Students Showing Amazing Initiative

TEDx Youth Ottawa - February 2010 (Ashbury College)

Two weeks ago I attended TEDx Ottawa Youth along with my 14 year old daughter and two of her friends.  The event was run by youth for youth and I was one of the few over the age of 25 in the crowd. All of the presenters were under 25, many of which are in college and university. The conference was ”A summit for young opinion leaders, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs to foster learning and inspiration, while provoking conversations that matter and creating a forum for “Ideas Worth Spreading”.

This was one of the first ever TEDx Youth conferences in the world.  The original TED conferences are now hosted by the organizers in locations around the world and TEDx is an extension whereby local visionaries can host conferences following the TED guidelines in their own communities.  I’m proud to say that Ottawa has hosted both a Youth conference and a TEDx in December of 2009.

The organizers of the TEDx Youth,Yusuf Malik, Adam Moscoe and David Millen (ok he’s a little over 25), did an amazing job.  The speakers where strong, poignant, professional and entertaining.  They touched on a huge variety of topics and a selection of entertainers dotted the agenda to keep the event engaging for the audience. Presentations ran from 8:30 to 1:00pm.

What impressed me most was the INITIATIVE that was exuding from this experience.  These students all volunteered their time to conceive of, organize and participate in this event.  This type of initiative not only is impressive as a whole but also serves as an amazing experience for the individuals that were involved.  These youth are different. They are putting together big ideas, inspiring others and making things happen that they care about.  By attending the event the over 200 students are also revealing their interest in learning and being involved in something beyond ordinary. The audience was respectful, attentive and very ’switched on’.

I’m sharing this here on our blog because I believe an event like this is an amazing experience For these these students. They are in fact developing their personal brands. Their participation in this event on all levels makes them stand out and shows to others that they have interests and initiative that others don’t.  I applaud their initiative and know that many of them were affected by the experience. Thanks to Yusuf, Adam, and David and the dozens of volunteer participates that helped pull this event together!  Looking forward to the next!

A WhyHire.me Profile Starts with a Pitch

Graduating Algonquin PR Students Using WhyHire.me

The first three classes of the WhyHire.me program focus on developing a positioning pitch which will set the tone and theme for a student’s WhyHire.me profile.  A few pitches from the Algonquin Public Relations class follow.

Ashlie Cormack: A willingness to embrace change and commitment to her values are what set Ashlie apart. She strives to be passionate not only for her work, but for the people she works with. Her skill comes from leadership roles in academic and athletic environments. Her ideal job isn’t restricted to the “9-5” but is integrated into every aspect of her life.

Mae McCrae: Mae McCrae is a compelling speaker with a passion for positively influencing lives. A former youth leader, she now manages a young marrieds group, drama, and music department for her church. Mae has a flare for giving a project a unique and recognizable stamp. Her way with words and great listening skills will be valuable to any organization.

Jessa Millar: Jessa is very passionate about the success of causes she works on. She has a lifelong history of involvement in her community. Delivering a constant out-pour of creative ideas, she makes connections and mobilizes action. Jessa’s problem-solving skills, personable nature and contagious enthusiasm make her a valued part of initiatives she engages in.

Once these students have created their pitches, they then work to develop their profiles using text, photos, blog posts, Twitter feeds to support and prove their pitch.  They will look at their school, volunteer, work placement projects, extra curricular, and part-time work to present rich experiences that are valuable to prospective employers.  I’m impressed with this bunch, they have a lot to offer their industry.

Right now their profiles are private but when they are ready, we’ll let you know.

Jessa’s very passionate about the success of causes she works on. She has a lifelong history of involvement in her community. Delivering a constant out-pour of creative ideas, she makes connections and mobilizes action. Jessa’s problem-solving skills, personable nature and contagious enthusiasm make her a valued part of initiatives she engages in.It’A

Algonquin Career Week – Innovation & Connections

Algonquin’s Career Week is underway.  I was fortunate enough to be a speaker yesterday along with many others.  My 45 min. presentation focused on Developing Your Online Personal Brand.  You can find the presentation on Slideshare and I will be presenting it again on Thursday at 2:30pm.  I digress…

I had hoped to attend the session The Future of Careers in Science, Technology & Engineering by Louis Lamontagne but I was called into a meeting and could not make it. While I was checking Twitter after my meeting, I found a link from the Algonquin Students Association of a video version of the presentation.  I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and was thrilled to see Algonquin being innovative in the use of new tools to share information and promote learning.

