Fortify Your Fermentation Skills

UC San Diego Extension is teaming up with UC San Diego’s Center for Continuing Education in Biological Sciences to provide a three day workshop on microbial fermentation this August.
Participants will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the bioreactor processes of microbial fermentation through exploring bioprocess simulation and using the latest techniques in applying process analytical technology in manufacturing.

This workshop is aimed towards professionals with fundamental experience in fermentation and will help them to optimize their processes and gain practical skills using modern technology and applications.

Some knowledge in molecular and cellular biology, chemistry and biochemistry is recommended, as the class will cover the processes of bioreactor operations in depth.
The workshop is intended to improve participants’ problem solving skills, through planning and analyzing their experimental design process and modeling the bioprocesses within bioreactors and microbial cell systems.
Instructors of the course include two professors from UC San Diego, James Golden, Ph.D., professor of Molecular Biology and Pao Chau, Ph. D., professor of Chemical Engineering, as well as Michael Fino of Mira Costa College’s Biological Sciences Department and Michelle O’Malley,Ph. D., assistant professor of Chemical engineering at UC Santa Barbara.
The workshop will be held from 8am to 5pm on August 21 through 23 on the main campus of UC San Diego.
Save ten percent on enrollment by enrolling before June 21! For more information on the course and registration, click here.

How Lean Six Sigma Black Belts Are Saving Thousands

A few months ago, Ric Van Der Linden, instructor of UC San Diego’s Six Sigma Black Belt program, explained how Lean and Six Sigma are bringing speed and accuracy to process improvement at many companies today.

Students in Ric’s class are bringing significant savings to their companies as well. This is why students—and their bosses—are loving the program.

We talked to a recent Lean Six Sigma Black Belt graduate, Anthony Stephenson, about how the program has helped him and his company save a projected one million dollars.

Why did you enroll in the Lean Six Sigma Program?
For about four years, I was managing small commercial programs that were less than two million dollars at Northrop Grumman that were simply not a challenge. I wanted to grow and take on more responsibility, so I applied for the Manufacturing Manager position and got the job. Now I am responsible for over 50 million dollars and a department of more than 30 people. I decided to take the class after attending an info session and saw that I could use the training in my new position.

What was your experience during the program?
I learned all sorts of Lean Six Sigma tools and methodologies that I could easily apply on the job. Tools like 5S+1, Gage R&R, Value Stream Maps, Spaghetti Diagrams, Control Charts, Mistake Proofing, and Team Building. These are just a few valuable offerings that were easy to implement, but they delivered huge results. One of my best experiences was watching one of Ric’s videos and realizing that low inventory, high quality, and high throughput are three keys to success in manufacturing operations. 

How was the program beneficial to you and your company?
The program has allowed me to remove the blindfold and see that waste exists throughout my organization. Now I see opportunities for improvement everywhere. It gave me the tools necessary to remove waste and invoke the five lean principles of value, value stream, flow, pull, and pursuit of perfection in manufacturing. This class also made me realize the importance of keeping score using key performance indicators of first pass yields, cost, and schedule. I am on track to save my company one million dollars within the next few months.

UCSD Extension’s 12-week Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program provides students with in-depth knowledge on best practices, along with a hands-on group project that gives students the experience to become a Lean Six Sigma leader in their organizations. Classroom lectures and projects are organized to allow structured implementation of a project, resulting in a minimum projected ROI of $100K.

Training for Six Sigma is provided through a belt-based training system similar to Karate. There are several different belts/levels including white, yellow, green, black, and master black, each playing a crucial role in the implementation of a process improvement project.

Now accepting fall applications.

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt starts September 13th.

Apply now

 

Lean Enterprise starts September 5th.

Apply now

 

 
For additional information contact Angela Cook at (858) 534-8133 or a9cook@ucsd.edu

How to Deal with Your Bad Boss

A study conducted by Tellyourboss.com reported that only 36% of Americans are happy with their job. 65% percent of those unhappy at work blame their boss, saying a change in management would improve their work situation, while the other 35% would choose a pay raise to better enjoy, or endure, their employment.

“Unfortunately for most of us, we have, or will have at some point, a difficult boss,” says author Beverly Flaxington.

According to a Gallup poll, 75 percent of all turnovers are influenced by managers — that is, a bad boss is often the tipping point in an employee’s decision to leave.

