Networking Forum

In todays economy it seems that job fairs and training seminars are a necessity to those who are still on the hunt for a job.  This one was definitely a new one for me.  Networking is nothing new for me, being sales for a number for a number of years; but actually going to a forum for the purpose of networking is something new for me.

My main attraction for this event was Jim Bochenek who is the Director of Event Operations at the US Airways Center which of course is the home of the Phoenix Suns.  I am originally from California and of course grew up around the Lakers but now am a hard core Suns fan and tries to never miss a game.  But enough about my love with the Suns, back to the topic at hand; networking.  Its easy to network when its you in a room of 10-15 and you are all trying to talk to each other (ie BNI meetings) but now Im competing with 75 other college students for 1 persons attention.  The odds are not stacked in my favor.

One thing they kept mentioning was how each of them started on the ground floor usually as an unpaid intern.  I can understand that today we are faced with tough decisions like that. Do we stay in our current profession or do you take that risk and start a new path that you are not sure where it will lead at an unpaid position.  Even though all of these people kind of have the same type of job, event planning they all do it a little different.  I had an opportunity to talk to Mr. Bochenek about my experience with the Goddard for Governor and some of the events I have helped with and planned for him and to see if that would give me a leg up on my competition, and it seems that even with prior experience Im still put in the internship position.

I was never in this even when the job market with this horrible I could always jump from one job to another with no problem but now I find myself in the unknown.  You can almost say between a rock and bigger rock.  It seems that today you cannot only network but you must market.  Market yourself but thats a discussion for another day.

Recognition?

Today was a day like none other.  Early on before I had actually begun with this campaign I helped a friend write a paper on Veterans Affairs for the Goddard campaign.  Today I found out that it actually got published and will be implemented into action.  Jokingly I told my friend and Political Director of the campaign that our names were missing from the paper and he told me an important lesson that I will not forget.  You hardly ever get direct recognition for the work you do,  especially on the campaign no matter what your title you are always on the phones calling potential volunteers or on the computer putting together call sheets or in the office putting together yard signs.  The only thing that separates an intern and a Political Director most days seems to be a pay check, a title and a weekly staff meeting.

When being an intern it is easy at least for me to find a little resentment in my peers.  But Im always drawn back to what I feel may be my purpose in this campaign and in politics.  It's not recognition or applause that I seek; its knowing that you have helped someone else.  Being in politics you have the unique ability to shape and city, county, state or even country.  If you do it right and for the right reasons, not just for the glory and for the win but for the constituents you can actually cause a dramatic change in peoples lives.  I think a lot of voters have lost sight of this, especially during the midterm elections.

Its important to be proud of the little stuff.  Knowing you made a difference in the day.  Because you showed up, even though you were exhausted.  A favorite quote of mine "Pray not for more blessings, but for more wisdom to make the most of the blessings you already have." really kind of says it all.  When you have a win or talent expand on it, even if its something you don't really like doing but you know it can help other people, it will be worth it.

Traffic Cameras

I know a lot of Arizonans are glad that those cameras on the freeway are no longer active but when they were active they sure did cause a lot of headaches. I know I faced my share camera flashes especially when I would drive to california but today I found my self in front of a judge in an attempt to fight a traffic ticket. Against the advice of maybe wiser people and ignoring the notice in the mail that I was speeding on the freeway or the other notice to appear in court I did my duty as a citizen and did appear. Or thats at least how I justify it and believe that it is my duty to appear when I am summoned, who knows anymore. It seems that the court system in the U.S. has been so jumbled up in talk shows and other what I consider parodies that some people don't even consider our judicial system serious anymore. Today was definitely what I consider a parody of the judicial system.

Now I want to talk about everything that is wrong with what happens when you contest a ticket. It was nothing what I thought. I have had the opportunity and privilege to view court cases in action because of my internship with the Attorney General's Office so I felt that the hearing would have some kind of structure similar to those cases. So when I walked I knew my role and that the burden of proof was on the officer. I was obviously the defendant and and the officer acted as the prosecutor. Every argument I made either by siting a case or siting relating incidents the officer would always come back with the hearsay argument or "I cant comment on that" . My major question is, why is the officer acting as the prosecutor? The court room and judge seemed to be there just for show and it might as well have been the officer and I arguing face to face. The whole thing was a big shab and shouldn't have event taken place.

Give Until It Hurts

You know that exhausted feeling you get when you are attempting to accomplish everything that you want.  When it hurts to walk or you can barely lift your eyes at the end of the day.  My days have been filled with these feelings lately.  I do not regret the decisions I have made to get to where I am.  The way I look at it is no matter good or bad every situation or decision you make gives you an opportunity to put you closer to your goal.  All of us make mistakes in this life we cant help it, unfortunately.  But it is what we do with those mistakes that will make us better or worse for them.  The people who are closest to me know that I have had more than my share of them over these years, but by seeing them as opportunities to improve myself which in some cases is not always easy I am a better man for them.

