Daniel Boone Site Visit

In spite of record rainfall for April, we were able to schedule most of our April site visits. Our prayers go out to many of you in communities that are impacted by flooding. Last week we visited GCDFs in Manchester at the Daniel Boone Community Action Agency. After a morning of training and lunch, we toured the 1000 acre Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park and Mountain Life museum. This is a fabulous destination for youth field trips. So much history of Kentucky, and our nation, can be experienced here. Levi Jackson, for whom the park is named, was the first judge of Laurel County. His descendents donated the land for the state park in 1931. The park has a campground, hiking trails, mill, and Mountian Life Musuem. Many of the artifacts in the museum have been donated by local citizens and the Jackson family. The park is dedicated to the memory of pioneers, whose early struggles made possible the settlement and development of Kentucky and other states to the west by way of Wilderness Road and Boone's Trace. The park is also the location of the noted bloody 1786 Indian massacre of the McNitt party.

Trends to Watch

As GCDFs, it is part of our job to keep up with the latest trends. Last December, career counselors from around the globe linked up to brainstorm best practices, new programs, and trends that are impacting and projected to impact global employment, job search and career management. A white paper from the first ever Career Thought Leaders 2010 Global Career Brainstorming Day: Trends for the Now, the New, & the Next in Careers was recently published outlining their discussions. A few things I found interesting were the general consent that resumes are quickly going by the wayside. Google searches and LinkedIn will be the new tools. Another resource that was mentioned was Wordle.net. Wordle allows you to paste any text into it and then it creates a word cloud based on the words that occur the most frequently. This will prove to be extremely helpful in branding and making sure that our clients have the most effective industry key words in their resumes and LI profiles. Just last week I spoke to a group and one gentleman said is HR department just started using Wordle.

GCDFs, what are your thoughts on these new trends and how they may emerge in your region?

The Facebook Generation

New resources are emerging on how to better manage multigenerational workplace challenges. Father-daughter team Larry and Meagan Johnson recently published Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters - Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work. They specifically focus on the Facebook generation, also known as the Linksters. These 15-19 year olds have some common traits. They live and breathe technology; are more tolerant of alternative lifestyles; are best friends with their parents; and are very involved in green causes and social activism. The Johnsons go on to share 10 Tips for Managing the Facebook Generation. A few of the highlights include:

- Provide them with job descriptions and very clear directions
- Incentivize task accomplishments
- Treat them as valued coworkers
- Create microcareer paths
- Lead by example

With so many of our GCDF's working with this population, what would you add to the list?

Recent training and site visits took us to Gateway and Northeast Community Action Agencies. After training in West Liberty, we viewed the building sites for the new central office for Mountain Telephone and the new Judicial Center. The Judicial Center will house court rooms, offices and the 911 center. Little Caesar's is another new business in town located in an old discount store. It has been quite popular since it opened. We also toured a few local parks where youth and local citizens walk, picnic, and spend time. West Liberty also has a lovely park with war memorials. Lastly, we visited a Mennonite business. At Northeast, we learned about Tractor Supply and Gibbs Hardware (they have a business in Ashland) both likely to open this summer. Additionally, in Olive Hill a clothing factory is supposed to hiring up to 200 people. Thanks to both sites for your wonderful hospitality! Both locations are excited about Job Clubs coming to their areas.

More Research on Nonverbal Behavior

When it comes to interviewing and the workplace, it's not just what we say but how we say it nonverbally. Yes, nonverbal behavior has a stronger impact than we ever realize. A recent study by Amy Cuddy featured in Harvard Magazine (The Psyche on Automatic) focuses on such behavior and how it impacts perceived competence and power. Highlights of the study reveal: -Nonverbal cues associated with lying, happen below the neck -Appropriate self-disclosure, the use of humor, and natural smiles all signal warmth -Large expansive motions signal power and competence With this knowledge, these are variables that our clients can certainly use in their favor.

Site Visit to Paintsville, KY

There was a full house for today's interview training in Paintsville. So nice to see so many of our GCDFs and their colleagues. This afternoon, we visited the historic Mayo Memorial United Methodist Chuch that was built by local millionaire, John C.C. Mayo in the early 1900's. Mr. Mayo travelled extensively in Europe and wanted to share the beauty of European cathedrals with his community. He brought 100 Italian craftsment to Paintsville for the 5 year project. The church was constructed out of native sandstone that was cut and shaped at Thomas Jefferson Mayo's (John Mayo's father) farm, which was located across Paint Creek. The stones were transported to the church by the same aerial tram which Mayo used to construct his mansion. The roof is made of over 12,000 glazed green tiles that weigh six pounds a piece. Its pipe organ was donated by Andrew Carnegie. The church is also well known for its large stained glass windows, designed by Italian craftsman and imported from Italy. The windows portray the Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ. We are fortunate to have a private organ recital with the pastor's wife.

Lexington Tops Manpower's List

According to a recent survey conducted by Manpower employment services firm, the job market is rebounding. The survey of more that 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas found that employers in all 50 states report positive hiring expectations, with 33 of the states reporting strong hiring expectations. In fact, the survey revealed that Lexington, Kentucky had the most optimistic forecast of all the metropolitan areas. According to Bob Quick, CEO of Commerce Lexington, the city has a diverse economy that has helped it weather the recent recession. He goes on to say that healthcare, bioscience, life science and high tech have emerged strongly over the past few years. Many related spin off and research companies have benefitted from their close association with the University of Kentucky. Also, Lexington has a growing reputation for small business start-ups and being the home of many creators and inventors. Notice how this list of industries compares to the BLS growing career fields we have recently discussed in GCDF training?