“Instead of leaping to another job hoping that the next one will be better, it’s important to develop managing-up skills,
says Flaxington. “The more you learn to manage up, the more successful you will be wherever you are and whatever you’re doing.”

Flaxington, a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, is the author of five business books, including her latest, “Make Your SHIFT: The Five Most Powerful Moves You Can Make to Get Where YOU Want to Go.”

Here are four tips from Flaxington for managing your boss, without the boss knowing you’re doing it.

1. Match your behavioral style to hers. Observe your boss’s behavioral and communication style. Is she fast-paced and quick to make decisions? Is she slow to think about things and wants time to process? The more you can match your style to your boss’s style when communicating, the more she will really hear what you’re saying.

2. Think about his “what’s in it for me?” Every time you approach your boss, try to imagine what he cares about. What do you know about the view from his seat? Can you frame comments in a way that make him feel that what you’re proposing or doing benefits him?

3. Be a proactive communicator. Find out your boss’s preferred method — email, in person drop-ins, or lengthy memos — and be sure to pass along information to her regularly. Most bosses don’t like to be caught unawares. Even if your boss doesn’t ask it of you, tell her what’s going on — keep her updated.

4. Accommodate the weaknesses. If you know you have a boss who’s disorganized, instead of grousing about it, help him to be on top of things. If you know your boss is often late to meetings, offer to kick off the next meeting for him. If you know your boss is slow to respond, continue to work on a project while you wait to hear back from him. Will you be hiding your boss and enabling bad behavior? Maybe, but you’re also giving much-needed support to succeed.

Remember, too many times people will start to slack off or stop performing well because of a bad boss. Don’t do it. Keep your mind focused on top performance.

See what other tips for managing your career are available at The Career Channel.

Healthcare has the Remedy for Unemployment

5.6 million equals

a. the number of unemployed people in the European Union under the age of 25

b. the most recent number of people in the UK that watch “The Voice”

c. the number of new healthcare jobs expected to be created in the U.S. healthcare industry by 2020

d. all of the above

If you think d is the correct answer, you are right.

In the past few years, the healthcare industry has grown twice as fast as the national economy. The Bureau of  Labor Statistics predicts that the healthcare and social assistance sector will increase by three percent each year, creating more new jobs by 2020 than any other industry.

Furthermore, U.S. News and World Report states that jobs in health care and technology dominate the rankings for the best jobs in 2013.

As most of these jobs require special training, local universities are approved providers for health care and many other “education to career” funding programs through San Diego Workforce Partnership, Military Spouse, and Veterans benefits. And some of these programs will qualify students to enter the health care field in as little as six months!

UC San Diego Extension, SDSU’s College of Extended Studies, and Extended Learning at Cal State University San Marcos offer hands-on classes that teach practical skills, and are scheduled for working adults and taught by industry experts. Most courses are offered online, giving students 24/7 access to their classes.

For example Linda Weygandt, who works at a San Diego-area hospital, helped get her foot in the door by taking the EKG Technician Certification program through SDSU.

“I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone,” she said. “I even tell a lot of nurses, ‘You should take this class. You could actually afford it.’”

SDSU prepares individuals for health care occupations through such courses as clinical medical assistant, medical billing and coding + medical terminology, electronic health record management, EKG technician certification, ECG/EKG for nurses, and dialysis technician. Check out this video about their medical billing and coding program.

Similarly, UC San Diego Extension offers a healthcare information technology certificate to bring students up to date on the latest implemented technology in healthcare record keeping and coding, as well as the hospital coding specialist certificate and the outpatient coding program.

UC San Diego Extension also offers more niche healthcare certification programs such as the growing lactation consultant program and the alcohol and drug abuse counseling certificate.

In response to a regional work place need for individuals who are trained in nursing, the Master of Science in Nursing through Extended Learning at Cal State University San Marcos is now accepting applications for 2013. The graduate program builds on the knowledge gained at the bachelor’s degree level and promotes nursing scholarship at the local, state, national and international level through research, service and practice.

For more information visit www.csusm.edu/el/degreeprograms/msn/.

UC San Diego Extension has programs intended to build upon established careers in the medical field as well. The wide ranging clinical trials and research programs have recently gained international attention through the clinical trials in Latin America workshop.

See what other industries are teaming with new positions on the Career Channel.

Beer Buzz on Fox 5 San Diego

UC San Diego Extension‘s new brewing certificate is making headlines!

