Four women forging new paths

This week is one for the history books, certainly one for this girl’s history book. Four women are breaking the chain of male domination by entering into the macho world of professional sports. If you haven’t been following the action then let me lay it out for you.
Last week Danica Patrick took the pole at the 2013 Dayton 500, in Florida. This alone is an amazing moment in our history and one that makes me euphoric. But add to that Lauren Silberman will become the first female to appear at the NFL 2013 regional combine in New Jersey next weekend March 2^nd-3^rd. Lauren was a club soccer player from the University of Wisconsin. Then to a screaming crowd in Anaheim California we witnessed the first women’s match at UFC 157, featuring Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche, ultimately won with a signature move from Ronda Rousey late in the first round.
All these women are moving mountains to get to where they are and in the processes bringing new fans to the field with them.
All this information is breaking the bank for this gal, frankly I’m in shock and awe and in complete euphoria that all I have been talking about to the women I mentor is coming into reality. You really can be anything you want to be. It is no longer a dream to enter successfully into the world of Non-traditional male dominated careers. Trust me ladies, these gals are looking at careers, not just showcasing events.

Cheers

Toni

Ladies and Gentlemen start your engines

Click here to see the: Yahoo Sports Story: Could Danica Patrick Win Daytona?

Photo By Terry Renna                                           Feb17, 2013

My take on this story.
Lets just assume that this young woman not only had the ability to take the pole (which she did) but that she also has the capacity to possibly win the Daytona 500 this coming Sunday. Racing fans will have the pleasure and thrill across this country and in the stands watching Ms. Patrick as she starts her engine, circles the track at a very high rate of speed and races toward the checkered flag. The pleasure all racing fans have each week in anticipation of the standard "Gentlemen Start Your Engines" but this time sitting on the pole will be our new national treasure, and with her goes the hope of all women in this country who are working hard to achieve prominence in their career choices and most certainly for those women working in non-traditional trades and fields.
To all these women we salute your ground breaking efforts and applaud the work you do everyday.
Women in Gear we love you!!!

Cheers

Toni

Danica Patrick, a Woman in Gear

Clearly this is a day for celebration, Danica Patrick has taken the pole in the 2013 Daytona 500, with a lap recording 196.43 MPH, she has made history by becoming the first female to take the pole in Sprint Cup racing, and this being just her second trip to Daytona in a Sprint Cup car.

Patrick drives the # 10 Chevrolet for Stewart-Hass Racing and she is somewhat of an up and coming favorite for all race fans. She not only appeals to the female race fans but to all of Sprint Cup racing fans, myself included. She has managed to win the hearts of all who watch her persistent and fiercely competitive nature on the race track as well as her down to earth approach to the sport of racing. She doesn’t see herself as a female driver she sees herself as a Sprint Cup Driver. “I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl,” Patrick said. “That was instilled in me from very young, from the beginning.

Her winning bid for the pole has inspired this racing fan to remember that she truly is an epic example of a Woman in Gear who inspires all young women to be the best at whatever they may choose to do. Her success only reminds us that there is opportunity wherever we choose it to be. And as she has said “I believe it reflects what's happening in all levels of our society. As these amazing success stories are detailed in the media, it will have an impact by helping create even greater opportunities for the next generation."

Danica Patrick you have stolen my heart today. Thanks!

Cheers,

Toni

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations to all the students who attended the Career Development Workshop yesterday. Your future career outlook is so bright and your involvment in the presentation yesterday was amazing. I admire your dedication to achieving the highest level of success in your lives. You are now the artist in charge of your professional futures, so go forth and "create your own path"

Remember: Be Organized-Do your Reasearch-Follow Through

Here is the link I promised all of you http://youtu.be/wMDSrn5mZ38 via the Women in Gear you tube channel and each of you will receive the Career Development Workshop presentation via email, as well as the templates.

Kudos to each of you for showing up, the best way to get ahead is to get started...

Cheers to you...

Toni Thomas

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Resume Writing 101

As I head into a busy week of training and I put together my one day workshop on career development I decided that with the buzz today on the struggles we face in this economy I want to address an issue I find crucial to today’s workforce.

Below is an article I picked up on Yahoo! hotjobs

Resume Writing 101

Simply put, a resume is an advertisement that makes the reader act and if your resume is well-written, the reader should want to interview you. So here are a few tips.

Keep It Simple

Employers want resumes that are simple to understand, especially when it comes to the skills needed to perform the job and employment history.

Be sure your resume clearly communicates that you possess the knowledge and experience needed to perform the job in question. Use the job description to tailor your resume to the position. Try to avoid industry jargon and geek words such as "facilitated" or "value-added" when describing your skills and experiences.

Your resume should also include your dates of employment. The absence of dates makes recruiters scrutinize your employment history even more closely.

Features vs. Benefits

Your resume should show how you can benefit an employer -- not just list your features and skills. Past performance is often an indicator of future performance.

Think about instances where you went above and beyond the call of duty. Look at past performance reviews to refresh your memory. Employers want the best employees, and your resume should reflect your value.

Truth in Advertising

You have to have done what you claim you have done on your resume.

Many employers today take steps to ensure that you have the background you claim. They have a wide variety of background checking tools at their disposal.

Background checks can include:

• Reference checks

• Credit checks

• Criminal background checks

• Past employment verification

• Education verification

• Social security number traces to verify identity

If you're dishonest in the hiring process, odds are that you'll be caught. Rather than waste the employers time -- and your time -- be truthful on your resume. It's not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing.

