Get Stuck

Just a quick FYI before you start reading this post.  I think I broke the cliché machine when writing this.  It’s 4:30 am in the morning and I was just writing down the thoughts as they came pouring out.  I hope nothing I said is too far off of the mark or offends anybody.  Please forgive me if I sound too much like a self-help fountain.

Get Stuck.

It’s okay to get stuck in life.  It means that at some point in your life, things happened to stop your momentum.  You ceased moving in the direction that you wanted to go.  Oftentimes, if we get stuck, it means that we were simply trying something that didn’t quite pan out.  This is a great time to follow that old phrase, “Fail fast, fail often”.  Once you know something isn’t working, once you know that you are stuck, you are now in a position to try new ways to get yourself unstuck.

Try something new.  Try something wild.  Try something untested.  If you are stuck in life and you keep doing the same kinds of things to try to get moving again, you will continue to keep getting the same kinds of results. 

Some problems will never go away, but you can go around them.  You can move beyond them.  Here are a few examples that popped in my head:

     1)  If you are confined to the house due to an illness - I know, that can be a bummer.  You and the doctors have tried everything.  Perhaps it is a good time to grow beyond your pot; to break the mold. Try to find a problem that you can solve.  Maybe you can’t fix your illness, but I’ll bet you can use your time to find a solution to something else.  Whether it is finally finishing that book you've been meaning to write or figuring out how to make the bathroom door stop squeaking, focus on the problems that you can actually fix.

     2)  When graduating college, you cannot find a job in your major - Eventually, you may have to take a job outside of your major.  It may suck, but I’ll bet if you look, you can find jobs that are more interesting outside of your major.  Try applying for those too!  Don’t limit your potential.

     3)  You have a family member that you can’t fix - No matter what you do, this family member will not change.  You continue to provide them with sound and reasonable advice, but they refuse to be responsible.  What do you do?  Maybe the best answer is to do nothing.  The relationship will stay stuck unless you accept that it’s not on you to force this change.  Try to find other ways that you can share with this family member outside of the problem.

These are just a few ideas.  Obviously, there are a bazillion-kajillion scenarios where you can get stuck.  There is no one solution.  It is okay to get stuck.  Hey, get stuck more often!  That is the best time to innovate, grab a crowbar, and come at your problem from the side.  

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Note: Please view the Disclaimer page for all liabilities and limitations.

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Change Is Inevitable

Change Happens

Author Douglas Adams once wrote in his book Mostly Harmless, "Anything that happens, happens. Anything that, in happening, causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen. Anything that, in happening, causes itself to happen again, happens again. It doesn’t necessarily do it in chronological order, though." The truth is that things in life rarely remain static for a long time. Things happen. Systems get upgraded. New schools of thought are discovered. Have you changed with the times? Are you adjusting your career battle-plan? Own your change.

 

TYPES OF CHANGES

What kinds of changes are you dealing with in your life? You can deal with it, whether it is a tiny change or a big, monumental, transformational event. You just need to get your head around it. There are many kinds of changes but they can all be boiled down to two questions:  Is it wanted change? Can you prepare for it in advance? Once you answer those questions, you will hopefully be a little less stressed as you will then be able to better deal with the change.

Think of the types of change across a 4-box matrix:

Top Left Box - If the change that you expect is wanted, but there is no way to prepare or to know when it will happen, your best strategy would be to practice patience. Sometimes good things come to those who wait.

Top Right Box - You wanted change and now it is coming. If you are able to prepare in advance, you can take advantage of the event. Set yourself up to do more than succeed. Set yourself up for multiple successes. Try to group your tasks and events so that victory in one can help the others. Hopefully I am making sense on this one. In other words, nothing succeeds like success.

Bottom Left Box - Push forward peacefully and keep going.  There is a Serenity Prayer that some people follow that may be helpful to remember:

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

and wisdom to know the difference.

If there is nothing you can do to stop an unwanted change, then there is nothing you can do. Try to work on the things you can change in your life. Try to find strength to pass through those changes that are unwanted. Consider breathing exercises, doing yoga, or talking to a friend. Anything you need to so you can find serenity.

Bottom Right Box - If you know a flood is coming, you had better put up some sandbags now and plan your path to higher ground. Sometimes there are changes that are for the worse, but the damage can be negated with the proper amount of preparation.

