ZócaloPress

The Monterey Institute of International Studies will be holding a Career Fair for jobs, internships and contract work on Friday, February 26th, 2009. Interviews with select employers will also be taking place on Saturday, February 27th. Live and virtual recruiters will be on hand to meet with students and alumni from all Institute degree programs. Should you have any questions, or if you know of an employer who would like to take part, please contact Jeff Wood, Career and Academic Advisor, at jwood@miis.edu. More details forthcoming in January 2010.

MATLMs, MATs and MBAs Please Note:  LISA APRIL 2010 SAN FRANCISCO FORUM CALLS FOR PRESENTATION PROPOSALS

The LISA Forum USA 2010 will be held in mid-April in the San Francisco Bay Area. It will focus on procurement of globalization services and technologies, and the sourcing decisions, technology investments, and business strategies that companies need to support their globalization initiatives. If you would like to be considered as a presenter at this LISA Forum, the deadline to submit is Dec. 4. For more information about how to submit your proposal online, visit their website.

For the first time, the Monterey Institute has been invited to submit student applications for the US Department of Homeland Security Fellowships.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking to hire a handful of students from the nation’s best graduate programs.  Those selected to join the department will have a unique opportunity to put their academic achievements, intellect and professional experience to use during a critical time in American history.  As honors fellows, you will provide direct assistance to top policymakers throughout the department.  Fellows will work side-by-side with professionals with expertise in areas such as:

• Policy Development
• Strategic Planning
• Private Sector Policy
• International Affairs
• Bioterrorism, Science and Technology
• Immigration Policy
• Law Enforcement
• Cargo and Maritime Policy
• Emergency Preparedness
• Customs Enforcement
• Financial Investment/Trade
• Intelligence and Analysis

DHS is seeking applicants who have keen analytical skills, a demonstrated ability to write well, and the judgment and discretion needed to operate in a vibrant, highly visible, and challenging environment.  Those exceptional candidates who are selected as honors fellows will serve for two years.  Upon completing the fellowship, you will have the opportunity to convert to a permanent position at DHS.

How do I apply? Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to Jen Hambleton-Holguin, jennifer.hambleton@miis.edu by November 20, 2009 at 5PM.

More information is available on Zócalo!

When: Thu Oct 29 12:30pm – Thu Oct 29 2pm
Where: Morse B-104

The Institute welcomes Ann Breiter (LEL Alumna, ‘79), Director, Economic Policy Staff at the Bureau of African Affairs, US Department of State. She will be presenting an information session on careers at the State Department.

Ann’s Bio:
Ann Breiter joined the State Department’s Bureau of Human Resources in September, 2009.   A career Foreign Service Officer, Ann previously served in Africa as Deputy Chief of Mission both in Bujumbura, Burundi, and in Djibouti.  Ann’s previous overseas postings also include Port-au-Prince, Haiti; La Paz, Bolivia; Moscow; Taipei; Yekaterinburg, Russia, and Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In Washington, Ann has worked in the (then) Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, in the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs, and as Acting Director of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfer.  Most recently, she served as the Director of the Africa Bureau’s Office of Economic Policy.

Ann counts as a highlight of her career the opportunity to open new Embassies in Baku, Azerbaijan, and in Tbilisi, Georgia, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Ann holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Arts from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Title: Outlook on Consumer Perceptions Toward Renewable Energy and Climate Change: What Might the Next Decade Look Like?

Who: Eric Whan, Director of Sustainable Development and Environment, GlobeScan and Gwynne Rogers, LOHAS Business Director, Natural Marketing Institute

When: Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 11 am PT/ 2 pm ET (1 hour)

Cost: $25 – If you are interested in joining this webinar and sharing the cost contact IEP graduate student David Siao at David.Siao@miis.edu

What to expect:
Global consumer perceptions toward renewable energy and climate change have altered this decade. Businesses that successfully integrate renewable energy and address climate change in the next decade will see an increased customer base. Hear from leading consumer and market research organizations GlobeScan and Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) that will present global and local trends related to consumer impressions of renewable energy and climate change.  GlobeScan provides research data for over 20 national annual public opinion surveys. With extensive tracking data, GlobeScan offers clients a comprehensive view of the emerging climate change agenda and provides timely insights for developing strategies for risk management, new product development and communications. Its tracking study has been conducted since 1997.  NMI is an international strategic marketing consultancy, specializing in health, wellness, sustainability & innovation since 1990 with full service brand development, product development and market research resources. Its annual LOHAS Consumer Trends Database™ consists of nearly 80,000 total consumers interviewed since 2002 in the US and around the world.

