Portland observer., August 12, 1998, Page 14, Image 14

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CAREERS
S tre e t of 'O reams ani)
~'Vrtla$e f o r Saie
B y P rof . M c K inley B urt
W hat w as it about tho se tw o
phrases that struck an ironic chord in
the hearts o f m any inner city resi­
dents, who read the “ H om es” section
o f P ortland’s daily new spaper this
past Sunday?
A n A fric a n A m eric an g ra n d ­
m other voiced it very well, “T hose
term s w ee used to introduce in-depth
article w hich, in each case, w ere so­
phisticated and w ell-designed m ar­
keting o f real estate. She m ade a
special connection with the state­
m ent, “V illage for sale: A Bend
builder tests the m arket for a new
dream o f old-fashioned com m unity.”
Sm art lady-w ish she w as still teach­
ing.
She w as not the only N ortheast
resident to call and say that, “they are
finally beginning to catch on-just need
a few m ore schoolyard m assacres.”
And other, as w ell, cited the points
I’ve m ade in the recent series o f
articles; particularly last w eeks’ very
relevant sum m ary.
“T his, indeed has been ‘the w ay it
w as’...the rem arkable socialization
o f the village, the extended fam ily o f
hom e, school and n eig hborhood
w hich structured the spiritual strength
and hum anity that sustained black
people through all the racism.
A s to b e ex p ected th e re is a
postm odern catch phrase to describe
an ‘o ld ’ concept. “N ew U rbanism ”-
all o f the basic principle developed
by a group o f builders, architects,
planners and com m unity activists.
W e w onder if any ‘inner-city resi­
d en ts’ ever are included in this plan­
ning structure?-that is before they
are w iped out by U rban Renew al or
Light Rail. A process endangering
other environm ents.
N ot all their concepts agree w ith
w hat w e have been saying here, but it
1 •
W right, et al”
And it w as w ithin these fiery ur­
ban furnaces that black people fought
so valiantly to establish that h um an­
ity and socialization o f the village
and neighborhood; despite J im Crow
laws, restrictive convants, em ploy­
ment discrim ination and ju st plain
daily violence. It is very difficult for
A frican A m ericans to believe that
this “N ew Urbanism ” can bring about
a series o f great dem ocratic villages
w hichjust by saying so w ill re-create
seem s obvious that som eone has
taken a look over our shoulder. ‘Bor­
row ed our sp ace,’ if you will; from
neighborhood to dw elling and from
street to shop.
“All developm ent should be in the
form o f com pact, w alk able neigh­
borhoods or districts.. transit stop and
retail businesses...designed to en ­
courage pedestrian use w ithout en ­
tirely excluding autom obiles...street
should be a netw ork linked into
blocks, w ith building fronts facing
th e s tr e e t in s te a d o f p a rk in g
lots., public transit should connect
n e i g h b o r h o o d s ” . .. r e s i d e n c e s ,
schools, shops close to each other.
Back to the future! But not all the
way and many A frican Americans
are quite concerned that the socio
econom ics o f m ost “N ew Urbanism
projects will exclude them. “A wide
range o f housing should be avai lable
for all types o f incom es, ages and
fam ily types w here they can live
w ithin a single neighborhood or dis­
humaness.
Will the new villages have a “Street
o f D ream s” for all A m ericans? And
here w e speak o f m ore than the huge
mansions, vaulted living room s, spas
and hom e theaters, and the related
lifestyles. There w as m any a “street
o f dream s" in those inner city neigh­
borhoods w e have described the past
weeks.
T here w ere A frican A m erican
dream s o f attaining w hat seem ed to
com e so naturally to m any other
A m ericans: A good jo b , a college
education, the purchase o f a hom e in
a g o o d n eig h b o rh o o d , a d e q u a te
health care and so forth. A nd each
tim e one seem ed to be gaining on the
dream , a new abyss opened u nder­
trict.”