ASK THE QUESTIONS OF YOURSELF
Change will often push us; cause us to get out of our comfort zone. How we answer those questions for ourselves will help decide how to handle the change.

On a personal note, I have not made any updates to my blog in a while, as I have been experiencing my own changes - Career, family, etc. Additionally, I may change the format or I may leave it as is. As I debate this, I ask myself the questions above: Is Change Wanted? Is Preparation Possible?

If I do not talk to you again soon, have a great summer.

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Note: Please view the Disclaimer page for all liabilities and limitations.

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Two Weeks Notice

I remember the first real job I ever quit.  I mean, I had a little newspaper route with "The Levittown Express", but quitting that really doesn't count.  I never had a boss looking over my shoulder, checking the quality of my work.  My output was not someone else’s input.  Also, I was probably 7 years old when I quit that job and I knew less than nothing at that point.

No, the first job I ever quit was my job stocking shelves at Bradlees.

Two Weeks Notice

The year was 1995.  I had joined their team during the summer between 11th and 12th grade.  It was a relatively fun job putting sports gear and action figures up, straightening and fronting the merchandise.  There was even a cute girl that worked the electronics counter that I got to talk to occasionally.  I really liked the job and felt bad when summer was over and I had to quit to go back to school. I probably could've kept working part-time, but I was afraid that it might affect my grades in my Senior Year.  So I quit.

Unfortunately, at this point in my life, nobody had informed me that it was customary to give your employer a two week notice before leaving.  It was a training event for me.  When I spoke to the store manager, I remember how her nostrils flared.  She had assumed that since I didn't give her my notice earlier, that I would be staying on over the fall.  I let her know that it was my last day.  That was when she told me about the two week notice.

The reason I bring this up is as a reminder that sometimes someone is counting on you; others have expectations that they expect you to meet.  If for some reason you cannot do something expected of you, it is usually a good idea to give notice ahead of time.  Do not wait until the last moment, because you might leave someone in a bind.  Try to be respectful and always remember to give an employer two weeks notice so that they can try to find a replacement.

Please feel free to leave a comment.  Tell me about the first job you ever quit.

Be Human... Be a Resource...  Be a Resource for Humans.

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Note: Please view the Disclaimer page for all liabilities and limitations.

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Benefits of Performance Management

Today I would like to talk a little bit more about improving the effectiveness and accuracy of your employees.  Today I would like to talk about the benefits of Performance Management.  If you have any comments, please feel free to leave them at the bottom.

Benefits of Performance Management

If you have a worker that is not pulling their weight, do you do nothing, waiting for them to do something so egregious that you can fire them?  No, you try to fix the problem and improve on the situation.  You help your employees become better employees.  Here are some benefits of not giving up on Performance Management:

1)  Improved quality

2)  Improved communication

3)  Better Organizational Alignment

4)  Increased Organizational Output

5)  Reduced Management Time

6)  Increased employee independence

7)  Increase employee satisfaction

All 7 of these add up to one big benefit - Increased potential profitability for the company.  When your employees are all working at their peak, you will be able to do more with fewer resources at a lower cost, therefore generating higher revenues and higher profits.  So does it not make sense to help your employees out in their jobs.  If your company does not have a formal Performance Management program in place, they may seriously want to consider starting one.

And remember all of you Human Resources professionals:  Be Human... Be a Resource...  Be a Resource for Humans. 

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are by the author Trevor Stasik, and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer or any other organization. Please note, this information is based on my understanding and is only to be used for informational and educational purposes. Do not take what I am writing as advice. Seek your own legal counsel and/or see a tax accountant before making business or personal decisions. The author of this post makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

TREVOR: PERSONAL BRAND AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

I am attempting to develop a “Personal Brand” and then figure out a social media strategy for presenting myself online.  Later on, I would love some feedback.  Feel free to give me 4 or 5 words that you think best describe me.  At the end of my post, there are some links to articles that I visited and borrowed concepts from.  You ought to go check them out.

TREVOR:  PERSONAL BRAND AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

A personal brand is important in a career, regardless of whether you are looking to improve in the job you are at now, looking for a new job, or looking to branch out in your own business.  Personal branding is deliberately packaging yourself to create a specific perception about yourself; what I am known for and what people seek me out for. 