We would like to remind you about the changes in academic and career advising. As you recall, there is a new Center for Advising and Career Services located on the 3rd floor of McCone. If you have not yet visited, please do so as soon as possible. All Career and Academic Advisors are now located in this central location.  We suggest that you make contact with your advisor to review your academic and career development plans and to learn about all we have to offer you:

Advisors: In addition to your previously assigned faculty advisor, you now have a primary and secondary Career and Academic Advisor assigned to you. We urge you to continue to seek academic advice or mentoring from your faculty advisor but your Career and Academic Advisor is now the person you will see to obtain verification of curriculum information, transcripts, etc. Your Advisor is assigned by degree program/track, as follows:

• Sabrina Atwater, MPA and MAIPS International Development students
• Dr. Leslie Buckalew, MBA students
• Jen Hambleton-Holguin, MAIPS International Security: Nonproliferation, International Security: Terrorism Studies and Conflict Resolution students
• Tate Miller, Dean, MAIPS Trade Policy students
• Edy Rhodes, Environmental Policy students (career advising)
• Jennifer Tuman, PhD, Language and Educational Linguistics students
• Nathan Westrup, Environmental Policy students (academic advising)
• Jeff Wood, Translation, Interpretation and Localization Management students

This information can also be found in your Zócalo record (see below).

Signatures: You will need to have your new advisor sign for all course registrations, adds, drops, etc. Faculty will still be approving entry into their seminars; signed registration cards or emails from the faculty will need to be brought to your advisor for a final signature before registering.

Zócalo: You have automatically been registered in our recently launched electronic advising management system, identified by the name Zócalo. Zócalo is your one-stop-shop for advising services where you will find job postings, post your resume, set an appointment with your advisor (coming soon!), review your degree map and curriculum details, etc. Please be sure to log into Zócalo soon using your Exchange account information.

Service: The Center for Advising and Career Services has been established to provide you with a seamless, integrated advising experience. We are here to support you in achieving your academic and career goals. We look forward to continuing to work with you!

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Information Session
Join Michael M. and his colleagues and learn about work within various divisions within the CIA.

When: Thursday, October 8, 12:15pm – 2:00pm
Where: Morse B-104

Interviews will be held Friday, October 9th, all day. Locations will be announced by the interviewers. Position descriptions are now posted on Zócalo. Due to the late receipt of the position descriptions, applicants may bring their resumes and brief cover letters with them to the information session. Alternately, you may send your application to the name and email address listed in the descriptions.

The PMF Program attracts to Federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs.  The PMF Program, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is the Federal Government’s cornerstone succession planning program to help agencies meet their critical need for leadership continuity. This is a two-year, post-graduation fellowship program.

This announcement provides a brief overview of the program and process for applying. For more information, please visit the PMF website.

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Application Process:
To apply for the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF), you must complete two separate application requirements:

1) The school’s nomination process application materials

2) The online application process

BOTH components are due on October 15th! In fact, the online application is extremely strict: you must complete your application by October 15th at 11:59:59 PM EST (8:59:59 PM PST). No applications will be accepted after that.

Please note that your application status will be listed as “Incomplete” at this point. If you are nominated by the school, your application status will change to “Complete” once we fax in your nomination form.

All schools that participate in this program are required by law to go through a competitive nomination process. To be nominated by the Monterey Institute for this program, you must submit the following materials to my (Jennifer Hambleton-Holguin’s) inbox (McCone 310) by 9PM on October 15th:

1. An unofficial Monterey Institute transcript (printed from Banner is fine);
2. Your resume;
3. The nomination form (.pdf file) that is produced automatically once you have completed the online application;
4. A 2-3 page maximum personal statement which includes evidence of:

• Specific interest in/qualification for a particular agency(ies) or field within the federal government (trade, security, development, etc.)
• Academic excellence
• Professional development
• Commitment to public service

In developing your application, you may wish to check out the Executive Core Qualifications listed on the US Government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Leadership Development and Training Website. These are the core competencies currently being used across the US government to assess higher level management positions. According to OPM, an understanding of these core competencies will assist an applicant in the assessment process, and it will help the successful Fellow as they are assessed at the end of their Fellowship and on into their career in higher level and executive management with the US government. To the extent possible, your resume and essay should showcase as many of these competencies as you feel you have developed to this point.

A faculty committee will be convened after October 15th which will decide upon the nominees based on these application materials.

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Timeline:
Thursday, October 1, 2009

• Application for the PMF Class of 2010 opens via a vacancy announcement on USAJOBS or as a link under the “How to Apply\PMF Application” section of the PMF website

*******Note: You will be given the option to use the USA Jobs resume format or to attach your own .pdf version of your resume. The PMF program managers recommend that you use the USA Jobs resume format. If you have already submitted your application and did not use the USA Jobs resume, send an email to PMFApplication@opm.gov and state that you accidentally linked the wrong resume and ask how can link the correct one. (Students can check which resume was linked within the Application Manager. Under “Documents,” the resume source should show USAJOBS.)**********

Thursday, October 15, 2009

• Application for the PMF Class of 2010 closes

Saturday, October 31, 2009

• Deadline for Nomination Officials to fax nominations
• Deadline for applicants to submit supporting documentation for any claims for veterans’ preference and/or Indian preference

Late November 2009

• Applicants officially notified of eligibility and nomination status
• Nominees notified of assessment date/time/location

January/February 2010

• Assessments conducted nationwide

Late February/Early March 2010

• Nominees notified of finalist status

Late March/Early April 2010

• PMF Class of 2010 Finalists Job Fair (Washington, DC, metro area)

Dates are subject to change.  Please monitor the PMF website for updates at http://www.pmf.opm.gov/

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Nomination Process:

Individuals applying to the PMF Program must be officially nominated by the Dean, Chairperson, or Academic Program Director (referred to as the “Nomination Official”) of their accredited degree-granting college or university.  This Nominating Official participates in the recruitment, application, and nomination processes of his/her students. Here at the Monterey Institute, I manage the nomination process and the coordination of a faculty nominating committee. The Dean, in conjunction with this committee, serves to officially nominate student applicants to the Fellowship program.