The other day I was driving home from the Goddard for Governor Head Quarters and was in a nearly fatal car accident.  Luckily I was the only car involved in the accident, so I was the only person injured.  While on the 60 freeway, cars suddenly stopped ahead of me so I turned the wheel left to move into the next lane, but I over corrected and went into the center divider.  Once I realized were I was I overcorrected again but this time to the right spinning my car completely around and putting it in a dead stop facing traffic.  I was fortunate enough to have never have lost conciseness so when bystanders and emergency officials arrived I was alert and able to answer their questions.  By the time they helped me out of my car all that was injured was my right wrist and that was due to bracing myself against the steering wheel according to one of the officers.

Sometimes in a job you know that there is a light at the end but there is so much darkness that you forget about it.  Well because of my background in technology I am constantly on different blogs, facebook pages and websites seeing what new news is being published about either Goddard or the 2010 governors race.  Being exposed to so much free media gives you insight into what people really think about the issues and the candidates.  People are able to disguise themselves with usernames so this anonymity gives them a sense of freedom that they usually don't feel in society.  I have read great things, inspiring things in some of these chat areas and some things that are pure hatred and rantings with no cause but to spread their disgust onto others.  If knowledge is power than it is crucial that young people learn the issues and decide for themselves what is right and just and do not depend on their parents or pastors to determine their political decisions for them.  We can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to what is going on around us.

The Grind

Doing this job (and it is a job because if you were to treat it as anything less you would not be giving it the respect and time it deserves) I often think of the last season of the West Wing.  The one where Jimmy Smits plays a congressman running for president.  Well the reason I think of that particular season or even think of the West Wing at all is that there are several interns working on his campaign, they see all the ups and downs and successes and failures that he goes through on his race for the Presidency.  I feel that I am much like those interns that I see Terry go though those same things.  When he had the hugely successful debate against Jan Brewer but when a poll came out a few days later it still showed that he was down pretty much the same amount that he was before the debate.  I am no mind reader but that depressed me and I have only worked for him for a few months so I can't even imagine how he is feeling.

The desire to succeed is in all of us, some choose to fulfill it and others choose to ignore it.  I know from Terry's past political ambitions going from Mayor to Attorney General he has not ignored his desire to succeed in this world.  Some of us see opportunities as obstacles, I used to be one of those people.  It was great to dream big but when a big opportunity finally came to me it seemed like a huge brick wall that I had no foreseeable way through.  When this opportunity came to me to work for a campaign, some thing that I have never done nor never thought of doing I jumped at it.  When you see something special in someone and know that they can do great things and that you could have the opportunity to be a part of that, only a fool would pass up the opportunity to work with them.

An intern's job may not be glamorous but it is rewarding. Every day is different and every person you meet is truly a treasure.  Some days I spend it loading yard signs into trucks or transporting signs and posts to different locations around the valley.  But other days I have the opportunity to introduce Terry to a crowd and setup a room for him before he gives a speech.  Everyday I know I am making a difference, the people who support the campaign understand what kind of change can be brought by Terry as governor, and that is huge I have never been apart of something this big before.

Working for ..... sake

It seems that more and more people are starting careers as interns in hopes of getting a full-time paid position at a later date.  The rise in this as everyone already knows is the economy.  As more and more companies file for bankruptcy or move overseas, competition for jobs becomes harder and harder.  Arizona has been one of the hardest hit economies in the country where 1 in 10 people are without a job.  Things that used to be just a bonus on a resume like a degree or previous experience in a related field are now essential.  They put you in front of a line of what used to be a few but has now turned into a few hundred.  Without a degree you can cross out most job opportunities and you are left to rely on experience alone which will still put you behind a person with a diploma.  I, myself have been working as an intern while finishing my degree since May, first at the Arizona Attorney General's Office and now recently on the Goddard for Governor campaign.

Elections are won and lost not on a persons stance on an a particular issue but on fear.  Basically focusing in on what people are dreading the most and make their opponent the focus of that dread.  This election is a prime example of this, you have Jan Brewer saying that their are decapitations happening on a regular basis in Southern Arizona and you have Terry Goddard stating the economy in Arizona is at one of its lowest points it has ever been.  Because of this it is our duty as the constituents to know what is fact and what is fiction.  It is essential that we do our research on not only the candidates for Governor but for all the people who are running for public office, you can no longer vote down the party line, it is crucial to know what a candidate stands for and what the candidate has stood for in the past.

I do believe that this may become one of the most rewarding job that I will ever have.  Being able to see how a candidate for a public office is formed and see the process they go through to be elected.  I've had the pleasure to meet so many different people with such a diverse background that I can honestly say that it would never had occurred otherwise.  But I have come to a few pretty hard conclusion relatively fast, and that is, when Terry is elected Governor of Arizona there may not be a job for me in his office.  Due to my lack of qualifications.  The other is that no matter what the outcome of the internship, it is more about the connections made during it and the experiences gaining through it that make it worth it.  If that makes any sense at all.