ParticiPant UPdateAugust 29, 2012

Keeping you Informed, Empowered and Prepared

Wherever You Are, Be Thereby Jim Rohn

One of the major reasons why we fail to find happiness or to create unique

lifestyle is because we have not yet mastered the art of being.

While we are home our thoughts are still absorbed with solving the challenges we face at the office. And when we are at the office we find ourselves worrying about problems at home.

We go through the day without really listening to what others are saying to us. We may be hearing the words, but we aren’t absorbing the message.

As we go through the day we find ourselves focusing on past experiences or future possibilities. We are so involved in yesterday and tomorrow that we never even notice that today is slipping by.

We go through the day rather than getting something from the day. We are everywhere at any given moment in time except living in that moment in time.

Lifestyle is learning to be wherever you are. It is developing a unique focus on the current moment, and drawing from it all of the substance and wealth of experience and emotions that it has to offer. Lifestyle is taking time to watch a sunset. Lifestyle is listening to silence. Lifestyle is capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of what we are and of what we are in the process of becoming. Lifestyle is not something we do; it is something we experience. And until we learn to be there, we will never master the art of living well.

Coaches’ CornerAttitude is Everything. Two books in the TCR! resource library draw attention to this cliché. Jeff Keller writes, “change your attitude…and you change your life!”

Chapter One emphasizes that your attitude is the window to the world. How often do you clean your window? Perhaps your coach’s questions are just what is needed to gain a clearer window, see how to resolve your challenges more effectively and figure out how your window got smeared in the first place.

Work closely with your coach. Appreciate that “your attitude affects the way you see everything in your life.”

Mark Your Calendars

SEP3 Offices closed for Labor Day

SEP7

“Spending & Savings Plans” Workshop: 9:30-11:30am in Minneapolis facilitated by Shana Ford

Employer Services: President’s AwardAre you an Advanced participant working hard at your job search activities? We have an award for you! The President’s Award honors high-achieving Advanced participants who meet the following criteria:

• Attend AJS Class each week.• Attend AJS Lab each week (Fridays in

Minneapolis, transportation available from St Paul).

• Submit a minimum of 12 well-matched applications per week.

• Copy your Employer Services Coordinator on each application or submit job logs.

• Follow up on each application with a phone call, email, or fax and record that in your job log.

• Meet with your Employment Coach weekly.

• Meet with your Employer Services Coordinator twice weekly.

• Prep for all scheduled interview opportunities with Employer Services.

• Attend at least 3 workshops during Workshop Week.

• Must be present at Celebration to receive your award!

The Reward!In addition to the positive results that go along with an effective job search, youwill receive a crisp $50 dollar bill and recognition at Celebration!

Bonus BucksWho can make money by referring somebody to Twin Cities RISE!?

Any of the following in good standing:• Active participants• Final placement

participants• TCR! Alumni• New participants (They will receive their

money after they’ve signed an Accountability Agreement for their second session.)

I want to refer somebody. How do I do it?

• Your name must be listed on the application before the start of the session. It’s up to you to keep track of your referrals.

• Your referral must be a new applicant.• Your referral must be admitted, attend

orientation, and attend classes for at least one week.

What do I get in return?One Referral = $25Two Referrals = $50Three Referrals = $100Four Referrals = $125

Internship Insight: Maximizing Your Time

Maximizing your time in an internship is so valuable in the workplace. You have to always be responsible. Show up on time, work hard, and present yourself as a

professional at all times. Doing so will go a long way toward proving your integrity, self-worth and value to your internship as well in an actual interview.

1. Take initiative. If you’re bored, tell someone you’re looking for more assignments to complete or even volunteer to help another co-worker. Remember it’s about obtaining more skills and experience.

2. Observe the company culture. Is there a lot of gossiping going on? Do employees look stressed? Do people work together or separately? A company’s atmosphere can reflect the industry or organization as a whole, and give you clues about what to expect in the workplace. 3. Get to know your company from the outside, its history, their mission statements, goals, clients/customers. This is a great way to practice researching organizations, one requirement for Career Development 3 and Advanced Job Search classes.

4. Remember to always network. Don’t hesitate to interact with coworkers whenever possible; ask them how they got their jobs, what they do, and ask about the pros and cons of the industry or organization. What a great way to show your internship supervisor how interested you are in their organization.

Your pathway to a Twin Cities RISE! internship awaits you. Please contact Shereese Turner, Director of Recruitment and Internships at sturner@twincitiesrise.org.

Education Extra: The latest class updates at TCR!Want some tips & tricks for putting more money in your pocket—and have fun in the process? Come see Shana Ford’s lively and eye-opening presentation about how to start building your own wealth. The workshop is September 7 from 9:30-11:30 am in Minneapolis. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the inside scoop on how to live a financially healthy life!

Help Lab for your computer classes is even more helpful than before! • We’ve added an extra day slot in St. Paul (Monday 12:30-2:15 pm) with Steve Senty.• Serge Wetzels is still available Monday evening in St. Paul (5:15-6:00 pm)• Computer help during our regular Wednesday slots (12:30-2:15 pm) is still going strong at both sites, thanks to Lucky Pataky and Dave Ruce. • Our writing tutors are available each Wednesday afternoon. See the front desk of your site for more details!

Consider reviewing directions to see if you missed anything or misinterpreted anything, especially longer directions that involve two or more sentences. Each time you do this, you’re refining a soft-skill that employers value highly: excellent attention to detail.

Getting to Know You: Meet the TCR! StaffWe’re starting a new feature in the Participant Update - each month, we’ll feature a different staff member here at Twin Cities RISE!. We hope you’ll learn a bit about the friendly folks who work here and give them a “hello” in the halls!

Art Berman, President & CEO

1. How long have you worked at TCR!? More than 4 years.

2. What did you do before coming to TCR!?My last full-time position was as the Treasurer/Senior Vice President at Ameriprise Financial, where I had worked for 22 years. After leaving that position I had a few different freelance professional roles before joining TCR! – I had a teaching relationship with three universities where I taught Finance, and I did several consulting assignments for local businesses and nonprofit organizations.

3. What’s your favorite part about working at TCR!?Without doubt it’s the TCR! staff. Having the opportunity to work with so many great,

inspiring, empowered people is the best part of working here. I get a lot of energy from my TCR! colleagues. I also love our Celebration events. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to see and hear from so many of our participants and meet their families.

4. What’s something interesting that readers may not know about you?Gosh, I have a lot of interests…Anything relating to food gets me going…I think my ideal job would be as a food critic. Wouldn’t it be great to be paid to eat out at fancy restaurants? Quality Control at a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory wouldn’t be too bad a job either.

Art Berman with winners of the President’s Award

So You Think You Know Everything?◊ Giraffes can go without water longer than a camel.

◊ The average person laughs 15 times per day. Hahaha!◊ It takes about 7 minutes for the average person to fall asleep.

Listening Meetings Coming SoonJoin us for the upcoming Listening Meetings, a chance to share your appreciations and disappointments about being at Twin Cities RISE! with Shelley Jacobson, Chief Operating Officer and Dwaine Simms, Director of Coaching.

Minneapolis office: September 10 at 12:30 pmSt. Paul office: September 13 at 12:30 pm