Mixed-Race Students Wonder How Many Boxes to Check

Multiracial students confess to spending sleepless nights worrying about how best to answer the race question on college applications. Some say they wonder whether their answers will be perceived as gamesmanship or a reflection of reality.

Aia Sarycheva, 18, whose father is from Sudan and mother is from Russia, will go to Yale next year on the strength of her grades in 12 Advanced Placement courses and an SAT score in the mid-2200s. (A perfect score is 2400.)

In the “Demographics” section of the Common Application, which is accepted by Harvard, Yale and more than 400 other colleges and universities, Ms. Sarycheza, who attends Stuyvesant High School in New York City, checked two boxes: black and white.

“I was aware that should I get into the college I wanted to get into, that there would be stigma around it — to put it bluntly — that I got in because I’m black,” said Ms. Sarycheva, who describes her skin tone as “coffee with a lot of milk.”

“The thing I want to convey,” she continued, “is that I didn’t check the box because it would give me some sort of admissions boost. I checked black, along with white, because that is who I am.”

Without clear guidance from the colleges, mixed-race students often turn to one another for advice, and their conversations spotlight how contentious the multiracial factor is in admissions.

On the Web site College Confidential, for instance, there are many streams of heated conversation on the issue.

At close to 3 a.m. one winter morning this year, a student from Germantown, Md., calling himself “Bigshot3008” kicked off a discussion with a question: “How do you guys feel about biracial (specifically half black, half white) students applying to college as full black, just to get our incentives? I personally think it should be frowned upon and that it is unfair.”

The incentives that Bigshot3008, who is black, was referencing fall under the umbrella of affirmative action, a principle to which most highly selective private and public institutions subscribe as a means of redressing past racial injustices.

In an interview, Bigshot3008, who would not give his real name as not to jeopardize friendships, said that he posted the question one sleepless night as he worried about whether he would get into the University of Virginia. (He did.) He said he knew biracial students at his high school who only embraced their minority side when it came time to fill out college applications.

One response to Bigshot3008’s online query came from “MarinebioSax,” who later identified herself to a reporter as Maya Taufete’e-Paguada, a high school junior from Memphis. Ms. Taufete’e-Paguada identifies as black, Latina and Pacific Islander, and said she had been thinking deeply about the ethics of the race question, knowing that she would have to make a choice on her own applications next year.

“Of course it’s unfair,” she wrote on the site in reference to what is now commonly referred to as “passing as black.” “But people will do anything to get that little extra advantage in admissions.”

For her part, Ms. Taufete’e-Paguada said there will be three boxes checked.

“I’ve always been taught to embrace my multiracial identity,” she said.

Though he will not begin his senior year in high school until the fall, Kennedy Francis Quay Edmonds, 17, of New York City said he already knows which boxes he intends to check on his college applications. He attends Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., one of the nation’s premier prep schools, and said he will present himself to colleges as part Asian. His maternal grandfather is Malaysian; his father is white.

“A lot of people said, ‘You’re just a quarter, that’s not enough,’ ” said Mr. Edmonds, a member of Mosaic, an affinity group for multiracial students at Andover. “But I feel like it’s enough because it’s very culturally important to me.”

Mr. Edmonds, whose Asian features are very subtle, added, “What’s important to me is that the college knows I have this other culture and experience in my life, even though I’m only a quarter. You can’t take everything at face value.”

~  and

You won’t hear “you’re hired” if you spell it “your hired”

Each spring, schools from around the U.S. send their best spellers to Washington, D.C., for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. At the Bee, a moderator tosses out words that most of us have never heard before, and these prodigious pupils rattle off a stream of letters as if stromuhr and Laodicean are everyday words. If you saw the film Spellbound, you understand how gripping this display of linguistic skills can be. You’ve got silent Ks and hidden Ms and tricky origins that complicate words. It’s so exciting even ESPN broadcasts the Bee.

We watch in awe as students a fraction of our age spell words we never heard before and probably will never hear again. Yet, judging by the amount of typos I see on a daily basis (including the ones I write), many of us are having trouble with some basic words. Ridiculous doesn’t have an e; too is not the same as to. These misspellings don’t mean we’re not as smart as the youngsters at the Spelling Bee, it just means we’re not as focused on accuracy as they are. Yet, we should be because spelling matters, especially when you’re looking for a job.