As I listened to his insights and words of advice there were many comments that struck a cord with me.  At several points in his presentation he noted the importance of ‘distinguishing’ yourself as a candidate for a position.  His words of advice included adapt and be flexible, be enthusiastic, ask questions, show interest, and get involved.  One of our key messages to our students is about showing initiative.

At the end of his presentation, he stressed the importance of revealing to employers that as a candidate you should be well-rounded. He then suggested getting involved in sports, pick up hobbies and doing volunteer work and overall all to ‘milk this place (the college)’ while you are there. Like Lamontage, we strongly believe that students should be extracting and seeking out experiences during their time at school.  In the end, your goal as a candidate is to distinguishing yourself from the crowd and it takes actions and commitment to do that.  I definitely connected with Lamontage’s view and hope to meet him in person one day soon.

Rene Faucher Family Fun Day Fundraiser – SUNDAY Feb 7th @ 2PM

Click HERE to buy a ticket for Sunday’s Ottawa 67s vs. Guelph Storm at 2PM. Andy and I hope you and many others will come out and support Rene and his family.

Half of the proceeds from online tickets sales will be donated to the Faucher Douglas trust fund that was recently established by the community. This event is being put on to help René and his wife Dianne Douglas with their financial responsibilities as well as pull the community together to support them. All those that want to participate must mention Rene’s name at the box office or jump to this special link to purchase tickets –>  https://www.ottawa67s.com/ssl/store/fundraiser.asp

We will be sharing pictures and messages with René and all his supporters during the game via Twitter. Please look for our tabletop in the concourse to get your photo taken and sign a get-well 67’s flag. Well wishers that cannot make the game are welcome to donate to the fund online or at Scotiabank.  For more information on how to donate to the family, please visit http://www.faucherdouglastrustfund.com/

All are welcome to Tweet Rene before, during and after the game by simply including #getwellrene in your Twitter message.

Algonquin College Career Week

Algonquin College’s Career Week is coming up February 8-12th at the Woodroffe Campus.

Click on the image or this text to find out more and to register for the event.

I will be speaking on Monday Feb 8th at 1PM and Thursday Feb 11th at 2:30PM on the topic of creating an online presence using personal branding methods and some of the most popular social media tools.  My 45 minute talk will cover: why you should have a online presence and 5 steps to get you started.

Rene Faucher’s Values & Ours

Rene Faucher is a former boss of Andy’s.  Almost 3 weeks ago, Rene had a fall on the ice while playing hockey and hit the boards.  This fall resulted in Rene being paralyzed from the chest down.  Although as friends and supporters, we know this man has the will and energy to change is prognosis.  He’s very positive and already starting to feel new sensations that weren’t there a week ago.  You can read his updates on the Facebook Fan Page ‘Friends of Rene Faucher‘.

Rene is a 40-year-old father of three young children is expected to be in the hospital for at least a year through his recovery and rehabilitation. He did not have any long-term disability insurance. He had recently wound down his business where he worked with Andy and was starting to develop plans for his next venture.

Rene’s story touches Andy and I on many levels because we share many common values:  he’s an amazing dad and loving husband, entreprenuer and idea man, and an optimistic and caring soul.  He’s a good man who has been faced with a terrible situation that any of us could be placed in.  In Rene’s word to Andy at the hospital, “You don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

It is for all these reasons that we have been working with the Ottawa 67s to put on a Family Fun Game in Rene’s honour.  We hope that you will join us, our family and friends, and many of Rene’s family, friends and supporters on February 7th at 2PM at Landsdown.

I would like to send a special thanks to Patrick Whalen and Sheryl Hunt for being instantly ready to help and incredibly supportive.  The Ottawa 67s is an organization that also shares our values of community, kindship and enjoyment of life.  Hats off to you all!

Focusing on the Pitch

This week the Algonquin PR students and I focused on understanding product branding, personal branding and developing their ‘Positioning Pitch’.  In a WhyHire.me profile, students have 350 characters to develop their clear concise message which sets the tone of their personal brand. It should highlight their keywords which could include personality traits, skills, strengths, or values which they discovered in Dig Deep.  Additional ingredients for their pitch include a ’splash’ of proof to provide validity and a target which could be a position, industry, value system, or location they have in mind.

At first it seems easy to write a paragraph but soon into the process I start hearing: ‘this is hard’, ‘I don’t feel comfortable writing about myself this way’ and ‘I really don’t know what makes me unique’.  These are initial thoughts that many people have when they start this process. However, it’s so important to put in the time to craft a message that is clear, unique and strong for not only your profile but your overall personal brand which will be used in meetings, interviews, emails, career fairs, resumes and more.  Employers want to know what grads have to offer, what makes them different and how they can solve the organization’s business problems.

