MY CAREER IS JOB #1

This is a big, life-changing resolution. It requires that you take an active role in your career awareness on a day-to-day basis. When the "career management mentality" becomes second nature to you, you'll not only achieve your goals but will become a better, more effective and more valuable asset to your employers.

To develop S.M.A.R.T. goals and make your career a priority:

• Internalize the mantra "tu eres el arquitecto de tu propio destino - you are the master of your own destiny." Read Twelve Characteristics of Latino Career Success and Latin@Work's other job search and career management aricles.
• Take a project management approach to your career and adopt the mindset that YOU are the client or assignment. Write out your plan, assess your options, analyze your resources, and focus on activities that will help you achieve your goals.
• Define career success on your own terms.
• "Envision" your career -- one, five, ten, and 20 years out. Visualize in detail the work you do, your physical surroundings, the people in your professional circle, and the feelings you have at this stage of your career.

To be successful in your career, you must be willing to invest in yourself and take a proactive approach to career development and management. Like anything that is worthwhile, it will take action, persistence, and time. The steps to achieving your MY CAREER IS JOB #1 resolution will be discussed in detail in our next article.

Easy Resolutions that Latino Professionals Can Keep

Put the following items on your "to do" list: 

Honoring our Latino Heroes on Veterans Day

 
Millions of Latinos have and continue serve with distinction in the U.S. military, yet their significant contributions and sacrifices are relatively unknown. Their heroism helped forge this nation and preserved our freedom.

Latinos have received awards for valor and bravery far in excess to their proportion of the population. Forty-three Latinos have won our nation’s highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Major initiatives are underway to ensure that the proud legacy of Latino military service be accurately preserved and woven into our national consciousness. We will continue this discussion in future posts.

Below are two articles to begin our conversation.

A Tribute to the Forgotten Force by Jim Estrada

U.S. Latino Patriots: From the American Revolution to Afghanistan, An Overview by Refugio I. Rochin and Lionel Fernandez 

This Veterans Day, as we commemorate all U.S. men and women in the military and many who have died in military service to this country let's be sure to remember the Latinos among them and thank them for their service.

Posted by Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias

Principals, Global Diversity Solutions Group LLC and MulticulturalResumes.com

Authors, Barron’s The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos

Also at http://twitter.com/LatinosAtWork

Contact: murray@GlobalDiversitySolutions.com or rmb@GlobalDiversitySolutions.com

In Today’s Economy, Building a Strong Personal Brand is Key to Latino Job Search and Career Success - Part I

In almost every news report on how to succeed in your job search and career in today's economy, the experts advocate that having a strong personal brand can be the difference in securing employment, surviving a layoff or advancing your career.

Your personal reputation is what lets people know what they can expect from you. Your personal career brand allows you to leverage your reputation, authentic strengths, principles and unique promise of value to distinguish you from your competition. We are not asking that you change who you are. We are suggesting that if you define and live your personal career brand you will reap greater rewards in your job search and career management.

Why Personal Career Branding is Critical for Latinos
- "If you don't build your personal career brand, others will label you."

The fact is you are giving your power to other people to categorize and define you from their perspective. Do you want to be identified as Chuy's sister, Mr. Johnson's assistant, the brown one or the Latino accountant.

You may be described solely as your job title or job description. Is this how you wish to be known? No matter what kind of work you do or where you are in your career, would you prefer to be perceived as the Cadillac, Lexus, or Volvo of employees, or as a 4-cylander basic performance vehicle?

The chart below lists the benefits of building your personal career brand. 

Personal Benefit

1. Helps you understand yourself better.

2. Allows you to embrace your values, knowledge, skills, abilities, contributions, achievements, uniqueness, and worthiness.

3. Strengthens your personal power allowing you to remain honest to yourself, be more flexible, exercise control of your career, and shape how you are perceived by employers.

4. Gives you permission to express your value to employers.

5. Prepares you for the job search.

6. Increases your confidence and ability to conduct a successful job interview.

7. Guides you in making well-founded career decisions.

8. Improves your value and employability.

9. Attracts and opens employment and career building opportunities.

10. Leads to better, more interesting jobs and assignments.

11. Enables you to persist and weather the tough times.

12. All of the above continually empowers you. 

Employment Benefits

1. Paints a compelling concise picture of who you are and the unique promise of the value you offer.

2. Establishes the critical great first impression that makes you stand out as a top candidate that must be considered.

3. Allows employers to learn about you through others, which generates more credibility.

4. Clearly positions you as the best candidate to get the job done.

Embrace Your Value to Unleash Your Career Power - Con Confianza

For many Latinos, a key personal barrier impacting success in career management and job interviewing is cultural modesty: hesitancy to communicate one's accomplishments and abilities to the employer. Self-promotion is the number one issue raised by the two hundred+ Latino managers, recruiters, and CEOs we interviewed and surveyed for Barron's The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos. It has also been the experience of many of the thousands of our readers and Latino clients we have served.

Latinos are often raised to think that speaking about themselves and their accomplishments is boastful, rude, disrespectful, and "mal educado." As the dicho goes, "La persona no ha de ser de dichossino de hechos – A person is not made out of talk, but of deeds."