Rather than let spelling be something you don’t think about much or a terrifying monster that looms over every cover letter you type, we think you can easily handle it. Here are a few tips for impeccable spelling and why it matters on a job hunt:

1. Check (and check again) the names of companies, references, interviewers
Names are some of the easiest words to spell incorrectly because there are no definitive ways to spell them. Thom or Tom? Stacy or Stacey or Staci?  Don’t ever assume you aced the spelling the first time, especially when typing out the name of the hiring manager of people you interviewed with. Check e-mails, business cards and online profiles to ensure you’re spelling their names correctly. Failing to do so will be a glaring error that suggests you have no attention to detail.

Above all else, spell your name correctly. You laugh now, but believe me, it happens.

2. Don’t rely on spell check
Listen, spell check is an amazing invention that has made life easier for everybody. However, it’s not perfect and shouldn’t be used as the authority on all things spelling. For example, a good spell check might catch some grammatical mistakes, but it won’t always know that you meant “through” instead of “threw.” Both words are spelled correctly but they’re not interchangeable in the least. If your résumé boasts of your “righting” abilities, don’t expect a call from the hiring manager.

3. Avoid slang
Thank you, Internet, for making us forget that “want to” is actually the grammatically proper way to say “wanna.” The same goes for “gonna,” “whatcha,” and “srsly.” We’re a world that loves abbreviations, especially in e-mails and texts, but they don’t translate well to the professional world. Using abbreviated netspeak in an informal e-mail is fine, but when you’re trying to impress a potential boss stick to standard English. Employers want to know that you’ll be a strong representative of their brand, so prove you know the difference between “b4” and “before.” For realz.

4. Have a proofreader
The hardest part about making sure you don’t misspell something is knowing what you might be misspelling. Not everybody’s blessed with the spelling gene, and it never occurs to some people that supposedly and supposably are not interchangeable words, and some people won’t even acknowledge “supposably” as a valid word. The easiest way to solve this conundrum is to let someone else look over your résumé and cover letter because they might catch a mistake you didn’t even know you were making. Have your significant other, friend, roommate or even your (hopefully smart) child take a look before you hit send.

5. Stick with the language you’re comfortable with
One surefire way to ruin your writing is to use words that you think make you sound smarter. In reality, they don’t. Not only will your syntax will sound weird because it’s not natural to you, but you are also going to be using words you don’t know how to spell. Suddenly your attempt to sound sophisticated has turned your correspondence into a word jumble that looks like an eye chart. Save yourself the headache and write in a way that makes you feel comfortable while still using proper, traditional grammar.

Another reason you want to display your most honest writing is so that you’ve set an accurate expectation for your writing. Pretending you’re someone else in order to get the job, only to be unable to perform at that level on a daily basis, is not going to be fun for you or your boss. Be honest in your writing style.

Not everyone is a gifted speller, and it’s a skill that’s more important in some occupations than in others. However, in today’s world where many of us spend our days sending e-mails and writing reports, knowing how to communicate with error-free writing is a skill you can’t afford to lack.

How has spelling played a role in your career? Does it not matter or is it one of your most used skills? Have you had a boss who relied on you because he or she couldn’t spell in the least? Let us know.

~Anthony Balderrama

7 tips for improving email etiquette »

According to 2009 research from international consulting firm Deloitte, the average office worker sends around 160 emails and checks his or her inbox more than 50 times per day. If practice really made perfect, we’d all be Olympic gold medal-winning emailers by now.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case. I still hit the “send” button in the exact instant that I spot a typo, and I still get emails that give me the funny feeling that a co-worker didn’t mean to hit “reply all.”

Despite tons of practice, it seems that email etiquette is still something most of us are working to perfect.  

So, in honor of National Email Week (what, that wasn’t on your Outlook calendar?) we talked to a few communications experts about proper email etiquette. Here’s what they had to say about what makes a good email, and what gets your message sent to the trash folder.

Do:

Be concise: “Email is intended for short, informational messages,” says Jodi R. R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting in Marblehead, Mass., and author of “From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman.” “Keep in mind that with some email systems it is possible for the recipient to read just the first three lines of your message without ever opening the email. Make the first couple lines count.”

Double check: “Never, ever skip the spell check and double check the word is not changed to a word you did not intend to use,” says Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company that specializes in corporate etiquette training. “Spell check is not foolproof if it picks up a word that it ‘thinks’ you mean.”

While you’re rereading your email, also take a second to ensure that the correct person’s name is in the “To” field. It can be easy to accidentally type in the wrong name, especially with email programs that auto-complete email addresses when you start typing.

Be professional: “Treat email like a professional correspondence, because it is. It’s the only communication most executives see and you will be judged accordingly,” Gottsman says. That means spelling out words in their entirety (no “U,” “LOL,” etc.), using correct capitalization and including an email signature with your contact information.

