VICA Viewpoint

This Week's VICA Viewpoint

VICA members are encouraged to participate in the weekly VICA Viewpoint question. Find the next question here in this week's VICA Weekly.

If VICA's Hall of Fame included an athlete, what athlete from
a Los Angeles team (current or otherwise) would you want inducted?

Amy Evans VICA Member Vice President, Employee Benefits Leavitt Group		Jackie Robinson. He grew up in the Pasadena area, attended UCLA (where he became the school's first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track) and broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball with bravery and grace while playing for the Brooklyn (now Los Angeles) Dodgers.
Brendan L. Huffman VICA Member Owner, Huffman Public Affairs, LLC		The Valley has produced dozens of notable athletes such as Gail Goodrich and Rafer Johnson. From a business perspective, however, none of them have had as much of an impact as basketball legend, bestselling author and longtime Encino resident John Wooden. His pyramid of success has been implemented by thousands of successful business people and inspired millions of people to “make every day your masterpiece.'
Bob Rodine VICA Member Principal Consultant, The Polaris Group		Since 1962, the Dodgers have had stars that have added to LA’s economy and image. Some are Sandy Koufax (3 Cy Young awards-World Series MVP-Season MVP and great image member of the organization), Steve Garvey (Roberto Clemente Award- NLCS MVP-2 All Star MVP-Season MVP and Gold Glove recipient), and Bull Dog (6 awards both offensive and defensive). There have been other great athletes but not all have added both economic impact and image enhancement. Tough selection!

Last Week's VICA Viewpoint

What piece of business advice would you give to
college seniors applying for jobs now?

Marissa Castro-Salvati VICA Member Local Public Affairs Regional Manager, Southern California Edison		College seniors should do their homework on companies they plan to apply for a job, whether through personal interviews of current employees in the company and/or thorough research of the company.  Being knowledgeable is a good way of arming one's self when going through this employment process.  Hiring managers are typically impressed with external candidates who exhibit knowledge of the business.  In addition, conduct mock-interviews with your friends/family in order to be prepared and build one's self confidence for the interview process.
Brad Hertz VICA Member Partner, The Sutton Group		My advice is to “Do Your Homework” and “Don’t Give Up.”  By “Do Your Homework,” I mean thoroughly research what’s out there, work your contacts, and be ready when opportunity knocks.  By “Don’t Give Up,” I mean keep knocking on doors, chasing down leads, and staying focused on your goals.
Kim Kerscher VICA Member Director of Communications, The Buckley School		Know yourself and your goals and be able to communicate them clearly and succinctly. Practice your interviewing skills and put your top writing skills to use in every form of written communication you use, from email to cover letters to LinkedIn. Network, network, network. Be humble. In college you have been studying high-level concepts, but first jobs often involve much more basic work.  Don’t be discouraged – it’s the best way to learn an industry.
Michael Olenick VICA Member President & CEO, Child Care Resource Center		A BA is just the beginning. Finding your ideal job may take a while.  A good way to get your foot in the door may be an internship. We look for writing skills, team players, discipline, and ethics. Eventually consider graduate school to move up.
Bob Rodine VICA Member Principal Consultant, The Polaris Group		An employer looks at what you can do for him. At the interview, show the employer skills you can bring to the company’s challenges [research before your interview] and be prepared to deliver on day ONE. In business, display leadership potential at all career levels. Don’t expect to run things as rookie. Let special skills distinguish you.  Focus on needs of company - process/profit improvement. Get the good job that offers growth and development, not just the one with big bucks.

VICA Viewpoint Archives

4-12-13 - If you could form a new VICA policy committee, what topic would you choose and why?

4-5-13 - If you were a member of the 12-person panel making recommendations to the City of Los Angeles this year, what would be your top proposal to fix the budget or bring in jobs?

3-29-13 - What issues do you want our new Manufacturing & Technology Committee to tackle first?

3-22-13 - Which freshman legislator has the most potential to be an ally to business this year and why?

3-15-13 - If next week were your Spring Break, what would you do with it?

3-8-13 - Many people connect March with St. Patrick's Day and the luck of the Irish. Which public official needs some luck right now?

3-1-13 - Since the bill submission just passed last week, what is the first piece of legislation you want our state leaders to focus on?

2-22-13 - You recently became a member of VICA. Why did you decide to join?

2-15-13 - There are a handful of movies nominated for the Feb. 24 Academy Awards that are based on politicians and political events (Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty). What events or politicians would you like to see dramatized in a film and why?

2-8-13 - What question would you like to ask legislators at VICA's State Officeholders Dinner?