Testimonials
To: Barry
Subject: WIN Statement Update!
Good morning, Barry-
I hope this message finds you well as we get ready to embark on the
second part of the career development series. I wanted to send you a
quick update connected to my WIN statement. After our last phone call
two weeks ago, where I had the chance to share about my desire to more
consistenly pursue my artistic passion as an actor, I submitted my
materials for an upcoming audition. Yesterday, I found out from that I
was selected to be part of the cast for the show! The production will
be part of the Capital Fringe Festival, a large summer theatre
festival that takes place here in DC, that I have wanted to be part of
for awhile. I just wanted to thank you for the incredibly empowering
principles you have shared with all of us about finding your personal
truth and really committing to the priorities you identify for your
life within that truth. I really do credit my participation in the
webinar series with helping to get me moving again in actively
pursuing opportunities to act. Thanks so much for all of the work you
have already put in, and continue to put into this series! I am
excited and energized to learn how to apply the principles we’ve
already discussed to a new and improved approach to resumes, cover
letters, and the like.
With much gratitude,
Ebony
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Sent May 11, 2009
Barry,
I’m not sure how my schedule keeps working out like this, but I
actually will not be able to make either of the next two calls! I was
severely disappointed to find that I will be out of town and will have
no access to the internet during both! I have registered for the
webinars anyway just in case. I know this slightly decreases the
effectiveness the webinar can have for me because I will not be able
to actively participate, but I would still like to listen to them on
my own time. Will you be posting these on the website as well?
Again, thank you so much for doing this for us! Listening to this
webinar has inspired me to stick to my gut and continue to find work
that I am passionate about. It has also inspired me to talk to my
sister about finding her passion like I have found mine. I know she
is not currently happy in her career and now I can connect her to
these resources that will help her as much as they have helped me. I
hope this has been as rewarding an experience for you as it has been
for the rest of us.
Peace,
Becky Smith
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From: Meredith Date: Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Subject: A little story…
To: Barry <americorpsalums@bckassociates.com>
Barry,
I have been listening to your Americorps Series and I want to tell
you a little story about my recent experience applying for an
Americorps position. I am currently an Americorps Vista, and I am in
the process of applying with different agencies for another VISTA
position next year.
I have always been extremely intimidated my resumes, cover letters,
and interviews. I think this has a lot to do with my perception of my
ability to communicate on paper. They always seemed impersonal and
subjective, and out of my control. I have always tried to “tailor” my
resume to tell the employer what they wanted to hear. Like most
people, I stretched the truth and focused on creating a perfect
resume for the job, rather than my resume.
Applying for these positions this time around was different. I created
a cover letter and resume for a position just after I listened to your
second webinar in the Americorps series. What you talked about really
hit home to me, and I was able to apply it to my recent application
process.
This time around, with your influence, it was much easier and less
intimidating. I created my resume and a cover letter, and I received
a call back for an interview within a week.
I had the interview yesterday. I am usually squeamish in interview
situations, but yesterday I was calm, thorough, and collected. I
kept in mind what you said about how beneficial it is to speak
truthfully. The interview was in my hands, I wasn’t scrambling to
create scenarios or answers that he wanted to hear. It was easy for me
to speak of my experience and say it with integrity. This gave me
control of the interview. I was interviewing him, just as much as he
was interviewing me. It was natural for me to speak of what I know and
who I am, rather than what I guessed he would want to hear (which I
know little about). I think this exuded confidence, competency, and
honesty, and it was much more enjoyable for me and less stressful. I
spoke from the heart, and I think he concluded that I would be a good
fit; he asked me to come back for a second interview.
I agree.
I am relatively young, and new to the job market. While in college, I
was always looking for a job, just to pay the bills. The salary and
the schedule were the most important things while looking for
employment. I think I would have continued to have such uncomfortable
interviews and a hard time creating resumes and CLs if I wouldn’t of
taken your course. I am fortunate that I have learned this lesson
now, as it will make job searches from now more about me and my skills
and whether the job will be a good fit for me, and less about changing
myself to making it what I think they want in an employee.
I want to thank you, and let you know that the work you are doing is
incredibly valuable.
Sincerely,
Meredith
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Sent May 1, 2009
Hi Barry,
I was able to listen and watch your webinar last night. Being my first, I have a couple of questions.
Before that, I want to tell you, I found your training very worthwhile. It was helpful to know that other people struggle with the same things I am and that it is a process that takes some honest soul searching followed by action.
I wasn’t able to be on the first call, when you may have explained this but, could you explain how we “raise our hands” and then you’ll call on us????? I had no idea how to be heard?
My next question is, can I get a copy of the WIN statements from the 2 ladies you interviewed last night?
I would like to continue with the class. I am having trouble with the action part of the process. It’s not that I don’t know some ways to move ahead, I am just stuck and too tired to do it right now. I’m praying for the willingness to take the first step.
I think I just did!!!
Looking forward to more……….