T hat last quote rings an alarm bell
for m ost blacks, w ho up to that point
had seen an encouraging social and
econom ic prom ise in these projected
realignm ents o f the basic urban envi­
ronm ent. The current opposition o f
builders to m andatory inclusion o f
either low -incom e w hites or blacks
in upscale projects is not expected to
foot.
In fact, it w as ju st last w eek that
the National U rban L eague advised
African A m ericans that they had been
m aking a serious m istake if they re­
ally believed that those statistics o f
greateream ing m eant greater wealth.
“ W e are falling even farther behind"
w e are told, “because incom e is not
w here it’s at-savings and investm ents
are the key to w ealth and ‘d ream s.’”
T hat is one w ay o f saying that
even a m inor econom ic lapse w ould
see a large segm ent o f the black
m iddle class back w here they started.
C ontinued next w eek
change soon.
As I said in an article last year (12/
17/97), American Philosophy o f Land
and Space: “A century o f north wand
m igration to the large central cities
brought A frican Am ericans into a
strange congruence with an alleged
urban paradise shaped by that pan­
theon o f planners, architects, essay­
ists and sociologist who are revered
by the urban planning establishm ent-
L e w is M u m fo rd , F ra n k L lo y d
W o m e n S ta r t; T h e ir
O w n C o m p a n ie s
A g r o w i n g tr e n d a m o n g c o r ­
p o r a t e w o m a n a r e to l e a v e
t h e i r c o r p o r a t e j o b s a n d s ta r t
t h e i r o w n c o m p a n ie s .
C o r p o r a tio n s a re lo s in g
th o u s a n d s o f f e m a le e m p l o y ­
e e s a n d m a n g e r s e a g e r to s ta r t
b u s in e s s e s o f th e ir ow n. P ro ­
f e s s i o n a l w o m e n s a y th e y a r e
le a v in g c o r p o r a t e j o b s b e c a u s e
o f a d v a n c e m e n t b a r r i e r s , la c k
o f p a y r a is e s , jo b s e c u rity and
a s tr o n g d e s i r e to p u r s u e e n ­
tr e p r e n e u r ia l g o a ls.
A n u n p re c e d e n te d n u m b e r
o f w o m e n a r e ta k i n g th e i n i ­
t i a t i v e . T h e n u m b e r o f f e m a le
o w n e d b u s i n e s s e s is g r o w in g
a t n e a r ly t w ic e th e n a t io n a l
a v e r a g e . A s s ta te d b e f o r e , b a r ­
r i e r s to a d v a n c e m e n t is th e
n u m b e r o n e r e a s o n c i te d fo r
le a v in g c o r p o r a t e j o b s , n e a r ly
3 0 % o f f e m a le e n t r e p r e n e u r s
c i te d t h i s r e a s o n a s th e m a jo r
r e a s o n th e y l e f t t h e i r jo b s . T h e
s u r v e y w a s c o n d u c te d c a ta ly s t,
N F W B O an d c o m m itte e o f
2 0 0 , o r g a n i z a t i o n o f b u s in e s s
w om en.
F e m a le o w n e d f ir m s g e n e r ­
a te a b o u t 2 .3 t r i l l i o n in r e v ­
e n u e , 2 3 6 % ju m p fro m 1987
to 1 9 9 6 . F e m a le b u s in e s s o w n ­
e r s e m p lo y a b o u t 1 8 .5 m il lio n
p e o p le ,
th e r i s e in w o m e n
o w n e d b u s i n e s s e s is o n e o f th e
b ig d e m o g r a p h i c s c h a n g i n g
cr& M I
'-> 6 3
£ .¿ 4 ?■’.
x’jîy 'f Z -s
• ;-<y .V? *.