Professionalism should extend to the style and formatting of your email as well. When choosing fonts and creating an email signature, use the “Phyllis” test. Anything you think Phyllis from “The Office” might include in her emails should be avoided in yours. This includes cutesy fonts like Comic Sans, email wallpaper, and signatures with flash animation or your favorite quote.

Be pleasant: You probably know from experience that it’s hard to tell whether someone is being sarcastic or serious via email. “Watch not only what you say, but how you say it,” Smith says. “Using all capital letters is considered yelling.” The same goes for sentences with excessive punctuation — ending a sentence with “!!!” or “???” will just make you seem angry.

Similarly, suggests Robby Slaughter, owner of Slaughter Development LLC, a business productivity firm based in Indianapolis, start your email off with a friendly greeting, not an order. “The word ‘hello’ followed by the name of the recipient does wonders in ensuring your email is well received and actually read,” he says.

Don’t:

Avoid face-to-face conversation: Sometimes, it’s just easier and more effective to walk into your boss’s office, or pick up the phone and call your customer. “Remember this rule: Email is more for coordination than it is for communication,” Slaughter says. If you have a lengthy project or proposal to discuss, schedule time to talk to the person face-to-face or over the phone.

Similarly, email shouldn’t be used to resolve conflict, or as a method of avoiding confrontation. “Don’t hide behind your computer,” Smith says. “Don’t use email as a shield to avoid having a conversation or a face-to-face interaction.”

Copy your whole team: “This is like scheduling a pickup from two taxi companies ‘just in case’– you’re wasting almost everyone’s time, and most of the recipients will assume that someone else will answer,” Slaughter says.  

Send an email when you’re angry: In the heat of an angry moment, it is way too easy to fire off a scathing email full of things you’d never actually say to someone’s face. “Wait until you cool off before putting something down in writing,” Gottsman says.

While most of the experts we heard from agreed on the above points, there were some divided opinions on a couple of popular email practices, notably:

  • The use of emoticons in work emails. Some experts said they were OK, because they helped signify the tone of the email (i.e. putting a at the end of the sentence to tell the recipient you are joking), while others thought they were simply unprofessional.
  • Whether or not the “Sent from my BlackBerry” or “Sent from my iPhone” should be kept at the bottom of emails from wireless devices. Some argued that it should be there, to alert the recipient that formatting issues or typos are a result of emailing on the go, while others said it should be removed, because it’s a dead giveaway to clients and colleagues that you’re not in the office.

~Kaitlin Madden

Why Aren’t Employers Calling Me Back?

You write a killer cover letter, tailor your résumé to highlight skills described in the job ad and double-check your application before sending to make sure it includes everything the company requested. All that is left to do is sit back and wait for the employer to contact you.

But as days turn into weeks without hearing a peep, questions arise. Did they get my material? Has the job been filled? Did they just not like me?

Here, experts weigh in on what might be behind that silence — and what you can do to get the conversation rolling.

The reality of the situation

Companies truly are glad that people want to work for them. Unfortunately, many places simply do not have the manpower to offer individualized responses.

“Given the volume of applications an HR office receives, you should not expect a response beyond an automated ‘we received your application’ unless they are interested in interviewing you,” says Pennell Locey, senior consultant for Keystone Associates, a career management consulting firm headquartered in Boston. “In the event there was no auto-response, you can send a note via snail mail to someone in HR along with your résumé to ensure that they received it.”

But is there anything one can do besides play the “wait and see” game?

“After submitting a job application, it is wise to follow up with a telephone call to the appropriate contact within a week to 10 days,” says Mary Massad, vice president of talent acquisition and retention strategies for Administaff, a professional employer organization headquartered in Houston, Texas. “Some individuals might feel that following up may be perceived as being pushy, but this actually demonstrates to the employer that you are conscientious, organized and professional.”

When following up, Massad recommends asking if the application was received and if any additional information is needed. (Of course, if they didn’t get your application, offer to send it again.) “It also is important to restate your interest in the job, but don’t be overzealous.”

Locey suggests trying to stand out from the masses by seeing if you can find a contact at the company who can single you out to the hiring manager and speak to your strengths. “That can be beneficial to you (you may get an interview) and to the company (finding a candidate who someone is willing to vouch for).”

The waiting game, part 2

Job seekers who are fortunate enough to generate employer interest may feel like their days of waiting are over. In truth, however, an interview (or even two or three) may simply usher in a new era of frustrating silence.

According to Locey, if you have interviewed with a company and not heard back within two weeks, chances are that one or more of the following is happening:

They are talking to several candidates and it is taking awhile to get them all scheduled.

They can’t get the interviewers together to discuss the candidates post interview.

You are not the first choice but are strong enough that they do not want to say “no” yet.