We are taught not to brag about our efforts and to let our work speak for itself. However, holding back can be a disadvantage in our competitive society. Instead, we should choose to speak honestly about ourselves and build our personal power.

Tu eres el arquitecto de tu propio destino - You are the master of your own destiny.

Yasmin Davidds, motivational speaker and author of Empowering Latinas: Breaking Boundaries, Freeing Lives, often expresses the following quotation in her presentations.

"Personal power comes from within and when you embrace it, you feel as though there is nothing in the world that you cannot handle. It helps you recognize that everything in your life is a choice, and it reinforces the truth that you have complete control over each and every one of those choices. While we may not have control over the events that occur in our lives, we have control over how we react to these events. You, alone, are in control of your destiny."

We have earned our academic and professional credentials, worked hard to develop our expertise, and sacrificed to make it in our careers. We also bring to the table the rich assets of our heritage. Our multicultural experiences and/or language skills are critical business assets employers are seeking (read Maximize Your Culture and Language in Your Job Interview).

Self-confidence is a concept that for some appears to be unattainable. For too many years Latinos have been hounded by the "peon" imagery that has unfortunately been stereotyped in media. But the heart of our combined Latino cultures is a proud one; consisting of outstanding attributes that fuel modern Latino success. Embrace your value to unleash your personal career power.

As we navigate through the workplace, we must learn to value our abilities and present ourselves with "confianza" – confidence! When we learn to do this, we build personal career power and begin to feel more comfortable communicating our value to employers – and making more headway in our careers.

¡BUENA SUERTE! 

 Posted by Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias

Principals, Global Diversity Solutions Group LLC and MulticulturalResumes.com

Authors, Barron’s The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos

Seeking HR-Diversity-Career Management Professionals to Assist at 2011 National Society of Hispanic MBAs Career Expo - Career Management Center

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) is recruiting HR, diversity and career professionals to volunteer to critique résumés, conduct mock interviews and provide career coaching at the 2011 Annual Conference and Career Expo - Career Management Center. The event will be held from October 13th-15th at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
 

This year’s conference is expected to attract more than 8,000 attendees and over 250 corporate and academic exhibitors.

NSHMBA is known as one of the premier Hispanic organizations in the country and works to prepare Hispanics for leadership positions throughout the U.S so that they can provide the cultural awareness and sensitivity vital in the management of the nation’s diverse workforce.

Colleagues who have participated in previous national conferences have called this event one of the best volunteer opportunities they have experienced providing not only an opportunity to build pro bono hours but also to work with top talent at an exciting and vibrant event.

To learn more about the 2011 NSHMBA National Conference and Career Management Center, click on the following links:

http://www.nshmba.org/2011_conference/attendee and http://www.nshmba.org/2011_conference/career_management_center

You can volunteer directly online through our dedicated career expert registration system at: http://www.nshmba.org/conference/CMC-Volunteer. The system will allow you to secure your free registration, conference badge, benefits, set-up your volunteer schedule and identify your coaching preferences, including target audience.

CAREER MANAGEMENT CENTER HOURS / VOLUNTEER SLOTS

You may volunteer for hourly, half-day or full day slots for any of the following days:

• Thursday, October 13: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Friday, October 14: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 15: 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 

VOLUNTEER BENEFITS
 

We want to make this experience a win-win for all our volunteers.  As part of this effort half and full-day volunteers will be provided with:

• Extended refreshments or Lunch
• Parking
• Entrance to the Career Expo
• Access to Professional Development Day workshops
• General receptions and networking events during all three days of the conference
 

Additional Volunteer Benefits

Volunteers with 12 or more hours will have access to invitation only sessions and events.

Career experts may prepare a one-page handout with résumé or career tips and business contact information for distribution.

CAREER MANAGEMENT CENTER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

You may volunteer for one or more of the following areas.

• Résumé Clinic: HR and career management experts will spend approximately 10 to 15 minutes critiquing a job seekers résumé.
 
• Mock Interview Clinic: Formal interviews are scheduled for 20 to 30 minutes. Interviewers will be provided with interview questions and critique form.
 
• Elevator Speech Clinic: Coaches will spend 5 -10 minutes assisting individuals with their introductions for networking, Career Expo booths and formal onsite interviews.
 
• Job Search Clinic: Coaches will spend approximately 15 to 20 minutes assisting participants on their specific job search needs.
 
• Career Management for Professionals and Executives: Coaches will spend approximately 20 to 30 minutes assisting working professionals on their specific career management needs.
• Entrepreneurial Coaching: Coaches will spend approximately 20-30 minutes assisting individuals who are preparing to start their own business or seeking assistance in growing their businesses.

The Center will also have a computer center for editing and reproducing résumés.

We will provide you with onsite instructions and resource material for each of the above services when you volunteer.

If you have any questions, contact Murray A. Mann or Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias at CareerCoach@nshmba.org and 312-404-3108.

On July 4th Declare Your Career Independence

 

Tu Eres El Arquitecto De Tu Propio Destino -

You Are The Architect Of Your Own Destiny

  

 

July 4 is a perfect time to declare your career independence. 