Here is my initial concept for my personal brand:  I want to be known as a highly organized, relentless pursuer of Human Resources knowledge; someone that people come to focuses on developing the potential of human capital; and a person that people can trust and people can come to for advice.  I also want to be a person that occasionally communicates their interest in the economy/politics and science-fiction. 

Please keep in mind - that was just a first draft of my branding message; part of an evolving process.  Please feel free to give me your own tips and advice.

So for my Social Media Strategy, I am looking at 6 primary focuses:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, and my blog.  I am not exactly sure how to best use them.  My first thought is to put long form posts that are not necessarily topical on Facebook and on my Blog.  Then to use Google+ for notes that are topical and benefit from chonological release.  Twitter could be good for short reminders, motivational messages, and items to drive people to my other media.  Pinterest; I am not exactly sure how to incorporate that - maybe use more infographics.  On LinkedIn, I should try to find some questions that I can answer.

Anyway, let me know your ideas.  I expect this strategy to evolve and expand.

Interesting links to visit to learn more about Personal Branding:

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/how-to-create-your-personal-brand-in-6-easy-steps/

http://smedio.com/2011/02/08/7-personal-branding-secrets-of-facebook-pages/

http://www.globalhrnews.com/story.asp?sid=1458

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Another thought about font

I’d like to try this “Minimal” font, but I don’t know how to embed it on my Blog yet.

What am I thinking about right now?

I saw the documentary "Helvetica" today and it got me thinking...
Maybe it's time to change the typeface of my site here.














Georgia...

That shall be my new font. At least for the time being.

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Trevor's New 2-Page Resume

It's been a while since I've updated my resume and thought that now would be a good time. I'd just like to keep things up to date by adding the company I am currently working for. You should also check out my LinkedIn page for more details.


TREVOR A. STASIK
1148 Neshaminy Valley Drive
Bensalem, PA 19020
215-833-6384
trevor.stasik@gmail.com

EXPERIENCE:

Ascensus
Dresher, PA
Account Executive (Oct. 2010 - Present)
• Communicated with retirement plan sponsors and financial advisors about all client issues. Performed all necessary research, problem solving and resolution support for any client issues that were identified. Typical items that I addressed with clients included payroll 401k deferrals, adoption agreement options, ADP / ACP testing, fund allocation changes, participant census updates, and Form 5500 inquiries.
• I provided quality monitoring on a Plan Monitor Report QC project. Working with Relationship Manager Tony Krause, I acted within a team to quality check the Plan Monitor Reports prior to sending out to financial advisors. The Plan Monitor Report provides a summary of statistics about the plan participants and activity within the plan throughout the quarter. I quality checked the accuracy of information that will be in the report against the contributions, distributions, balances and other data in our systems and in other reports.

Delaware Investments
Philadelphia, PA
Service Consultant (June 2008 - Oct. 2010)
• Employee Of The Month for December 2008, October 2009 and February 2010 due to my strong
• Call Of The Month Award for May 2010.
• As a results-driven performer, I completed tens of thousands of financial and maintenance transactions including share redemptions, fund exchanges, share purchases, adjustment of reinvestment options, address changes, and stopping payment of lost checks.
• Responded to thousands of telephone requests regarding fund and account information, market conditions, fund performance, retirement loan inquiries, tax implications, and general policies and procedures, ensuring that clients were well-informed and pleased with the level of service during calls.
• Assisted the Correspondence Department by writing letters to clients, representatives, attorneys and interested parties with regard to mutual fund procedures, fund and account information, and responded to inquiry letters.
• Completed numerous in-house training classes including Project Management, and Effective Business Writing.

OfficeMax
Fairless Hills, PA
Print and Document Services Associate (July 2003 - May 2008)
• Coordinated reprographic, computer graphic design, and other business media services for individuals and small business clients at an office supplies retailer with $5 - 10k in weekly departmental sales.
• Worked closely with clients and external vendors on business card and stationary design, operation of 8 printer/scanners, a hydraulic cutter, a folding machine, binding machine, and troubleshooting equipment repairs and maintenance.