Having talked to several qualified people has changed the hiring manager’s view of the job and he is working behind the scenes to upgrade or shift the role.

“The best thing you can do is try to set some expectations during the interview about what the company’s process is,” says Tracy A. Cashman, partner and general manager of the information technology division of Winter, Wyman — one of the largest staffing firms in the Northeast. “Ask when you can expect to hear if you are selected for the next round. Take that date, add a few days to it and then don’t be afraid to politely follow up.”

Sending a thank-you note immediately after the interview can help set the stage for further contact. Follow-up strategies later in the game may include:

Sending an e-mail that reiterates interest and offers to provide any additional information.

Finding an article on a topic discussed during the interview and sending it with a note as a way to show you are thinking about the company.

Phoning the person who interviewed you to thank her again, to ask if there is an update on the position and to share anything you might have forgotten in the initial interview.

While employer silence is anything but golden to an eager applicant, stay positive by remembering that the day will come when the quietness will be broken by the sweet sound of a job offer!

Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter

After your Job Interview Follow up

But what is the proper protocol? Where do you go from here?

A good rule of thumb is to follow up 4-5 days after your interview and call or send an email to your interviewer. Keep the communication short and sweet. The goal here is the let the interviewer know that you are still interested in the job.

Here is an example of how the call or email should be worded:

"Hello Mr. Recruiter, this is Steve Jobs and I interviewed with you on Tuesday. I just wanted to touch base with you since I am still very interested in the Sales Associate Position at the Apple Store. Have you made a selection yet? When will you make a selection?"

Some occupations require a lot more follow up than others. For instance, someone who is applying for an outside sales role would be expected to follow up more than a human resources generalist.

If you continue to follow up and you do not get a response, this could the organizations way of getting the message across. Many organizations do not tell job seekers when they have made a selection, and if they are interested in you they have your number. In other cases, the organization will send you a mail by post.

If you have not already upgraded and want to take our Trial click
http://www.climber.com/url/t/HWRa6178541357 or call 1880-374-7113.

20,500 jobs lost across Georgia, NOT WITHOUT YOUR SIGNATURE!

Over the next 11 days, the President will ask Republicans to make a choice:

Set aside party politics — or risk 20,500 Georgia jobs.

Because if a budget agreement isn’t reached by next Friday, the government will shut down — and the President has made clear that the current plan as proposed by congressional Republicans is not acceptable.

The final budget cannot be dictated solely by one party or a narrow set of interests — it will affect every American.

That’s why true leadership means making tough choices and putting people before party or ideology.

And that’s the kind of leadership we need over the next 11 days.

The President is calling on both sides to come together, but it’s up to us to show Republicans in Congress that we have his back. As negotiations heat up, we all need to speak out to make sure they get the message.

Stand with the President by signing your name today — and OFA volunteers will deliver your signatures to House Republicans and make sure your voice is not ignored.

Congressional Republicans have less than two weeks to come to the table and help craft a responsible funding plan that won’t derail economic growth.

President Obama has laid out a plan that reduces the deficit by a trillion dollars. He’s committed to finding common ground to cut wasteful spending, but he won’t go along with a plan that eliminates nearly a million jobs, guts investments in education and innovation, and ends protections that keep our food safe and air and water clean.

We simply cannot afford any proposal that weakens our country or sets us back.

The Republican budget:

– Prevents the government from implementing health reform, rolling back critical patient protections and cost savings, and returning control of your health care to insurance companies;

– Slashes funding for preventive health services that millions of American women depend on through Planned Parenthood — and eliminates 2,200 community health center jobs across Georgia;

– Guts investments in education and infrastructure that will grow the economy and create jobs;

– Cuts Georgia homeland security investments by $2.3 million, hindering local law enforcement’s ability to keep our families safe; and

– Drops 5,693 Georgia children from Head Start, an early-education program proven to help students thrive later on.

And it could mean nearly 1 million American jobs lost — all without making a dent in the deficit.

With a shutdown looming, we’re approaching a critical moment that could quickly become a crisis.

Organizing for America will make sure Americans know that millions of people — from every district in this country — will be affected by these cuts.

And we’ll show lawmakers that we’re paying attention, we’re organizing, and we’re not going to stop. That we refuse to accept partisan games that could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs — or a government shutdown that puts our economy at risk.

Please add your name in support of the President today:

http://my.barackobama.com/Stand-Up-For-Jobs

WIA FUNDING WILL BE CUT—WILL YOU HELP US?