It Takes Two

You can't create a strong resume alone. Everyone needs help, so do your research, get some assistance then let a fresh eye review your work.

Don't rely on automatic spelling and grammar checking programs. You need to find an editor you trust. If no one in your immediate circle of family or friends can help, try other resources. Yahoo! HotJobs and Monster offer valuable resume tips and advice. Monster has many great tools so use them. Also remember your local workforce development center or employment center can help you with mountains of tools to get your resume looking simple and spectacular.

Staff at your state's employment development office may be available to review your resume. Staffing agency recruiters may also volunteer to help you. Writing an effective resume requires practice and feedback. But once you get the basics down, interviews are sure to follow.

Every word on your resume counts in today's competitive job market. But some words count more than others -- especially those that refer to soft skills.

“Soft Skills” are increasingly important in the workplace. In fact, 86 percent of employers considered soft skills to be among their most important hiring criteria in a recent survey conducted by a University of Massachusetts economist.

'Teamwork'

Teamwork is more important than ever in the workplace. The ability to work well with others to accomplish a common goal is vital for a harmonious workplace.

'Flexibility'

Employers value workers who are flexible and able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In other words, it's sometimes just as important to be a jack-of-all-trades as a master of one.

'Detail-Oriented'

Employers want to know that they can trust workers to handle a project down to the last detail.Bei ng "detail-oriented" means being organized and meticulous about your work, it also implies that you can work without constant supervision and act accordingly.

'Self-Motivated'

Employers value employees who are self-starters. These workers can generate their own ideas and follow them through to fruition. A self-motivated worker goes the extra mile. She regularly takes on tasks that may not be part of her job description. She's inspired to work hard not just to reap rewards but also for personal satisfaction.

Enjoy the thrill and satisfaction of putting your professional life on paper.

The Milestones of Success

My husband said something to me recently ”It’s not about getting to the end but the milestones in between that makes a life of success”.  This conversation made me wonder what is a great success or achievement?  Would we recognize it when it happened? Would we feel a moment of suspended shock or get more pizazz in our step or would we pass it off as a small step to a bigger and better goal?

Of course even though we all know we achieve a lot of our goals, inside ourselves we still strive for that one great success, yet even if we have it or achieve it we don’t really recognize it. We are continually lying in wait for success to arrive. I think we as individuals have a tendency to look back and appreciate but never really live within the moment of success, give kudos to ourselves and say “today I accomplished a milestone and I’m proud of this moment”.  We rarely live in the moment of our successes we have a tendency to move quickly to the next objective. This I believe is our human nature, the inability to recognize and spot our own accomplishments and achievements. We tend to reflect later on down the road and do a self-review before we see our accomplished milestones, we as human strivers have little ability to enjoy and appreciate the everyday endeavors or even celebrate the triumphs of goals realized upon completion. We are more apt to notice our accomplishments when someone else points them out or when we are unexpectedly receiving an award or a sudden hand shake and a strong pat on the back with a ”Way to go that was a fantastic presentation, I think we have that all wrapped up”.

A runner knows when he has reached his milestone with each mile he puts under his feet, each medal he has won or each Marathon he has completed. Most athletes have a starting and stopping point consequently he can see the challenge and meet the goal. So appreciating that moment of satisfaction of a job well done is much easier for athletes to enjoy and certainly a recognized success has been reached.

Business accomplishments are much harder to spot and ultimately personal accomplishments are even harder to determine. So how do we go about spotting those elusive successes that each and every one of us achieves in our personal and professional lives?   The only way to see the outcomes in our accomplishments is to determine our statement of work and the goals that go along with it. Then once these goals are achieved we can have our moments of personal celebration of each and every one of our successes. You are the determining factor of your own personal success so go out and observe your life in the moment. Give thanks and appreciation to yourself for goals accomplished and remember it’s not about getting to the end but the milestones in between that makes a life of success.

Follow your dreams they know the way

I had the pleasure of teaching my first class of 2013 last night. What an amazing thrill it is to be back in the training seat, sharing knowledge and sharing in the early stages of those on the cusp of new beginnings and long term success.
We left the evening with an assignment to jot down a personal one to two line Mission Statement. Have you ever had to tackle this seemingly easy task? Let me tell you what might appear to be an easy task is never what it seems. Yet in reality it is the beginning portal into the window of self-discovery. The place where you discover your life has purpose and greater meaning, your journey to a personal place you never even knew existed.
So I challenge all of you out there who are seeking self-knowledge. It starts with your personal mission statement. So put pen to paper you just might discover things you never knew about yourself.

Cheers!

A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company, organization or person, its reason for existing.
The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated."
Wikipedia

Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Today

 “If you want to be in control of your life, of your wins and losses, successes and failures, which are, your life! Then it boils down to making long term plans, making a to-do list, then doing it: one step at a time, one day at a time; time after time, day after day. Only through the long term implementation of good planning with a great Statement of Work can you achieve difficult and wonderful things purposefully in your life”.

Toni Thomas

Thoughts

After two years of blogging I have finally decided that not all blogs need to have profound statements. Blogging is after all just my thoughts, ideas and inspiring words and pictures. Going forward into 2013 this page will be dedicated to just blogging from the hip and the heart and trying to connect my readers to resources while providing a window for inspiration. I am looking forward to sharing stories, resources and ideas. Here is today's inspirational picture.

Cheers!