I look forward to reading their pitches as they start to pop up in our social network and I hope a few of these students will get a chance to use their pitches at the upcoming Algonquin College Career Week (Feb 8-12).  Career Week features a job fair and a series of information session and networking opportunities for past and present students to connect with industry.

Start by Digging Deep – Values, Passions and Strengths

Yesterday, my class of Algonquin PR students and I started the process of digging deep.  Many people think that our program is centered around social media tools.  There is no question that technology is a large part of getting your personal brand online but first you have to develop a clear message.

We start the process of self-discovery by looking into several key issues including; personal values, personality, strengths, achievements, passions, the opinions of others and finally, we take a brief look at weaknesses. To many this seems to be a little far from the original expectations of developing an online presence but you have to start at the heart of the matter.

People don’t give enough thought to what they are all about, what they can offer the world, and what they want to offer the world. We’re all so busy, overworked and overwhelmed to give ourselves the time we deserve. It’s easier to think about stuff, to-do lists, tasks, technology, friends, ….. We all need to take the time to think about what’s important to us, what we have to give to others and how we want to continue to develop and grow.

Do you know what your values, passions and strengths are? I hope my PR students now have a better handle on these big issues and now know what their keywords and phrases are, we will see next class.

Go…..

The Winter 2010 version of WhyHire.me is up and classes are underway.

With every new version we take 3 steps forward and one step back. The beauty of software development, I suppose. With our enhancements comes the need for refamiliarization. With new features there is always some regression. Like I said a few posts ago, life is beta and software is a part of all of our lives now.

I introduced the second year Algonquin College Public Relations students (the graduates of 2010) to WhyHire.me today. I’m thrilled to be working with them to develop their personal branding using WhyHire.me. They are getting ready to enter the working world and have considerable real world experience for us to work with. They are familiar with social media tools because they have used several in classes already and they are trained communicators that are open and eager.  Couldn’t ask for a better combination.

I asked them to rate what they experienced today in class.  I gave them three options for evaluation – thumbs up, middle thumbs or sideways thumbs, and thumbs down. I think all evaluations should be so simple. This was their answer!

READY, SET…..

We’re on the verge of a new academic term which is very exciting for us.  Within days we will have another 500+ users on the Winter 2010 version of WhyHire.me.  More users, more schools and a lot more changes!  A little daunting at times as we have worked into the wee hours but so incredibly exciting as we see our program grow and develop with the help of our users and their institutions.

Our inaugural term was Fall 2009, when we launched 650 users from Algonquin College, Carleton University and Centennial College onto the system.  We experienced a few bumps with provisioning (we were putting students in the right classes until exam time), interface usability issues (they all want the system to be like Facebook – although I am thrilled that we are being compared to a 350 million user system with thousands of staff, they are big shoes to fill and not the same kind of product), and it was obvious it was time to upgrade the blogging component.

Our students created a group called Facebook vs. Whyhire.me which provided us with feedback as well as the Support group that was set up by us.  In addition to the groups, we have had countless in class and online conversations with users about issues to improve and all of our schools did their own research into the use of WhyHire.me.

Overall, we are thrilled with the results and appreciate the feedback.  The Winter 2010 release will include integration of WordPress (Yeah!), a new Zone that will provide the learning tools in a very dynamic environment for users, and dozens of small changes that will make the usability and experience more enjoyable for everyone.  And of course, we have cleaned up the provisioning and we dramatically simplified our pricing model.

We know that all the students want it for free but as an organization we do not want to develop an advertising based model when the product is being delivered in educational institutions. We just don’t think it’s right and will continue to follow the model of student payment based on institutional, and professor endorsement in a class, similar to the textbook model. Students will receive an account to the social network plus their personal URL, an 80 page eBook and interactive learning modules. The pricing for Winter 2010 is $29 for 12 months or $39 for life. We simplified it for all the different programs and uses.

This term Memorial University will be integrating WhyHire.me into a E-Marketing class and the MBA program. The Ted Rogers School of Business Hospitality and Retail programs (Ryerson University) will be using WHM in two separate HR oriented classes. Algonquin’s PR students will be developing online personal brands and well as the 3rd year Business Marketing students, where we piloted the program last year, and lastly, we will have another gang at Centennial jumping into the world of personal branding.

So, we are on the edge of our seats: uploading, testing, teaching and just on the verge of ………GO.