Self-Employed Freelance Film And Video
Philadelphia, PA
Positions Include Producer, Writer, Gaffer, Grip (July 2002 - July 2003)
• Full list of contracts fulfilled available upon request. Industry, Independent, and Student.
• Wrote and Produced Short Film “Quitting Is For Losers”, shown at 2005 Coatesville, PA Film Festival.

United States Navy
USS Carl Vinson
Stationed in Bremerton, WA
Nuclear Electrician, Petty Officer 3rd Class (July 1996 - July 2002)
• Maintained and operated the four steam driven electric generators and four motor generators on the Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson, which provided the power for the ship. Maintenance included monthly inspections, extensive log keeping, intricate repairs and laborious carbon brush changes.
• Trained and oriented up to 20 Electrician Mates on control panel operation of the generators, 4160 volt circuit breakers, backup diesel generator operations, and emergency reactor shutdown procedures.

EDUCATION:

Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Business Administration, May 2008
GPA: 3.75 (Summa Cum Laude)
Primary Major: Finance
2nd Major: Film & Media Arts

• Related Courses: Corporate Finance, Investing, Accounting I-III, Managerial Economics, Seminar in Financial Management, Statistics I-II, Economics, International Financial Management, Risk Management, Business Policies, Operations Management, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Corporate Finance, Investing, Accounting I-III, Real Estate Investing, Writing For Media I-II, Filmmaking, Producing, Computers & Applications, Media Arts
• Student Organization: Financial Management Association, Vice President of Communications

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Old Navy Photos

Just for fun, here's some old photos of me from when I was in the Navy:

 

Trevor Stasik, Navy, Carl Vinson, CVN 70

Great Quote

Here is a quote I found in the book "Into Thin Air" (page 185) by Jon Krakauer that I really liked:

"Not only during the ascent but also during the descent my will-power is dulled. The longer I climb the less important the goal seems to me, the more indifferent I become to myself. My attention has diminished, my memory is weakened. My mental fatigue is now greater than the bodily. It is so pleasant to sit doing nothing - and therefore so dangerous. Death through exhaustion is - like death through freezing - a pleasant one." -Reinhold Messner, The Crystal Horizon

Passed my Series 63 Exam

Just letting you all know that I passed my exam yesterday!



Series 63

Passed The Series 6 Exam!

Yay!

Series 6

Video Produced For Temple University CSPD

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. There have been other priorities that have been more pressing.
Anyway, I recently finished filming a brief video for the Center for Student Professional Development at Temple University. Here it is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JrO92hM6Uo




CSPD, Temple University, Trevor Stasik, Professional Development

Thank You

Hello again. I am so glad that you have decided to join me today for another blog entry. Before I return my blog to discussing items of a financial nature, I would like to use this entry to thank some of the people that helped me through Temple University, my job hunting process, and getting my new job at Delaware Investments.

Mary Stasik - Before my mother passed, she drilled into me the importance of studying hard
Ernest Stasik - Supported all of my decisions and pushed me to work even harder
Christina Mahon - Kept me sane and tidy during my 3am study sessions. You were there for everything.
Vince Stasik - Thanks for being a supportive brother
Tina Duffy - Thanks for being a supportive sister
Pat Duffy - Reminded me to take breaks, even when time was limited
Uncle Francie - True believer!
Erica Nemeth - Listened as I talked about my plans
Megan Rimer - Showed me support, helped me with interviews, and gave me the confidence to succeed
Jena Bandini - Taught me the value of a well timed, handwritten thank-you note
Janis Moore Campbell - Your honest and forceful deconstruction of my early resume and interview techniques helped me grow stronger
James (Jim) McLaughlin - Helped me find new opportunities.
Clay Stewart - Believed in me no matter what!
Jim Stevens - Taught me the value of form, method, structure, and organization
Olga Hendzelyuk - Trusted me when I took the initiative on new projects with the Financial Management Association
Professor Stephen Kamp - Never stopped challenging me to meet the highest of expectations he set for the Financial Management Association
Professor Norman Roessler - Taught me about "Memento," "Holy Mountain," culture, tolerance, friendship, and new perspectives
Professor Siegel - Gave me numerous opportunities to hone my business strategy presentation skills on unique case studies. “Don’t forget about Porter’s Five Forces!”
Lucas Pfaff, Tzuo (Joe) Wang, Ben Iliopoulos - When facing overwhelming project requirements and unrealistic deadlines, you are the ones that had my back
Paul Pace - For reminding me where I've been before
Chris Callanan - Thanks for the interview and giving me a chance to prove myself
Lindwood Wilmer - Thanks for the interview and giving me the chance to prove myself
Tim Scanlan - Thanks for the interview and giving me a chance to prove myself
Tim Douglass - Thanks for the interview and giving me a chance to prove myself
Sam Tropio - Thanks for welcoming me to Delaware Investments and taking me under your wing
Stephen R. Covey - His book “7 Habits For Highly Effective People” has been such a help that I wanted to thank him
Steve Pavlina - The insights you wrote about in your blog at http://www.stevepavlina.com/ regarding time management and productivity helped me juggle numerous responsibilities while I was at school.


