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.

 

Military Transition: Building a Career in Facilities Management

San Diego is a robust military city inhabited by both active-duty military personnel and military veterans. One of the greatest obstacles veterans face is the transition of skills learned while serving in the military into successful careers as civilians. However, the experience and training gained in the military can be absolutely invaluable to many employers—especially in certain fields and industries.

The Facilities Management field is a great fit for military personnel in transition.  For example, there are parallels between military experience and the construction field, including the design, building, maintenance, and improvement of military infrastructures, power plants, roads, docks and bridges.  In addition to hands-on facilities training, military personnel often possess leadership and problem-solving skills essential to success in the field. Facilities Management involves the coordination of physical infrastructure, space, people and organizations. Facility managers work in business locations ranging from offices buildings to hospitals to sports arenas.

Now is a great time to consider a career in Facilities Management; this is a field that is rapidly evolving, and new roles are constantly being created. Buildings have become increasingly more technologically complex, and the pressure to create more sustainable facilities has led to an increase in demand for highly-skilled workers to cover new and changing responsibilities. These responsibilities can include: designing office layouts for maximum productivity, understanding safety and health regulations, creating systems within buildings such as cooling and heating, implementing sustainable practices, emergency preparation, contractor selection, and finding less expensive ways to run facility operations.

Salaries of a Facilities Manager are dependent on a variety of factors, including the size of the facility, the type of building, and the budget of the organization.  According to salary.com, median salaries are over $80,000.

UC San Diego Extension offers a certificate in Facilities Management that complements the hands-on training many receive while serving in the military. Learn more about the certificate and how it could help advance your career at extension.ucsd.edu/facilities.

San Diego’s Unemployment Lowers, Economic Outlook Rises

Last week, the Employment Development Department reported that San Diego County’s unemployment rate fell to 8 percent, the lowest rate since December 2008, when it was at 7.4 percent. Data show that county businesses added a total of 31,400 employees in the past 12 months. California is seeing a decreased unemployment rate along with the majority of the nation—including 37 other states, Puerto Rico and D.C.  In the past year, California employers added 293,000 payroll jobs and had a job growth rate of 2.1 percent, higher than the nation’s 1.5 percent job growth rate.

California’s unemployment fluctuates greatly from county to county. Imperial County has the highest unemployment rate at 24.2 percent, while Orange County enjoys a much lower rate of 6.5 percent, mostly due to highly visited attractions such as Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Some factors that may contribute to San Diego’s decreased unemployment rate are:

Diverse Industries – San Diego’s diverse and growing industries, including biotech, engineering, and healthcare, are driving new job creation. San Diego is also a region of continuous research, with universities and independent research institutes that hire regularly.

Real Estate – San Diego’s real estate market was hit especially hard during the recession. This year, economists expect a turnaround in San Diego’s housing market with home prices and home sales to increase by 5.5 and 7.5 percent, respectively. Data from the State of California Employee Development Database also show a decrease in monthly foreclosures in 2012.

Tourism – The tourism industry was greatly affected during the recession, but increased jobs and revenues from 2012 show that the industry is making a big comeback. In 2013, a record number of business and leisure travelers are expected to come to San Diego County. This is mainly due to the increase in discretionary income combined with San Diego’s many popular attractions—SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, and famous beaches, to name a few.

Other hopeful signs include an increase in online help-wanted advertising, local stocks performing well, and an optimistic outlook of the nation’s economic health. Factors that could potentially hinder San Diego’s economic growth include: healthcare reform, rising oil prices, and increased taxes.

Between 2012 and 2013 San Diego County added 31,400 jobs, almost all jobs sectors showed gains, the biggest winners included:

Job Sectors	Job Gains
Professional and Business Services	11,000+
Leisure and Hospitality	6,000+
Education and Health Services	5,700+
Construction	1,600+

In February alone, San Diego County gained 9,800 jobs. The largest contributor in the county was the leisure and hospitality sector, up 3,300 jobs, with 2,100 of those coming from the restaurant and bar industry. This is a good indicator of a recovering economy since increased restaurant sales usually mean an overall increase in discretionary income.