Yasmin Davidds, international best-selling author and empowerment  specialist, often expresses the following quotation in her presentations:

“Personal power comes from within and when you embrace it, you feel as though there is nothing in the world that you cannot handle. It helps you recognize that everything in your life is a choice, and it reinforces the truth that you have complete control over each and every one of those choices. While we may not have control over the events that occur in our lives, we have control over how we react to these events. You, alone, are in control of your destiny.”

How does this apply to your career? As we stated in our post, Tweve Characteristics of Latino Career Success:

• Trust that you are the most important person in your career.

• Embrace your personal power to fuel your career power.

• Activate your career power so you can be proactive in your job search, manage the process and to respond well, rather than react, to the events you cannot control.

 

                                ¡BUENA SUERTE!

 

Posted by Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias

Principals, Global Diversity Solutions Group
Authors, Barron’s The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos
Also at http://twitter.com/LatinosAtWork   

 

Remembering our Latino Heroes on Memorial Day

Millions of Latinos have served with distinction in the U.S. military, yet their significant contributions and sacrifices are relatively unknown. Their heroism helped forge this nation and preserved our freedom.

Latinos have received awards for valor and bravery far in excess to their proportion of the population. Forty-three Latinos have won our nation’s highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Major initiatives are underway to ensure that the proud legacy of Latino military service be accurately preserved and woven into our national consciousness. We will continue this discussion in future posts.

 Below are two articles to begin our conversation.

A Tribute to the Forgotten Force by Jim Estrada

U.S. Latino Patriots: From the American Revolution to Afghanistan, An Overview by Refugio I. Rochin and Lionel Fernandez 

This Memorial Day, as we commemorate all U.S. men and women who have died in military service to this country let's be sure to remember the Latinos among them and thank them for their service.

 

Posted by Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias

Principals, Global Diversity Solutions Group

Authors, Barron’s The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos

Also at http://twitter.com/LatinosAtWork

Contact: murray@GlobalDiversitySolutions.com or rmb@GlobalDiversitySolutions.com

Twelve Characteristics of Latino Career Success

In the course of writing Barron's The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos, we interviewed several successful Latinos from all walks of life and asked for opinions on a variety of topics, including the characteristics needed for success. We compiled their answers, added our own experiences, and created twelve factors for a successful career -- a career that successfully coexists with a fulfilled life, uses your talents and skills to their full potential, and maximizes your opportunities and growth.

 

 You are the Architect of Your Own Destiny                        Tu Eres El Arquitecto De Tu Propio Destino

• Life and career success can only be defined by you for you.
• Taking the time to develop your definition of success is essential to achieving career satisfaction.

 

The following are twelve characteristics you should master if you want to achieve career success:

 

Know Yourself

• Evaluate your interests, values, knowledge, skills, abilities, contributions, accomplishments, uniqueness and worthiness.
• Understand your cultural programming, if any, and how to transform those gifts into career assets.
• Embrace your attributes, family history and culture.
• Craft your combined attributes into a foundation to launch or grow your career.

 

Develop a Goal that Inspires You

• Develop a vision of what you want to accomplish in life and your career.
• Arouse your passion and desire to be successful at whatever you do.
• Allow your goals to be courageous to drive your career forward. Your objectives should not be self-limiting.
• Make sure your goals, no matter how large or small, contribute value to others.

 

Believe in Your Personal Power

• Trust that you are the most important person in your career.
• Embrace your personal power to fuel your career power.
• Activate your career power so you can be proactive in your job search, manage the process and to respond well, rather than react, to the events you cannot control.
• Learn to adapt and transform any self-limiting cultural programming into power centers.

 

Learn to Dance in Both Worlds

• Recognize that adapting to an employer's workplace culture is neither selling out nor changing your cultural identity.
• Build a cultural bridge that crosses from one environment to the other that we can walk on and help others to cross.
• Know your culture and share it gently.

 

Create Opportunities and be Prepared to Take Advantage of Them

Latinos And The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: How Are You Participating?

                          

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve . . .” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, January 17, 2011, our nation celebrates the 25^th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday with a “Day of Service” and to encourage ongoing action throughout the year.

Dr. King had a strong history of reaching out to and collaborating with the Latino community. He publicly and privately supported the efforts of the National Farm Workers Association (today’s United Farm Workers of America), as well as, many other Hispanic movements.

Hundreds of Latino organizations are reciprocating by supporting this national initiative. “Dr. King has inspired people from around the world to advocate for equal opportunity. Honoring his legacy through service pays tribute to his dream,” said National Council of La Raza (NCLR) President and CEO Janet Murguía.

What are your plans for today and participating in our evolving generation of service?

Below are a few links to help you find some great projects that need volunteers in your area:

MLKDay.gov 

Servir.gov 

NationalService.gov 

National Council of La Raza community affiliates

In January,1992, César Chávez wrote Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- “My friends, today we honor a giant among men: today we honor the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.…If we fail to learn that each and every person can make a difference, then we will have betrayed Dr. King's life's work. The reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. had more than just a dream, he had the love and the faith to act.