If your name was not included, it was not intentional. I could spend hours writing a list of thank yous. There have been so many people that have helped me along the way. I thank you all.

With my next blog entry, I will return to the topics of money, accounting, and finance.

Sincerely,
Trevor Stasik




Thank You, Temple University, Delaware Investments

Wisdom Gained From The Job Search

Hello, it’s been a long while. I know that I have been neglecting my blog of late but I have a good excuse. I have been focusing my energy on the new job. However, since I have been spending all this time now in gainful employment, I should at least provide you with some of the job search wisdom I gained during the last 6 months.

PERSISTENCE: I think that the most challenging thing about the search was the rejection by prospective employers. During my search, I had to tackle over 300 applications and 70 interviews before finally connecting with my new job. The saying goes, "if at first you don't succeed, try again." the saying should be modified to "if at first you don't succeed, try again SMARTER." Continue to push forward, but learn, evolve and adapt. Try new techniques and methods to achieving your goals.

MARKETING YOURSELF: Have you ever bought something after seeing a really interesting advertisement in the newspaper? Have you ever bought an item based on the recommendation of a friend? You should consider the job search process as an exercise in self-marketing. Your resume, blog, voicemail, job application, and even your personal relationships act as advertising for you. Be tactful and professional, but assertive in getting your name out there. Other people need to know that you are an available, quality solution to their staffing needs before they will consider you for a position.

INTERVIEW PREPARATION: With each interview that I did, the better I got at preparing before the interview. Prior to an interview, you should make a list of possible questions that you may be asked. Then, using the STAR method, write out the answers to those questions. If you are asking yourself, "what's the STAR method," don't feel bad. When I went on my first interviews I didn't either. STAR is a way of answering questions in a way that reveals you as the talented person you know that you are. STAR, as taught to me by Janis Campbell, stands for situation, task, action, result. Answer the interviewer's questions by first describing the situation in one or two sentences, providing the time, place, and your job. The task should follow next, describing the challenge you faced. Action is the most important step. The action step describes in summarized detail the process and activities you did to solve the problem. (Note: talk about what you did, not what the group did) The final step is the results section. In this section you must provide specific facts and figures about the impact of your contributions.

THANK-YOU NOTES: Handwritten thank-you notes go a long way in the hiring process. E-mail is more convenient, but that is why it fails to show your genuine appreciation. Thank-you notes can show a recruiter that you care.

Conclusion:
Ultimately, these are just a few of the things that I learned about during my job search. It can be a challenge, but new paths and ideas can be found. Time permitting, I will return to this subject again in the future. I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors.

Please drop me a comment sometime.
- Sincerely, Trevor Stasik






Job Search, Persistence, Interview

I Officially Have A Job

Great news! I was offered a position at Delaware Investments and I have accepted the job. I start June 2nd. I will give you more information sometime in the next week. -----Sincerely, Trevor.



Career Development, Delaware Investments, Good News

Time Management Matrix

I would like to introduce you to the Time Management Matrix. Frequently discussed by Stephen Covey and Brian Tracy, this is a simple tool that can be used to guide a person's productivity choices. In other words, it can help you make better use of your time. This is perhaps one of the most valuable skills that sets leaders apart from mere mortals.

Here is the matrix as presented by Mr. Covey:

QUADRANT I: IMPORTANT AND URGENT
If you are spending most of your time in quadrant I, then you are likely always stressed and putting out fires. One of the primary problems faced by people living in Quadrant 1 is that when everything is important, nothing is important. By understanding that, you can begin to prioritize tasks. Does that task really need done now, by me? Can that be delegated? Do I need to volunteer for it? How important is it really? With proper planning, fewer tasks will become urgent since they can be taken care of ahead of time.

