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In July 2009 I started working as classroom computer trainer and implementation support specialist. The product - a software program designed to manage welfare cases. I spent 9 weeks training on the program, and then alternated 8 weeks of classroom training for county staff, and 4-8 weeks of implementation support, including troubleshooting and over the shoulder instruction. I enjoyed the variety of this work, as well as working in a social services environment. The downside is that it was slated to end in the spring. In May I started working as a temporary Eligibility Worker in Marin County, a position that will last until November, 2010. I would be happy to continue in this field, or supporting social services.
Since I am currently gainfully employed, I have halted my active job search. However, I am still seeking a permanent position.
Here are directions I am interested in:
Another culture that I enjoy is that of the UC system. I would like to work there again. To that end I continue to apply for jobs there.
Both times I got jobs in the UC system I submitted my resume, and then figured out who the hiring manager is. Sometimes I went through the department HR representative (who have generally been forthcoming) and sometimes I took the job description to someone listed as a liaison for the position, and used that to uncover the hiring manager. In both cases, my leg work paid off: the first position I held for 4 years, managing a $2.5M/year Breast Cancer research grant. The other was as a manager at Cal, where I managed 14 staff members, and discovered methods to cut operating costs in half. Consistent with UC culture, I managed by consensus; and true to my goal-oriented nature, got things done within the cumbersome UC bureaucracy.
I want to continue developing my skills in Performance Improvement, and use them to improve how organizations do business.
When I realized the real estate market would no longer support our current business model, I started exploring my options. This included online searching and over 20 informational interviews. My conclusion is that I want to coordinate the efforts of professionals involved with "performance improvement." This includes improving the people (usually addressed by Training and Development), the work processes (addressed by fields such as six sigma, lean, etc.), and the environment (usually addressed by the field of Organizational Development).
ISPI calls this Human Performance Technology, and has an experience-based certification process that is called "Certified Performance Technologist." I participated in a workshop, where for 3 days we learned basic tools and exercised using them on case studies.
In exploring an appropriate educational background I came up short. I have not yet found an academic program that would give me a solid background for this. An MBA would be helpful in that it would allow me to speak the language of MBAs, and address the bottom line; a masters in Organizational Development would contribute; and there are a multitude of six sigma and similar programs. But I have yet to find a program that addresses the integration of all these techniques and approaches.
Now that I will be making a living in Social Services over the next few years, once my life stabilizes (which might take some time), I will go back to deciding whether to develop my own program - consisting of some theoretical courses, some applied courses, and a hefty reading list - or start working on a multi-disciplinary education.
My dream is to develop a program that helps emancipated foster youth form support systems that will serve the roll that extended family and family friends serve for most of us. I would like to engage "mainstream" or "middle class" people who are involved in different communities - former CASAs, job seekers, church and community organizations - in helping with individual tasks, with the hope that some of these relationships will evolve into lifelong connections. Also, I would like to work with youth to discover what their network consists of, so we can supplement it to cover all their needs.
I have developed a concept of what this might look like, and I am studying what is available, and what
additional programs would be helpful. I am trying to get as many perspectives
as possible (feel free to email me to
discuss). Right now it looks like an area of need is to provide experiences with hobbies
and other activities, things adults do with their time other than TV and un-healthy activities, and places where people
find friends and community.
My vision is that some of the volunteers providing a one-time experience will have chemistry with some of the young adults
they interact with, and this might lead to longer relationships. Ultimately, the goal is to allow each young adult to
create permanency pacts with multiple adults of their
choosing to cover a variety of supports.
Renaissance Soul is a term coined by Margaret Lobenstine and "scanner" is a term coined by Barbara Sher to
describe people who have an insatiable curiosity, love to learn and do new things, and seem to be "jumping"
from one thing to another. This goes along with an extraordinary propensity for learning and modifying your world
view. Barbara Sher describes many subtypes, and through reading her book "Refuse to Choose" I have identified
myself as a "Plate Spinner" and a "Wanderer." As a plate spinner I have multiple interests and I keep coming back to them, keeping all the “plates” in the air
simultaneously. The most clear manifestation of this is that I am currently involved in learning a new job, have a
quest to chart an educational path to my ultimate career (the one I will have when I grow up) on hold, and
of course I have been knitting, working on many different projects, and even occasionally finishing one.
I still participate in weekly Israeli Folk dancing when I am in the Bay Area, and this weekend I may usher at the
Aurora Theatre, or any of a number of film festivals. Studying to read torah (the scroll has
neither vowels, nor punctuation, so you have to memorize the music), and going to West coast
Live are currently on hold, as is networking. Did I mention I have been enjoying
spending time with my two teens? Being a Wanderer is about being interested in a specific aspect of everything. For me it is: what is the challenge?
So, for instance, I discovered that the challenge in sign language is developing the dexterity to move your
hands fast enough to be fluent. I just discovered that you can have an accent in sign language, too, which
I think is fascinating. While I am not interested in mastering sign language, when it relates to business
and people, I tend to be interested in possible solutions, all the way through implementation. When I
performed a traditional job analysis for the Educational Director at my synagogue, and discovered that the
position includes 130% effort, using 3 distinct skills sets - educational, managerial and administrative -
my immediate reaction was to try to carve it up so that we could end up with manageable effort, for which
we could find a mere mortal who could successfully perform the 100% position we could afford. I am interested in business and management. After I completed my masters in Biochemistry, when my son was still
a newborn, I took some Open University classes. I thought that one day I might pursue a business degree.
I was fascinated by the quantification of human, emotional activities (such as shopping) in Microeconomics,
and learned things in Social Psychology that I still use today. I looked for work managing staff but
was probably too young and inexperienced. After 4 years at UCSF, I was hired at a medical device startup.
I started thinking about the field of decision making – which I learned about from a Stanford project in
patient decision making regarding their care at the Breast Care Center at UCSF – as it pertained to clinical
research in medical device startups and pharmaceutical companies. My second position at a medical device
company focused on introducing compliance with international standards into existing research studies; the
5 direct reports, medical and psychology students, were mentioned during the interview as an aside. I
worked at creating a team using team building exercises and excursions, and continued to use those skills
in my position at UC Berkeley. I enjoyed team building and coaching my employees; but I also enjoyed
figuring out how to make the operations work better for everyone. This led to my recent exploration of Management Consulting, Organizational Development and Performance Improvement,
another facet of business. While each of these terms has different meanings to different people, I have
found at least one for each that resonates with what I would like to do. In conclusion, almost any topic can pique my interest. Once I understand what the challenges are, I address them
with skills I enjoy using. And for me, that is the essence of being a scanner. I have taken a position in Social Services - an opportunity to merge my interest in people, and my propensity
to master rules-driven programs. I am excited about learning something completely new, and helping
both clients and my co-workers, as part of my job will include helping my co-workers with the software I trained. Whether you need a modest web presence or new
content on your existing web site, Seri will do it promptly and at a reasonable price.
Seri has built websites from scratch, and updated web sites written by others. Choose between a one-time revision and periodic updates.
Renaissance Soul
or
Scanner: Plate spinner and Wanderer
Design coordination, floor plan consulting and project manager (construction). Design and project management from beginning to end provided for:
Knitting is my passion. I have a varied curriculum, or I can tailor
a class to your needs.
I currently work at Yarn Boutique in Lafayette, as well
as offering classes through the Moraga Parks and Recreation Department (see their
spring programs to be published
in December, 2007).