Fox 5 News reported that the growing brewing business in San Diego is calling for more skilled workers as the science behind the industry gains more recognition.

The 18-24 month program offered at UC San Diego is a thorough package of courses to prepare a student for a job in the brewing industry, with classes on brewing, marketing, and even an internship for hands on experience. The program at UC San Diego is as competitive as the craft brew scene, says Fox 5, and San Diego State University has also begun offering a craft brewing certificate as well.

Check out the whole story and video here.

And don’t miss this opportunity to make beer your career!

Make Beer Your Business and Pleasure

In San Diego, new breweries are opening left and right, with a rumor of nearly 100 to be opened by the end of the year.

In 2011, the last year with complete data, the economic impact of the industry within San Diego County was $299.5 million (in wages contracts and capital expenses), according to a study performed by Vince Vasquez, a senior policy analyst at National University. The study also found that the brewing industry’s sales for that year added up to $680.8 million.

These establishments employed a total of 1,630 people in 2011, and since then 33 more licenses have been issued for new craft breweries in the county, making that current number even higher.

As the industry expands, Ballast Point brewer and co-founder Yuseff Cherney says the job market is there and he himself expanded his brewery by adding 30-40 employees just this year.

But being passionate about high quality beer comes standard in this industry and more tangible experience might be needed to land the job.  Lost Abbey brewer Tomme Arthur says that before the market got so competitive, many brewers got started by successfully brewing their own beer at home. “Now that the business of beer is getting so big, a lot of people are looking to schools and technical proficiencies,” Arthur says.

“A lot of us in the brewing industry today looking at the current boom of new entrants are both excited and maybe just a little bit cautious,” says Stone Brewing founder Greg Koch. “We’re hoping that the new entrants into the brewing industry are as careful and methodical as they should be when introducing their beers and about their beer quality and the beer stability.”

This summer UC San Diego Extension will begin offering a Brewing Certificate designed to teach students everything they need to know about engineering, chemistry, microbiology, physics, and business in respect to the brewing process and industry. As lead instructor, Cherney is assembling a team of local brewers and professionals to pass on their knowledge so that graduating “brewers [will] be able to go into the workforce and have some credentials and have some knowledge of the industry,” Cherney says. “Now that there are so many breweries and so many positions in San Diego, it will help people to have that degree behind them.”

Hear leading local brewers, like Cherney and Koch,  discuss the prospects of available jobs in the brewing industry and the prospects of the industry itself, in “Is Beer in Your Career?” a panel discussion partially celebrating San Diego History center’s new exhibit Bottled and Kegged: San Diego’s Craft Brew Culture.

Want more from inside the brewing industry? Watch this video featuring Koch.

Don’t forget to check out more tips on hot new careers from The Career Channel.

Smile for What it’s Worth

Don’t underestimate the value of a smile. Literally.

A study of recent MBA graduates found that optimistic people get hired more quickly than their less-optimistic peers. Plus happy workers were more likely to get promoted.

Whether at work or in your personal life, wouldn’t you rather deal with happy people than unhappy people? The notion is quite universal. Even pessimists prefer optimists.

Vicky Oliver’s latest book, “The Millionaire’s Handbook”

“Being happy on the job improves your reputation,” says author Vicky Oliver. “Optimism also makes you more resilient, able to adapt to new situations, and solve problems faster. Happy employees get better feedback from bosses and peers. And they enjoy more job satisfaction because work doesn’t feel boring, difficult, or unpleasant.”

Oliver, an image consultant in Manhattan, is the author of five bestselling books on personal branding, etiquette, and career development, including her latest, “The Millionaire’s Handbook: How to Look and Act Like a Millionaire Even If You’re Not.”

In this video, another happiness professional, Gretchen Rubin, gives advice on how she, and you, can find contentment in everyday life.

Here are four tips from Oliver on how to put on a happy face at work and smile all the way to the bank:

1. Wear your “rose colored glasses” to work. For every disappointment, find a lesson. Try to see a positive aspect in situations that don’t turn out the way you intend. For example, maybe you didn’t get the job, but you got your foot in the door at the company, making it easier to go back next time. Maybe you didn’t talk to the most important person at the cocktail party, but you talked to the second most important person.