With more jobs being added each day, now is the time to meet with a career coach at UC San Diego Extension’s Life/Work Center to see what the future holds for your career.

Figures do not include people no longer looking for work, underemployed workers, or the many who have already used their unemployment benefits.

Sources

Horn, J. (2013, March 29). UT San Diego. SD Unemployment Drops to 8 Percent
Horn, J. (2013, March 22). UT San Diego. San Diego Shows Robust Job Growth
San Diego Business Journal. (2013, April 1). San Diego County’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 8 Percent in February
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. (2012, June). San Diego’s Road to Economic Recovery (PDF)
National Conference of State Legislatures. (2013, March 29). State Unemployment Rates Improved in February 2013

CPA Licensure Education Requirements to Increase in 2014

A CPA is a Certified Public Accountant licensed by the state.  Jobs held by CPAs can vary, but common responsibilities include maintaining financial records and making sense of complicated financial statements under the growing list of state and federal accounting standards. Not only does a licensed CPA need to successfully pass the rigorous Uniform CPA Exam, CPAs must also have extensive knowledge of general and state-specific accounting principles, a bachelor’s degree, and hands on experience in the accounting field.

As of January 1, 2014 new requirements will be in place in order to obtain a California CPA license. Candidates will now be required to complete 150 semester units, equivalent to 225 quarter units, including:

• 24 semester or 36 quarter units in accounting subjects

• 24 semester or 36 quarter units of business-related subjects

• 20 semester or 30 quarter units of accounting study

• 10 semester or 15 quarter units of ethics study

Fraud and Forensic Accounting is one of UCSD Extension’s new offerings to fulfill these requirements.  Other requirements include passing the CPA & ethics exam and experience working under the supervision of a licensed CPA.

California is currently one of the few states in the nation that does not have a mandatory 150 semester unit requirement. Changing the requirements will make California CPA’s more marketable and give them the ability to apply for reciprocity in order to use their license in other states.

The Professional Accounting Certificate can help students fulfill the accounting education requirements to sit for the CPA Exam or increase their knowledge in this discipline.  No prior knowledge in accounting is needed to begin the certificate. To learn more about the Accounting Certificate Program, register for a free information session this Wednesday, March 27^th.

Spring accounting courses begin the week of April 1^st.  For more information, contact Joyce Short at jmshort@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-8189.

Source: California State Board of Accountancy (CPA) www.dca.ca.gov/cba  (916) 263-3680

Six Sigma and Lean: Bringing Speed and Accuracy to Business Processes

Two hot terms in process improvement these days are Lean and Six Sigma. You might have heard of them, but what exactly do they mean and why should you care?

We asked Ric Van Der Linden, MAOM ,  and instructor of the Lean Six Sigma program, to explain the differences and evolution of the two.

Both terms were originally born in the manufacturing industry. Lean was founded in the auto industry about 30 years ago and was primarily focused on the removal of waste and reduction of lead time. Lean was originally focused entirely on manufacturing, but it did not take long for other support functions in an organization like design, marketing, legal, and human resources to catch on and adopt lean practices. From there, Lean spread to other industries such as healthcare, biotech and other services.  In my Lean classes I only have three or four students out of 18 who work in manufacturing. Ten years ago it would have been all 18. 

Six Sigma was developed by Motorola back in the mid eighties with the goal of improving quality by reducing variation or the number of errors in a process. Six Sigma is much more statically based, using software to analyze large amounts of data in order to identify variation. 

So which makes more sense for you to do, lean or six sigma?  Ric goes on to explain,

Ideally you would want both together; it’s a logical fit. However, if you want to have more people doing more things, go with Lean since it is easier to understand than Six Sigma. Lean is about removing waste. You are taking away non-value adding steps and improving flow to achieve better speed with the overall result of getting things done sooner. In a nut shell: reduce lead time and speed will be better.

 Six Sigma applies additional steps after Lean methodologies have been implemented—now it’s time to reduce the variation.

