My Blog Has a New Home!

Home Sweet Home and one step closer to building my AWESOME brand.

www.keishajreed.com

All future updates will be on the new site! Moving on up…

Thankful!

While many of us are traveling home with visions of sweet potato pie (I know I am), there are others in our area that are less fortunate. When the Tryptophan wears off and your done rooting for the downfall of the Cowboys , take time to find ways to give back.

Soup Kitchens, Homeless Shelters even local schools all need your help this holiday season.
Clothing drives, helping preparing and serving food, and even reading books to children at the local library are just some ideas of how you can give back to your community. Personally, I try to give back and help in some kind of way during the holiday season because I remember how hard my mother worked to make ends meet.

Below are one local and one national organization that would love your help this season:

Bea Gaddy

Bea Gaddy, who rose from a life of poverty to become Baltimore’s leading advocate for the homeless and poor, died (October 3, 2001) at age 68. Gaddy, who served an annual Thanksgiving feast for the homeless for more than 20 years, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was being treated for breast cancer, said Tony White, a spokesman for Mayor Martin O’Malley

Although the Thanksgiving Holiday has passed, they are still looking for volunteers.
Here is a link to the schedule and contact info is below:

Bea Gaddy Family Center

Another organization that is near and dear to my heart is Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

I remember how important it was having a mentor when I was growing up…I empower each of my readers to do the same.

The best lesson I learned in life was when I became the student and my mentee taught me. And that’s the true meaning of giving.

So even if you can only donate a hour of your time, a box of macaroni or a coat that you haven’t worn in years…SOMEONE will appreciate it. And that is that spirit of the season!

Enjoy the Holiday.

KJR

Job Boards 101

As I embark on the 24/7 job search which in itself is like a job, I frequently get asked the question….Where to look?

Well it all depends on what TYPE of job your looking for.

Company websites, are the best places to look first. Many times, they have posted jobs and contact information that you can’t find on other job sites.

One of my top favorites and staple in any Gen Y Professional is Idealist.org

According to their website,

“Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.”

They have job listings, internships, volunteer opportunities…just a wealth of information.

Another one of my favorites is Indeed.com

Indeed is like the crown jewel of websites. You can find almost any job and based on your search results with can find that perfect $30,000 job with all the benefits galore.

Those of my top two picks… but the ones below deserve honorable mention.

Opportunity Knocks

Recently, I was told that if you don’t have any experience in the field you want to get into, VOLUNTEER!

Internships, paid or unpaid, gives your job application an added bonus.

Here’s a great website to find all the great companies that want YOUR help.

Volunteer Match

NonProfit Networking!

This post is long overdue, but I wanted to make sure that I was able to document this event while it was still fresh in my mind. Last week I have the pleasure of attending Nonprofit Rockstar LIVE! Official DC Book Party & Panel!. The event follows many others planned celebrating the release of “How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar” by Rosetta Thurman and Trista Harris.

Now this was not your typical book singing event, it was SO much more. Armed with a panel of young non profit leaders eager to give advice to hungry professionals like myself, this event blew anything close to a book singing out the water. Held in one of my favorite locations in my hometown, Busboys and Poets, the atmosphere was just so perfect…and so were the red velvet cupcakes and red wine to complement them.

Although some of my friends were unable to attend (and chewed me out on Twitter because of it), I did get a chance to grab some highlights from the event and advice that the panel had for us young professionals.

Elisa Ortiz on How to “kick ass” at callbacks

-Think like a job seeker all the time and be through on all documents being sent out with your name on it.

She joked at the fact that she tailors every cover letter to the job she’s applying for- no cut and paste here. That’s why she averages a 35% callback rate, while most people averages 2-5%. I would like to personally say, I’ve put that to action and will blog about my experience with that later.

You can follow her at @emortiz

Another panelist that stuck out to me was Kimberly Palmer, author of Generation Earn: The Young Professionals Guide to Spending, Investing & Giving Back.

She gave us the 5 things to do to survive in the NP sector. I’ll list four because I missed one of them tweeting about how great the event was…but please go out and support our fellow YNPP!

1. Don’t make the mistake of not negotiating for a higher salary.//It’s all about the Dollars!

2. Ignoring the benefits aspect of the job//YOU NEED BENEFITS!

3. How to save: Focus on your 3 main costs: Food, Shelter, and Transportation//No reason to be house poor.

4. How to pay off your student loans: Pay off the loan with the highest interest rate first//Sallie Mae wants YOU!

Overall, it was a great event. In my quest to find the perfect match between myself and the non-profit sector, I was able to network and meet up with a lot of great people. I can’t wait to attend the next event!

Also before I go, I wanted to give a shout-out(circa 1998) to the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of DC!

They are doing great things for the young professionals. If only the Baltimore sector would get together, that’s for another post.

KJR

First Entry!

This is my first post. Interesting as I move forward into my career and life in my 20′s.
Most of my friends who are in the same position as I am, will love this post.

It’s original message is directed towards  a class at an university..but the value still holds true.

Check it out!

Remember when I wrote the post “Cringeworthy Antics of Some Job Seekers?” Well, I took that rant to an audience last night at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where I serve as their PRSSA chapter’s professional advisor. Below, see my presentation I gave to the students on how NOT to get a job…and how social media can help them along the way. Also, check me out on the radio! Eat your heart out, Delicious Dish.         [sli … Read More

via PRetty in Pittsburgh

Great Blog for those interested in PR or in the field already. Since I am a trained PR professional, I love to see other around my age kicking butt and taking names!