2. Pepper your language with upbeat words and phrases. Words have a powerful, subliminal effect on others’ moods and impressions. Bosses and coworkers love dealing with pleasant, positive people. It’s easy to jazz up routine exchanges by adding words that convey a happy mood and upbeat energy. So, “I’d be delighted to” is much better than “Sure.”

3. Give yourself a daily pep talk. Write down 10 statements you’d tell your best friend if she suffered a career setback. For example, “You did the best you could,” or “Mistakes are great ways to learn.” When you don’t get the praise you deserve from an irascible boss, tell yourself, “That’s his problem, not mine.”

4. If you feel a complaint coming on, zip it. Complaining makes you feel worse, and it makes others around you feel worse too. Just as happiness is contagious, so is negativity. If you can’t figure out a way to say something constructive about a problem or challenge, then keep quiet. People who act positive are perceived as being positive.

Despite what you’re feeling, in the end just acting cheerful in the face of challenges will do great things for your career and professional reputation.

 

Would you Like a Certificate with that Wine?

San Diego has become the craft brew capital of the state with over 50 licensed breweries in the county, which is more than twice the number in the second highest county, Los Angeles. And it doesn’t stop there, 33 more licenses have been issued since that data was collected in 2011.

As San Diego’s craft beer business is brewing,  new opportunities are created for beer lovers, beer brewers, and entrepreneurs alike. UC San Diego Extension offers a way to make beer your business and pleasure with the new brewing certificate.

Do you try to keep your alcohol consumption classy? If you prefer wine over beer, then SDSU has the certificate for you.

Even before Jesus turned water into wine, wine has been a favored beverage among bacchanalian partiers and lonely, single women alike. 2,000 years later, wine is still increasingly popular in the United States.

According to Time Magazine, the U.S. now comprises the biggest chunk of the global wine market, drinking 13 percent of the world’s wine.

With successful books and award winning movies like “Sideways,” the story of two men’s week-long road trip to the Santa Barbara wine country, the culture of wine making is becoming mainstream. As the love of this potent potable is more widespread now than ever, there is certainly a need for more workers in the U.S. wine industry.

If you’re looking to make the transition from wino to sommelier, SDSU offers the Professional Certificate in the Business of Wine program through its College of Extended Studies that has helped numerous students find jobs in the wine industry.

Eddie Zavestoski was just out of college when he decided to be adventuresome and take the SDSU Business of Wine certificate program. Little did he know that it would lead to him becoming a tasting room sales lead in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where he attributes his career to the extended studies wine program.

“The certificate program instructors work in the business and are very knowledgeable,” Zavestoski said. “They are very willing to answer questions. They make sure everything is clear.”

Some of the Business of Wine students have taken the program for pleasure, but then had it lead to a profitable career in the industry.

“Many of my students have gone on to start their own business,” says the aptly named instructor Lisa Redwine, the second woman in San Diego County to become an advanced sommelier, which is the second-highest distinction possible by the Court of Sommeliers.

The comprehensive certificate courses are geared for professionals and entrepreneurs in the wine, food, and hospitality fields who want to quickly expand their knowledge of wine topics. The certificate is directed to restaurant owners and staff, winery employees, event planners, distribution and retail sales employees, wine bar owners and staff, anyone interested in moving into wine or hospitality careers, and wine enthusiasts who desire a professional-level education.

“Employers in the wine industry prefer to interview job candidates who possess a solid understanding of the basics within their field,” said Joe Shapiro, dean of SDSU’s College of Extended Studies.

For more information, visit www.neverstoplearning.net/wine.

America’s Top Career Coach to Speak at June 8 UC San Diego Career Boost Camp

By Henry DeVries

Understanding your personal brand is the key to boosting your career, according to America’s top career coach, who is coming to UC San Diego on June 8 to speak at the second annual Career Boost Camp, part of the fifth annual Alumni Weekend, June 6-9.

“Your career identity is not some slick piece of advertising,” says best-selling career author Robin Ryan.  “Your career identity is based on the authentic, talented, and genuinely unique and special person you are. It is not phony and conceited, or an exaggeration, nor is it a trick or fleeting fad.”

Ryan is the keynote speaker at the Career Boost Camp sponsored by the UC San Diego Alumni and Extension at 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8 at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management. Registration is $25 per person and open to the general community. Your registration includes breakfast and a raffle ticket for career help books, workshops and Extension classes (http://alumni.ucsd.edu/careerboost). Parking is free.