For example, if your company gets orders and this week you have 10 things to do, then next week you have nothing to do, and the following week orders roll in and there are 150 things to do, this is the kind of variation that’s hard for businesses to manage.

In my class I teach how to measure variation. We are exploring control charts and doing Cpk analysis. In a couple of weeks we will be designing experiments. Six Sigma also requires special software skills because there are more calculations and the approach is very application based.

Ultimately, the best choice for a process improvement course depends on the individual and the overall goals of a company.

To learn more about the Lean Enterprise or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt programs, attend an upcoming information session:

• Lean Enterprise Information Session – Friday, March 8^th, 8:00-9:00 a.m. (Program starts April 12^th)
  Pre-register now
• Lean Six Sigma Information Session – Friday, March 8^th, 9:00-10:00 a.m. (Program starts March 21^st)
  Pre-register now

Both information sessions will be held at UCSD Extension University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Dr., San Diego in Rooms 115 and 116. Parking is free. Program instructors, Ric Van Der Linden and Jerry Wright, will lead the sessions and answer questions.

Project Management Gets Agile

Agility–the ability to move quickly and easily–is a term that is sweeping the project management field and is now being adopted across various industries. We have all experienced working on projects and having something come up, good or bad, but mostly bad, that throws off our initial plan of action.  Agile project management allows companies to respond to issues as they come up during the course of a certain project. Needed changes can then be made to ensure that a project will be completed successfully on time and on budget.

Agile project management was originally established in the IT Industry. Project managers discovered that when implementing large software systems, which could take up to five years to complete, many factors would change such as customer requirements and technology. Agile methods were then put into place to be more responsive to these changes and reduce inevitable project failure. It did not take long for other industries to catch on and implement Agile project management in order to adapt a project to meet the changing needs of their client and/or industry.

A “traditional” project manager leads a team using a command and control style. Agile project management starts with a high-level plan created by the project manager that will fulfill basic requirements and acts as a vision for a solution. An Agile project is then completed in increments or “iterations.” The project team, not just the project manager, creates a plan for each iteration. This allows project managers to create, adapt, and validate any requirement changes that may come along during the life span of a project.

We got a chance to talk with Alicia McLain, certified Scrum Master, PMP, and the Agile Community of Practice Chapter Representative for PMI San Diego, about the new elective Agile Power Practices she will be teaching at extension this spring.

Tell me about the class? What are the highlights?

This class is an informative walk through the origins of Agile practices, through the important events, artifacts, and roles of one of the most commonly used Agile methods.

What do you hope students will get out of your class?  

Students will walk away with a solid understanding of how the power tools of Agile practices can build high performing teams and how they can facilitate this transformation.

Do you see a growing need for the use of agile project management?

Yes! In my view, the shift from command and control management to a more servant leader style is greatly facilitated in environments that employ Agile practices.  The project manager that has these methods mastered will have developed a highly sought after skill set!

You’ve recently been a key presenter at PMI events. What swayed you towards the classroom?

I am a hiring manager and I find it challenging to find candidates who understand Agile practices and the nuances of building high performing teams via these methods.  I am passionate about sharing the combination of my 15+ years of teachings in leadership with key aspects of Agile methods to help build successful Agile project managers!

Agile Power Practices will teach students about the origins, methods, events, artifacts, and roles that are important in the field and explore ways to include this into their work practices.  In the course, students explore some history to understand the origins of the most widely used Agile practices today and show how these methods can transform teams, departments, divisions, and companies.

Check out Agile Power Practices and other Project Management courses that start this spring. To learn more about the project management field and profession, join an upcoming Careers in Project Management information session on Wednesday, March 27^th, 5:15—6:30 p.m. at the UCSD Extension University City Center, Room 116. Instructor Jim Franklin will lead the session and answer questions.

Career Strategy Session—Negotiating What You Want at Work and in Life

UC San Diego Extension’s Center for Life/Work Strategies is offering a new quarterly series to help professionals succeed in their careers. These free Career Strategy Sessions will feature a series of subject matter experts speaking on a variety of topics around job and personal growth.