QUADRANT II: IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT
Here is where you are going to get things done. You can spend time working today to prepare for tomorrow. Why put off tomorrow what can be done today? You don't need to finish these tasks right away, but get them started. Think about it like you were building Rome. Before you can build the Colosseum, you should lay down some thick slabs of stone to act as a foundation. These first steps in your long range tasks may be that important, even if they are not urgent or pressing upon you immediately. All of those later steps will build one upon another, like brick upon brick. Before you know it, your task will be done (or Colosseum built if you're a Roman). To maximize your productivity, you should spend most of your time in Quadrant II.

QUADRANT III: NOT IMPORTANT BUT URGENT
Here is a tough choice- to pick up that ringing cell phone or to let it go to voicemail? It can be a tough choice because you may not know who it is or why they are calling. It is something that is urgent, but not necessarily important. There are many tasks that can fill a person's day, but they may not all be the most productive choices. Look at what you need or want to do, and determine which tasks you don't really need to do because they are not really that important. One task that I've had trouble with is the news. I'm a news junkie and I love checking sites like the Drudge Report to see what's going on minute-by-minute. However, I need to fight that urge because it is a waste of time. The news, if not applicable to your life, may be urgent but not important.

QUADRANT IV: NOT IMPORTANT AND NOT URGENT
This is the most useless waste of time. Nothing accomplished here will actually change anything in your life or anyone else's. This is the quadrant of "waste" as Mr. Covey would call it. Hours checking Wikipedia for useless facts, watching 85 episodes of Stargate, or mindless debate of unimportant issues fill this quadrant. Although it can be enticing to lose yourself for a while, Quadrant IV can be destructive if you spend large amounts of time there.

Time management can be a daily struggle, but it is a struggle worth undertaking. It can help guide you and help you find your limits. Proper use of the guide above will help you answer the question: "What is the best use of my time?"

For more information about the Time Management Matrix, check out the website of Stephen Covey HERE and Brian Tracy HERE. For other ideas about time management, check out the Productivity Guru Steve Pavlina HERE. Thanks for visiting.

-----Sincerely, Trevor Stasik.



Time Management, Matrix, Stephen Covey, Quadrants

Trevor Stasik: Resume of a Professional in Finance

This is my extended professional resume. I thought that I should post it here so my readers have a better understanding about my background.

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Trevor Stasik
tstasik@temple.edu
1148 Neshaminy Valley Drive
Bensalem, PA 19020
tel: 215.833.6384


EDUCATION:
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, Fox School of Business, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Business Administration, May 2008
Primary Major: Finance
Second Major: Film and Media Arts
GPA: 3.73

EXCELSIOR COLLEGE, (formerly known as Regents College), Albany, NY
Associates Of Applied Science, 2000
Specialization in Nuclear Technology

EXPERIENCE:
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, Student Organization, 2006 - Present
Vice-President of Communications, 2007
• Lead team in successfully publishing newsletters, upgrading website at www.temple-fma.org, distributing email to over 200 members, and marketing to student body.
• Received the Most Valuable Member Award for FMA.
Newsletter Director, 2006

OFFICEMAX, Fairless Hills, PA (Varied full time and part time) July 2003 - Present
Print and Document Services Associate
• Coordinate reprographic, computer graphic design, and other business media services for individuals and small business clients at an office supplies retailer with $5 - 10k in weekly departmental sales.
• Work closely with clients and external vendors on business card and stationary design, operation of 8 printer/scanners, a hydraulic cutter, a folding machine, binding machine, and troubleshooting equipment repairs and maintenance.
• Placed over a thousand DHL orders manually and via computer, tracking packages, and successfully ensuring that all orders reached their proper destinations.

UNITED STATES NAVY, Carl Vinson CVN-70 July 1996 - July 2002
Nuclear Electrician, Petty Officer 3rd Class
• Maintained and operated the four steam driven electric generators and four motor generators on the Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson, which provided the power for the ship.
• Maintenance included monthly inspections, extensive log keeping, intricate repairs and laborious carbon brush changes.
• Trained and oriented up to 20 Electrician Mates on control panel operation of the generators, 4160 volt circuit breakers, backup diesel generator operations, and emergency reactor shutdown procedures.
• Monitored and maintained 16 salinity chemistry and salinity safety alarm modules including the Steam Generator High level/Low level alarms resulting in the 100% safe operation of the Nuclear Reactor.