HOT TIPS ON RESUME WRITING
C ontinued F rom P age B7
R e m e m b e r th a t y o u D O N ’T
h a v e to p re s e n t y o u r E N T IR E
w o rk h isto ry ! Y o u ca n sim p ly
la b e l th a t p a rt o f y o u r re su m e
“ R e ce n t W o rk H is to ry ” o r “ R e l­
e v a n t W o rk H is to ry ” an d th en
d e s c rib e o n ly th e la st 10 o r 15
y e a rs o f y o u r e x p e r ie n c e . ( I f
so m e th in g re a lly im p o rta n t b e ­
lo n g s in th e d is ta n t p a st, h e r e ’s
w h at to do: at th e en d o f y o u r 10-
15 y e a r w o rk h is to ry , y o u can
ad d a p a ra g ra p h h e a d e d “ P rio r
re le v a n t e x p e r ie n c e ” an d sim p ly
re fe r to th a t a n c ie n t jo b w ith o u t
m e n tio n in g d a te s.
9. C a n ’t d e c id e w h e th e r to u se
a C h ro n o lo g ic a l-s ty le re su m e o r
a F u n c tio n a l o n e?
C h o o s e th e C h ro n o lo g ic a l fo r­
m at i f y o u ’re s ta y in g in th e sam e
field (e sp e c ia lly i f y o u ’ve b een
u p w a rd ly -m o b ile ). C h o o se a
F u n ctio n al form at if y o u ’re ch a n g ­
in g fie ld s , b e c a u s e a s k ills-o ri-
e n ted fo rm at sh o w s o f f y o u r tra n s­
fe ra b le sk ills b e tte r an d ta k e s th e
fo cu s o f f y o u r o ld jo b -title s .
10. Want to impress your employer?
F ill y o u r re su m e w ith P ro b lem -
A c tio n -R e su lts. In o th e r w o rd s,
firs t y o u sta te th e p ro b lem th a t
e x is te d in y o u r w o rk p la c e , th e n
you d escrib e w hat Y O U d id ab o u t
it, an d fin a lly y o u p o in t o u t th e
b e n e fic ia l re su lts. H e re ’s an e x ­
am p le: “ T ra n sfo rm e d a d is o rg a ­
n ized , in e ffic ie n t w a re h o u se in to
a s m o o th -ru n n in g o p e ra tio n by
to ta lly re d e sig n in g th e la y o u t;
th is s a v ed th e co m p an y $ 2 5 0 ,0 0 0
in re c o v e re d s to c k .”
11. W h at i f y o u n e v e r had an y
“ re a l” p aid m a in strea m jo b s - ju s t
s e lf-e m p lo y m e n t o r o d d jo b s ?
G iv e y o u rse lf cred it, and create
an a ccu rate, fair jo b -title fo r y o u r­
self. For exam ple, “ H ousehold R e­
p a irm a n - S e lf -e m p lo y e d ,” o r
“C h ild C are - S elf-e m p lo y e d .”
The Power of
Professional Portfolios
M artin K imelforf , author
of “T he P ower of P rofessional
P ortfolios ”
by
The professional portfolio: Think
o f it as a collection in progress, a
place w here you store th o se things
related to your training, w ork ex p eri­
ence, contributions, and special ac­
complishments. It is the place to docu­
ment all your w ork-related talents
and accom plishments so that you have
a good sense o f our “assets.” A s you
gain a clear understanding o f your
lifework story, y o u ’ll increase your
ability to see your potential and co m ­
m unicate it to others. T his new ly
gained insight can assist you in as­
sessing w here you are on your career
track.
Such a portfolio can serve you in
a host o f career tasks. Y ou can go
back to this collection each tim e you
begin a new jo b search, seek ad ­
vancem ent, or change direction and
take from it those item s that w ill be
m ost useful.
On the jo b , you w ill find it useful
to docum ent your contributuons for
future perform ance evaluations. This
ty p e o f p o rtfo lio co u ld in c lu d e
sam ples o f how you increased prof­
its, d ev elo p ed new sy stem s a p ­
proaches, solved problem s, co m ­
pleted specialized training programs,
adapted new procedures, and so forth.
W hen you find y o u rself in the m iddle
o f a p erfo rm an ce interview and
y o u ’re asked to dem onstrate a skill,
your portfolio will m ake a stunning
visual aid. W hen it com es tim e for
the annual review o f your w ork, you
m ight find your em ployer focusing
less on your jo b title and duties and
m ore on your projects and outcom es.