Cheryle G
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Sent 4/25/09
Hi Barry!
I wasn’t on the call because I did run into a scheduling conflict. Work. It happen quite a bit like this where I am not given much choice and told I have to stay for some last minute frantic request that needs to be filled and work a 10-12 hour day. It’s exhausting to say the least. ………….Thanks again for your input and I look forward to the next call. You always make me think more about what I am doing in the moment and I think that’s great!
Take care,
Katie
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Sent 4/24/09
Good Morning Barry,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for that inspiring Webinar. I am so glad that I managed to finally be able to get on and I want to register for the next…
I have a volunteer program going on in our community and I am pushing to get back to catch the webinar.. Although, it dawned on me last night that there is a little bit of a time change between there and here…It was actually 9:15 PM here when I could get on….
Anyways this is my first year as an Americorp representative. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY… I really do not have much time this morning to chat but I needed the boost. Deb inspired me as well and I have just came up with a nice idea. You need to know THE WHOLE STORY before I can share the works with ya… I promise sometime this weekend I will email you with the full details..
Have a Great Day and again Thank You!
Michelle
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Sent 4/21/09
Subject; You inspired me!
Hi Barry,
I emailed you right after the intro call a few weeks ago telling you that you really inspired me to go out there and get people to know about AmeriCorps. Well, a day or two later, I was watching a local talk show while at the gym (as I do every morning when I’m there) and was seeing that all of the guests on the show were from local organizations just telling about themselves or special events that they have going on.
So I decided to look into what it takes to be on the show. I emailed the executive producer of the show about AmeriCorps NCCC and she loved the story and asked when I could be on!
This morning I was on the talk show! I think I represented AmeriCorps well and I have had tons of positive feedback, both from friends and family, as well as viewers who emailed me after seeing me on the show (I had provided an email I made up just for the show).
Not only was this a way for me to get some words out there about NCCC and get at least the Milwaukee area informed about it, but I’m hoping that perhaps a future employer was watching and was impressed (another reason I provided that email address).
So just wanted to share with you what your motivation did for me. I’ll be on the call on Thursday. If you would like to send this out to the group, you may. Maybe it will inspire others and help them realize how easy it is to spread the word.
The link to the show is http://www.themorningblend.com/NewsArticle/tabid/1474/xmid/31907/Default.aspx
If for some reason the link doesn’t work, go to www.themorningblend.com then click on “Tuesday” and click on the AmeriCorps headline. Also, I think that above link may only be good for the rest of this week, so if you look at it later, you may have to go under “Past Shows” and look for April 21, 2009.
Thanks again, Barry!
Deb K
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Sent: April, 17, 2009
Thank you Mr.Kleiman, for sharing your wisdom with us generously.
Thank you for doing the Webinar - It has been almost 5 years since I finish my second year in AmeriCorps. While am sure once the technology glitches are out of the system this webinar will be very helpful to me now, I think it would have been just what the Dr. ordered when I first graduated. I did AmeriCorps right out of college and felt in a way that once I hit the job market, I was 2 years behind everyone else I graduated with. I had no idea how to translate my AmeriCorps experience into the accounting world and was worried that my skills had gotten rusty. As it turned out, I got my job based first on my degree from a great school and secondly due to my AmeriCorps experience. My interviewer pulled her vision of my experience that would be useful out for me - the fact that I had to work on team and deal with “all kinds of people”. Not having been in an office environment before, I had now idea how valuable those skills truly are. Currently, I am an a manager and during the process of finding a new employee, those skills were actually the hardest find.
Listening to what you were talking about - I don’t have a microphone - as you talk about finding what you can bring to a company, I have found the most useful tool to be other interviews. There was a period where I was unhappy at my job and went on a series of interviews. The first few I blundered through more worried about my responses. The rest I made a point to listen more - and one I was more relaxed by most amazingly the interviews gave their impressions of my skills and I picked up some much better ways to word my skills and by understanding what I had to offer, I felt better and better walking into each interview and found myself not just trying to get them to want to hire me but to find out if I wanted to work for them. Bottom line, by finding new perspective on job skills and what I offered, it gave me new perspective on my current job and gave me the courage to make the job what I needed and have stayed over two more years. It was liberating.
Anyway - I am usually a better listener than a sharer, but you have shared so much - I felt compelled to share a tid bit I have learned in my short 4.5 years in the workforce.
Thanks! And don’t worry, I have another email for my resume!
Sarah K
Hi Barry,
I’m not available tonight to watch and listen to your training, but I am going to listen to it when I return next week. Please be encouraged and know that you have helped me. Even though I haven’t done the W.I.N. statement, I have given it thoughtful consideration and feel more confident, just knowing what I like to do and not do.
The true test is, I was able to find and call a prospective employer out of state with calm confidence, and tell him I am interested in working with him and his clients and why. It was a very positive exchange. I am feeling empowered because, as you said, I put action to the recipe.
Thanks so much.
Cheryle G
VISTA Volunteer Coordinator