According to the Harvard Business Review only 45% of people are satisfied with their jobs. The majority need to know there are ways to feel happier with work.

Everyone is faced with opportunities to negotiate on a regular basis.

On January 15^th at 9:30 a.m. at UCSD Extension’s University City Center, career coach and Extension instructor, Camille Primm, will lead a career strategy session on negotiating how to get more of what you want at work and in life.

Primm brings to our attention that “everyone is faced with opportunities to negotiate on a regular basis.”  Her workshop will teach tips for collaborating that can be applied in any work or life scenario requiring give and take. Primm’s practical approach walks you through scenarios where you have the opportunity to negotiate and collaborate. You’ll learn skills to become a better negotiator and boost your confidence along the way.

The Career Strategy Session is free to attend, but pre-registration is recommended.
Register now

Camille Primm is an award-winning career and performance strategist. She is author of Learning the Ropes: The Insider’s Guide to Winning at Work; and contributor to Discover Your Inner Strength. Camille is a graduate of Longwood University in Virginia and her training and consulting practice, Primm and Partners, is based in San Diego, CA.

The Center for Life/Work Strategies is committed to providing resources to help individuals think about their career success and satisfaction, and take control of their future for a rewarding life.

Career Boost Camp Inspires Professionals to Seek Best Job for Their Skill Set

UC San Diego Alumni and UC San Diego Extension’s Center for Life/Work Strategies have teamed up to offer an inspirational and eye-opening “Career Boost Camp” that will take your career to the next level. Executives, managers and recent grads will gain a new sense of control and a conviction to energize their work style, create unique value and build a blueprint to take control of their lives.

The Career Boost Camp will take place Saturday June 2nd, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the UC San Diego Institute of the Americas conference hall. Registration is $10 per person and includes breakfast and a raffle ticket for books and Extension workshops. Parking is free (recommended parking at N. Torrey Pines and Pangea Dr.).

Kicking off the morning session is Associate Vice Chancellor, Armin Afsahi, which will be followed by keynote address from Will Marré, Co-Founder of the Covey Leadership Center and Emmy-Award Winner.

According to Marré’s research, only 19 percent of professionals today are truly satisfied with their careers. He will share with you ways people are thriving in today’s job market by turning their talents and passions into value to maximize their opportunities, earnings and fulfillment.

A panel of entrepreneurs and UCSD alumni will share their journeys to building successful businesses. The experiences of these innovators range from career entrepreneurs to an alumnus who decided to start his own business after years in industry. Moderated by Lisa Gordon, San Diego Small Business Ambassador, the session will include stories from Erik Maki ’08, Founder of Maki Longboards, Joon Han ‘96, Business Strategist, and Elizabeth Kaplan ‘88, Founder of The Pure Pantry.

U-T San Diego Job & Career Columnist and Co-Author of Closing America’s Job Gap, Henry DeVries, ’79, will discuss how to grow companies and land good jobs in the age of innovation. Interviewer Elizabeth Gibson, Advisor to UC San Diego Extension’s Career Transition & Development for Professionals Program, will share her perspective along with Henry on what it takes to secure a job along a successful career path.

The event’s closing session will feature Christine Didonato, Director, Talent & Organizational Development, Sony Electronics. She’ll address the tough questions many professionals experience today: how do you get developed and promoted in a time when organizations are in the midst of constant change and have limited resources?  Through her 7 Must-Have Mindsets™ Didonato will help you to understand the unspoken beliefs to give you an edge and accelerate career progression.

To register for this thought-provoking and insightful Career Boost Camp event, visit http://alumni.ucsd.edu/careerboost.

Questions? Contact ksears@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-8178.

Purposeful, Persistent, Re-Engaged, Supportive, and Life Changing

By Sarah Spicci, Director, Center for Life/Work Strategies, UC San Diego Extension, and David Narevsky, Business Analyst, San Diego Workforce Partnership

These are just a few of the adjectives used to describe the impact of the Career Transition and Development for Professionals program at the alumni networking event held at UC San Diego Extension in March.