A portfolio containing evidence o f
contributions at w ork (log o f w ork
hours, aw ards, thank-you notes, spe­
cial project descriptions) m ay help
secure the prom otion or raise you
seek.
If you decide to look for new work,
you can take pieces from this p ortfo­
lio to create a jo b search portfolio,
w hich along w ith your resum e helps
you m arket your talents to prospec­
tive em ployers.
Should you m ove on to start your
oow n business, you can pull sarnies
and artifacts from your professional
portfolio to create a business p ortfo­
lio that becom es a self-m arketing
tool for selling services to clients.
Y ou can take your portfolio to the
bank and include in your business
plan proposal or use it to help gain
financial support: a loan from a bank,
a governm ent grant, investm ent part­
ners.
If you go back to school for m ore
training or an advanced degree in
preparation for your next job o r ca­
reer change, you can add to or adapt
your professional portfolio for use in
a request for scholarships and grants.
Y ou can use it to docum ent your
learning or assist you in your tran si­
tion from school to w ork. A portfolio
cross-referenced to a college cur­
riculum could assist you in earning
credit for prior w ork and learning
experiences.
o u r s o c ie t y .
G o in g s o lo is n o g u a r a n te e
fo r s u c c e ss.
W om en re p o rt
th e y s t r u g g l e to b e ta k e n s e r i ­
o u s ly . H o u rs c a n b e g r u e li n g ,
f a i l u r e r a te s a r e h ig h . W h ile
s t a r t u p is u s u a l l y s h a k y , t h e i r
is o n e c o n s t a n t , f e m a le b u s i ­
n e s s e s a r e m o r e li k e l y to c o n ­
ti n u e o p e r a t i n g th a n th e a v e r ­
LeRho Chateau, L.T.D. DBA King Food Mart
a g e f ir m .
T h e U .S . S m a ll B u s i n e s s
A d m in s tra tio n r e p o r ts th a t
n e a r ly 3 /4 o f f e m a le o w n e d
b u s i n e s s e s s t a r t e d in 1991
w e re s t i l l o p e r a tin g th r e e y e a r s
3510 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Portland, OR 97212
(503) 281-0357
He HoR€fln (lnrj
la te r .
C.L. Inc.; DBA Prescott Corner Market
Tips on Starting a B usi­
ness
* A g o o d id e a is n o t e n o u g h
to s t a r t a b u s i n e s s . E n t r e p r e ­
n e u rs n e e d e x p e rie n c e , te c h ­
n ic a l k n o w le d g e , c o n t a c t, m a r ­
k e t in g e x p e r t i s e a n d m o n e y .
♦ M o st s ta rt up b u s in e s s e s
n e e d t r a i n i n g in m a n a g in g o p ­
e r a tio n s an d f in a n c e . S ta rt
w ith a b u s i n e s s p la n w h ic h
o u tlin e s g o a ls f o r m a n a g in g
an d g ro w in g a b u s in e s s ,
c o u r s e s o f f e r e d th r o u g h s ta te
and fe d e ra l a g e n c ie s can
1460 N. E. Prescott
Portland, OR
(503) 284-7418
Alberta St market
915 N. E. Alberta
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 281-6388
h e lp .
♦ P la n to i n v e s t s o m e o f y o u r
ow n m o n e y . L e n d e rs and in ­
v e s t o r s in a b u s i n e s s w a n t to
s e e t h a t th e o w n e r h a s a v e s te d
Ainsworth Market
i n t e r e s t in th e b u s i n e s s .
5549 N. E. 30th Ave.
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 281-0479
Happy Birthday
i $
AUGUST 12, 1998
(Fije |Jarilanù (0bícruer
Page B6
a
Boston Market
726 N. E. Killingsworth
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 282-6776
Whitney
Washington
Dekum Food Market
Vi/e Love
800 N. E. Dekum
Portland, OR
Owner: Sonny Kim
(503) 283-1240
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