***WIA FUNDING will be cut-we need your help!!***
The skinny on the funding-Underemployed and Unemployed constituents that are receiving TANF, Food stamps, Unemployed benefits, are eligible to go to school and receive the funding. It pays for their training. Please click the links and ask to NOT CUT the funding. You need to submit to both links!
WIA info link.
Thank you,
On-Site Computer Training Staff

Worried because You’re Not a College Graduate?

By: Mauri Schwartz

When nearly all job postings are asking for a college degree, and even some for a master’s, what do you do if you don’t have one? The one thing that you do NOT want to do is to lie on your resume, about a degree or anything else. If you do, you will ultimately pay dearly for your dishonesty. But there is a way to lower your frustration level.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of positions that don’t require a college degree. Here’s how you can find them. In previous columns I’ve mentioned that my favorite job search site is Indeed.com. It isn’t an employment bulletin board, but rather a search engine for jobs that allows seekers to find positions posted on thousands of company career sites and job boards.

The simple search on Indeed.com’s home page lets you enter a job title or keywords plus a geographic location. However, using its advanced job search feature you can refine your search in several ways. Look for the phrase “Advanced Job search” in tiny letters just below the “Find Jobs” button on the right side of the screen and click on this link. On the subsequent page you’ll be given an array of options, such as job type – full-time, part-time, temporary; commute tolerance – distance between home and employer; salary; and age – how long the job has been posted (not your age!).

There are also options that allow you to get specific with your keyword search. You can specify an exact phrase, or look for certain words in the title. The choice you want is the one that allows you to exclude job descriptions with stated words in them. It’s called,”With none of these words.” Type these words into that box: degree ba bs. When you complete the search, the result will be a list of positions that don’t have these words in their requirements section. A few jobs may slip in for which the employer requires a degree but failed to include it in the job description. In general, however, you should be able to apply for these positions without getting screened out for not having a degree, as long as you’re otherwise qualified.

About the Author
Mauri Schwartz, President of Career Insiders, is a leading figure in the San Francisco Bay Area career management community. Career Insiders consults with companies and nonprofit organizations in the form of outplacement and hiring assistance, as well as with individual job seekers. In addition to her outstanding success rate in helping clients achieve their career goals, Mauri is a frequent speaker at conferences, job fairs, and career panels. She serves as Adjunct Advisor of Career Services at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. Mauri’s motivational style uses techniques that combine old fashioned interpersonal relationship building skills with the latest technological tools.

 

Have You Heard of Milton County-Atlanta?

Have you heard of Milton county?

If not, you soon will.  State lawmakers have introduced several bills which are all different versions of the same measure that calls for the division of Fulton county and the creation of Milton county.

Republicans argue the new county is needed because the growth of north Fulton has left its citizenry under-represented and overtaxed.  They also contend that there has been a track record of dysfunction and mismanagement in Fulton county that has cost taxpayers a lot of money, partly because Fulton county government is too big, unresponsive and poorly managed.

The new county would include the three new cities as well as Alpharetta, Roswell and Mountain Park to include a population of more than 310,000.

 

Democrats contend the move would be politically and racially divisive — Atlanta is majority black while north Fulton is predominantly white — and could sap vital financial resources from Atlanta and Fulton county.

“It’s a bad idea,” democratic state Sen. Vincent Fort has told reporters. “If Democrats can’t stop this, there’s no reason to have a Democratic Party in Georgia,” as reported in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

There is a strong push to stop the creation of Milton County and its potential effects.  A meeting will be held this week:

When:   Saturday, February 19, 2011

Where:  East Point Public Library

2757 Main St.

Atlanta, GA 30344

Time:    10:00am-12:00pm

Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves said Milton County proponents have misled North Fulton residents into thinking the new county will lower their property taxes and lead to providing better county services.

Click the link below to see video of Chairman John Eaves:

http://www.11alive.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=738233018001#/Milton%20County%20Deal/738233018001

A bit of history—

Georgia lost two counties in 1932 when Milton and Campbell counties were consolidated into Fulton as a cost-saving measure.  Milton County was absorbed into Fulton County as it was facing bankruptcy during the Great Depression.

Of the 180 member House, Republicans currently hold 112 seats (62% of the vote); only 8 votes shy of a two-thirds majority.

Of the 56 state Senate seats, Republicans currently hold 35 (also about 62% of the vote).  This leaves Democrats with 21 seats and Republicans short of two-thirds majority vote by only 2.

The measure must pass both chambers with a two-thirds vote.

Again, there is a strong movement to stop this by the many concerned citizens of the Atlanta metro area.  There will be a meeting held on this important issue this week:

When:   Saturday, February 19, 2011

Where:  East Point Public Library

2757 Main St.

Atlanta, GA 30344

Time:    10:00am-12:00pm