Applicants will be required to print a PMF Nomination Form (OPM Form 1300) once their application is completed and submit this form to their Nomination Official; this is part of the application process when submitting their application via the vacancy announcement on USAJOBS.  If the Nomination Official chooses to nominate the applicant, and thereby affirming the applicant’s nomination, the Nomination Official must submit the form via fax to the number listed on the form.

Nomination Deadline

Nomination Officials have until 11:59:59 p.m. (Eastern Time), October 31, 2009, to nominate students.  Nominations received after this deadline will not be considered.  Once nomination decisions are submitted, they become final and cannot be changed.  The PMF Nomination Forms are received by a fax server that reads the data on the form to associate the nomination to the applicant’s records.  All applicants who are nominated will be verified for student eligibility, school accreditation, and signature of Nomination Official.

All applicants will be electronically notified by the school immediately after the decisions have been made. They will also receive notice from OPM approximately 3-4 weeks after the nomination deadline on whether or not they were nominated by their school’s Nomination official for the program. If you have been nominated by the school, but do not receive this confirmation from OPM, please let me know.  Those nominated will be referred to as “nominees” and scheduled for assessment.

We will be holding a “mock assessment” session for those students who will be attending the assessment, utilizing the sample assessment in the PMF “How to Prep” guide on the PMF website. We strongly recommend that you do not look through these sample questions, in order to provide a more realistic “mock” test-taking scenario.

Good luck! We look forward to working with a great group of students on this exciting process this year.

Here are just a few of the jobs (including on- and off- campus workstudy and local part-time jobs), fellowships and internships currently posted on Zócalo Beta:

• EFL teacher in a private bilingual preparatory school in Querétaro, México
• Council on Foreign Relations Next Generation Fellowship
• Nuclear Scholars Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
• Interpreter (English-French) at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Outreach Intern, Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Value Chain/ Private Sector Expert for Agricultural Project

Are you on Zócalo Beta yet? Click here for more information on how to access the system.

We are happy to announce that Zócalo Beta*, our new online advising system, is now live.

To log in: Students can log in using their Exchange account information (the first part of your email address, i.e. “jhamblet,” not “jhamblet@miis.edu,”) and your password.

You will be able to link to Zócalo via the Moodle home page and via the new MIIS website.

Once you are logged into Zócalo, you will find these sections:

• Profile: This section contains your academic and profile information
  • Advisors: Your primary and secondary career and academic advisors are listed here.
  • Study Plan: In addition to the study plan you may already have on hand, you may also fill out your Study Plan here, which will help to guide you along your professional and academic path here at the Institute, and which will help to facilitate communication with your advisors.  If you do not yet have a study plan, please work with your Advisor to create this important document.
  • Employment: In this section you can input any internships and employment undertaken before or during the period you are at the Institute, which will again help facilitate communication with your advisors. The employer must already be in our system to add the position; to add an employer not yet in the system, just send an email with the organization and contact information to your advisor.
• Documents: This section contains two sub-sections. One sub-section is for  those documents relevant only to you. The other sub-section  is a searchable document library available to all students
  • Documents: Here you can upload your resume and cover letters for consideration for employer resume books and recruiting efforts. We will also be utilizing this section to upload waiver forms and other academic- and career- relevant documents.
  • Document Library: We will soon be uploading relevant academic and career documents, such as resume and cover letter templates and advising syllabi.
• Jobs: In this section, you will find a searchable database of jobs, fellowships and internship postings.
  • Please note that we are continually adding positions previously posted in our previous email system, First Class, but this will take time before all positions have been transferred.
  • For now, please use the Keyword search field rather than searching by Industry. Industry data will be added soon.
  • In some cases, the employer may choose to have you apply for positions directly through the system. This will be particularly useful for on-campus recruiting visits and the Institute-wide career fair in the Spring
• Employers: A searchable database of organizations and organization websites.
  • In some cases, you will also be able to find contact information if the employer has chosen to make it available.
  • Again, please use the Keyword search field for now.

Why Beta? This system will be undergoing updates and improvements over the next few months. Soon you will see:

• Databases of MBA- and MPA- related positions, run by Symplicity, the company that produces Zócalo.
• A library of career and academic advising resources
• The ability to make appointments with your advisor(s)
• And more!

As with any organization testing a new technology in Beta stage, we would like to solicit feedback as to how to improve the user experience. Please contact your advisor(s) with any comments or suggestions, or post your comments to this blog post.

*Beta: The term “beta” refers to a piece of software or web application that’s still being developed. Expect problems with betas and you won’t be surprised, but enjoy the thrill of being among the first to use a new bit of software. http://www.userland.com/whatIsABeta