The San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) placed 185 participants in a total of 12 cohorts.  Funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Career Transition program provides a sense of community and accountability through networking, mentoring and coaching to the many degreed professionals who are in transition.  The program was designed by UCSD Extension in partnership with the SDWP in an effort to provide tools and resources for these formerly higher income wage earners to market themselves more successfully in a challenging job market.

Graduates of the Career Transition program have been very successful with approximately 70% having landed jobs.  The all-cohort networking event was a reunion of many program participants.  A panel consisting of four graduates who have “landed” shared how they went from being “in transition” into career management mode.  Camille Primm, the program’s primary instructor, moderated the panel and invited attendees to participate as well.  Participants shared success stories and acknowledged their personal and professional growth since they went through the program.

Both UCSD Extension and the SDWP have heard from a number of program participants who have successfully moved from “in transition” to fully employed.  The investment of federal funds into educating these participants has been unqualified success on many levels.  According to Sarah Spicci, Director of the Center for Life/Work Strategies, “the most-qualified candidates do not always land the position; rather, it is the candidates who know how to package their skills and communicate and market themselves the most effectively who do.”

The program has greatly assisted those in need of hope, encouragement, new skills and direction and it has helped the regional economy as well by putting tax-paying professionals back to work.  That is why the SDWP points to it as a model for aiding unemployed professionals who are trying to reenter the job market.

The next Career Transition program will begin on Monday, June 18^th. Learn more at an upcoming information session on June 4th, 9:30-10:30 a.m, 6256 Greenwich Dr., San Diego, 92122.

UC San Diego Extension offers a number of programs to assist those in transition, or those currently employed but seeking to improve their job skills. For further details on this program, or others offered through UCSD Extension’s Center for Life/Work Strategies, please contact Sarah Spicci at (858) 246-1037, sspicci@ucsd.edu, or see a list of courses offered at extension.ucsd.edu/careers.

Free Workshops at Career Development Night, 3/22

UC San Diego Extension will host its 4^th annual Career Development Night, where attendees can sit in on free workshops, meet Extension program managers, and learn how they can advance their careers. The event takes place this Thursday, March 22^nd, 5:00-7:30 p.m. at UC San Diego Extension’s University City Center, off the I-805 at Governor Dr. (map).

Will Marré, inspiring thought-leader and co-founder of the Steven Covey Leadership Center, will teach you how to tap into your potential to land a successful career you love in his 5:15 p.m. session. Today only 19% of us are satisfied with our careers, but you can change that. Discover how people are thriving in today’s job market by turning their talents and passions into value to maximize their opportunities, their earnings, and fulfillment. Take Marré’s Career Quiz to see if this session is right for you. Or, sign up for his 3-session class, which starts Thursday, April 12^th: How Your Unique Design Will Help You Reboot Your Career.

Phil Blair, CEO of Manpower will be speaking at 6:30 p.m. on Strategies for Success: What HR Won’t Tell You. His pragmatic, insightful and entertaining presentation will address the three essentials you need to know for every job search and interview. As one of San Diego’s most visible and respected business leaders, Blair will share with you how to read between the lines and discover what HR is really looking to find.

Additional speakers at Career Development Night include, Tom Greifendorff from Mitchell International, James Gharib, Senior Director of Technology Development from NuVasive, Natasha Balac, Director of Data Applications from the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and Recruiters from Time Warner Cable, ESET, HD Supply, Life Technologies and SAIC.

Career Development Night attendees will receive vouchers for $25 off a spring course enrollment.*

*Discount restrictions apply: Discount valid only for those who attend the event (attendance is recorded at check-in table).  Discount applies only to Spring 2012 courses in the following areas of study: Business, Engineering, Law, Leadership and Management Development, Life Sciences, and Information Technology. Expires Friday, March 30, 2012.

To sign up for Thursday’s event, visit extension.ucsd.edu/careernight.