COMPUTER SKILLS:
• Microsoft Office Suite (including MS Access)
• Microsoft Publisher
• Adobe Photoshop

FILM AND MEDIA EXPERIENCE:
• Wrote and Produced Short Film “Quitting Is For Losers”,
shown at 2005 Coatesville, PA Film Festival.
• Produced corporate video interviews for the Financial Management Association at Temple University
• Worked on numerous student and independent films while at school.

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If anyone has any questions about my experiences, please send me an email.
If you have any comments about how to improve my resume, please leave me a comment so that all of my readers can benefit from your tips and advice.
Thanks for visiting. ----------Sincerely, Trevor Stasik



Trevor Stasik, Financial Professional, Resume, FinanceCarl Vinson, Nuclear Power, Business, Finance, Introduction, Nuke, Navy, Stasik EM3ElectricianTemple UniversityFMA

Trevor Stasik: An Informal Introduction

I'm currently taking a class on Public Speaking. The first speech we have to give is one introducing ourselves in a 2-3 minute period. I found that it is really difficult to edit your whole life down to such a small area. There were many judicious cuts that needed to be made, but my class doesn't have time to learn about everything. Well, some of my blog readers might want to know more about me, so I'm going to copy and paste my planned speech below:

Hi, my name is Trevor Stasik. You know, when I was in first grade, the kids used to make fun of my name. They’d say, “Hey Trevor, how’s the weather?” I don’t understand why they chose the word “weather”. It would have made more sense to chose a word that rhymed better like: never, lever, or sever. Oh well.

I’m a bit older than most of you. I remember a time when Dave Grohl was still a drummer in Nirvana, and the Berlin Wall was still dividing Germany. I graduated from high school in 1996. Our family really didn’t make enough money to send me to college so I needed to pursue other options. I thought that the military might be an interesting option.

I joined the Navy when I was 17 and stayed in for a full 6 year enlistment. I trained and worked as an electrician on two nuclear reactors. My friends used to warn me that I’d come out glowing green, but it turns out that nuclear power is a lot safer than people think. Statistically speaking, the Earth will be destroyed by a stray comet before a Navy reactor can meltdown.

Following my time in the Navy, I decided to go into Film. I had worked on the movie Behind Enemy Lines when it was filmed on my ship. I had also worked on a number of independent short films. I love, love, love movies. So it seemed like a good idea for a college major. Unfortunately, the job market for film majors is filled with positions that are “volunteer only”. You’re lucky if you make a living for the first 10 years in that career path. If I ever wanted to start a family or buy a house, I needed to start thinking economically. I changed my major 2 years ago.

Which brings me to my current passion and career path: I am a senior in the Fox School of Business at Temple University, and a major in finance. I believe that I can make a good living and I can still be creative finding ways to make corporate projects profitable. I’m also working as the Vice-President of Communications for the Financial Management Association (FMA) here at Temple. I lead the team that produces the newsletter and website for the organization.

I look forward to graduation in 2008 and finally finding a job that pays well. Thanks for listening.

And thank you for visiting my blog.
If you want to know more about me, send me an email or drop me a comment.
-------Sincerely, Trevor Stasik.

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This note added later: In case I have old friends trying to google search me, I've added a lot of tags at the bottom of this post. Hopefully it will make it easier for them to locate me.

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Trevor Stasik, Public Speaking, Carl Vinson, Nuclear Power Nirvana Business Finance Introduction Nuke Navy Stasik EM3ElectricianTemple UniversityFMA

Track the Progress of my Fitness Program

Consider this fact I heard on the radio the other day:
Fewer than 15% of CEO's are considered overweight.

Being physically fit provides a person with more energy, creativity, and happiness. I'm out of shape and I need to fix it if I'm to move significantly up the ladder of success.

I thought that finding some support from my friends or others online might help. If you see this message, any comments or advice would be welcome. Thanks.
-----Sincerely, Trevor Stasik.









fitness, mapmyrun, support, out of shape