CBS Radio says “Robin Ryan is the leading job search expert in America today.” Ryan has appeared on “Oprah,” “Dr. Phil” and more than 1,500 other TV and radio shows. She is the best-selling author of seven books including “What to Do with the Rest of Your Life,” “Over 40 & You’re Hired,” “Winning Cover Letters” and “60 Seconds & You’re Hired!”

Ryan has a successful national career-counseling practice providing individual career coaching, resume writing services, interview preparation and salary negotiation consulting to clients nationwide. A dynamic national speaker, Ryan frequently teaches audiences how to improve their lives and obtain greater success. She has been featured on NBC News, PBS, CNN, NPR and in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

“I recommend you give yourself a gift if you care about career advancement,” says Ryan. “No matter what stage you are at in your career  —  the beginning, middle, or senior level, or if you are changing careers or reinventing yourself — you need to give yourself a game plan for your future. Then you will know how to self-promote and market yourself successfully to become the very best you can be.”

The program begins with Ryan’s talk based on her book “60 Seconds & You’re Hired!” The event is also great for networking. A panel of entrepreneurs and UC San Diego alumni will share their career identities and journeys to building successful businesses. Alumni scheduled to appear are: Kalman Chodakiewitz, co-founder and CEO of Cuttle.com; Giola Messinger, founder and CEO of LinkedObjects Inc.; Drew Spaventa, a member of the founding team at ecoATM; and Lisa Gordon, small business ambassador for the City of San Diego.

Finding a Sustainable Career

Sustainability is about the preservation of resources today in order to meet current needs and the needs of future generations, or in other words “the capacity to endure.” For businesses, sustainability means respecting the environment while maintaining commercial success. Individuals with a passion for green initiatives often seek jobs in sustainability but do not know where to start.  Often times, sustainability roles are created by an individual already working with an organization, as they work towards implementing various sustainable initiatives.

Last month at UC San Diego Extension’s Career Week, Bob Gilleskie,  Andrea Cook, and Erin Koch, local sustainability executives and UC San Diego Extension program advisors/instructors, outlined various paths to becoming a professional in sustainability. Some of the helpful tips discussed included to.

• Get connected. Most jobs are found through family, friends, and existing professional acquaintances. Go to networking mixers, join professional associations, and attend industry events.
• Volunteer. Ask to volunteer with an organization that you want to work with or get experience through the many nonprofit, conservation, or environmental organizations that need volunteers and/or board members.
• Find a mentor. Your mentor could be someone in a particular job you would like to have or a seasoned sustainability professional. Ask educated questions about their journey and advice on how to achieve your short term and long term goals.
• Refine your resume. Make sure your resume and cover letters are accurate, up to date, and without errors.  Also, revise your resume and cover letter so it speaks to each individual company’s values and their current priorities.
• Do your homework. Investigate and ask yourself necessary questions before applying to a job or attempting to create a sustainability role. What is the organizations approach to sustainability? Do your skills match their needs?
• Write it out. If writing is one of your strengths, start a blog about a topic in sustainability that you are interested in, and get your name out there.
• Learn. Get continuing education. Learn sustainability fundamentals and keep up-to-date on emerging trends.
• Take initiative. Start sustainability initiatives in your current workplace and document them.  If your company leaders see the value of what you implement, they may create a sustainability role for you to keep it going.
• Make a match. Many companies are becoming more socially responsible. You can incorporate your previous experience into a role involving sustainability. Enter a company you want to work for in a “normal” job and then find a way to incorporate sustainable practices into your particular role.
• Be patient. Although sustainability is viewed as a good thing, not all companies are open to incorporating sustainable practices into their operations. It may take a few positions to get to where you want to be, but your effort and time will be worth the wait.

All in all, there’s no golden ticket to landing a sustainability job.  It’s a balanced, multi-pronged approach just as in any job search in any industry. The world of work has changed and individuals need to assume full responsibility for managing their own portfolio of knowledge, experience, interests and skills.

If you’re looking for guidance in your job search or need help identifying your next steps, UC San Diego Extension’s Life/Work Center can be a useful resource. Quarterly workshops and career coaching are available by appointment.

To gain a solid foundation in sustainability principles and applications in today’s business world, the Sustainable Business Practices certificate will provide you with the skills necessary to become a sustainability professional. Learn more at extension.ucsd.edu/sustainable.