For reasons of necessity, I have decided to return to Pearson to score some projects. Those who know me in person know this certainly was not my favorite job in the world, but I can’t argue with good money at the moment. It will allow me to keep doing what I need to do and also allow me to return to flying, something I have badly needed to return to. With me working pretty much a full-time schedule I have needed to adjust my role at the American Red Cross. Although I enjoy volunteering there, I need to do something for them that is a bit more conducive to my new schedule. I met @KDMisevich a few weeks ago through chance when I was working on the newsletter. We had a great chat at Cup-o-Joe about life and the Media/PR industry. I got some great advice and also a new direction for my role at ARC. From now on I will be volunteering with the Public Affairs team. I think it will give me some great real-life experience while allowing me a lot better flexibility with my time. Meeting with Kelly was a reminder how important contacts are in Media and any industry for that matter.

I have had a few leads and an interview on the PR/Media side of things. Although I did not get the position, I left it feeling optimistic for the first time in a while about my standing in PR. I think the key is in any job or industry I ultimately secure a position in to feel like I belong there. Confidence is an issue I have always struggled with but leaving a good interview knowing lack of experience was the primary downfall made me feel good, like I have a chance as funny as that seems. I appear to be on the right track as far as gaining more experience, however I need to try to find some other freelance projects I could work on. The only issue I have is who is going to trust me to do a project for them based on my experience level, will not know unless I try.

This past weekend, I scheduled the GMAT. It has become clear to me that I need more education and I seriously want to pursue an MBA. I believe this is a step in the right direction not only to securing a good career path, but allowing my to keep my options open. I have decided that I need more knowledge about how businesses operate, hopefully employers will enjoy this too.

Till next time, I will keep you posted.

Last week I was talking to a friend of Lisa’s fiance. I told him that 10 years ago Columbus only had two public ice rinks. He could not believe what I told him. He was from Northern Michigan where small towns have at least one and sometimes two rinks. To hear that it had grown from that little of number to 6 in 10 years just showed how much getting an NHL franchise has increased interest in the sport.

I always had a small interest in ice hockey since it was different, and I knew how to ice skate. Like many 90s kids, the movie “The Mighty Ducks” sparked my interest in the sport. I took up floor hockey with my friends and even dressed as a hockey player for Halloween that year. Still however I never had the opportunity when I was younger to play the game. In a state where football is the clear number one, it is hard to wane the attention away to anything, take the Columbus Crew for instance. The Jackets have been able to do it however. I think the nature of the game sits well with the people of Columbus. Like football, it is physical, and exciting, so it is a pretty easy fit. The expansion of the Chiller Ice Rinks was just another step in building the sport in the central Ohio area. The first chiller was built in the outskirts of Dublin by then owner of the Columbus Chill: a AA minor league team that preceded the Jackets arrival. When the CBJ arrived, they took over ownership of the Chiller rink and added 4 more locations. More youth leagues were established and an adult league was formed. There was finally a large opportunity for amateur hockey in Columbus.

My first experience playing actual ice hockey was in 2005. A member of C-row in the Ohio State University Marching Band called my girlfriend and I to come to the rink to register to play for the D-league team. After I played my first game, I knew I wanted to pursue this further. I took some lessons and purchased my own gear and spent the last few years of my college career playing C-league. Since then I have skated around at drop-ins and stick and pucks offered at the Chillers but have not found the time (or money) to play in the adult league. It is still something I would possibly consider in the future however.

With a little introduction out of the way I will now talk about amateur hockey in Columbus and what to do to get involved.

First: What is offered around Columbus in the form of amateur hockey for adults?

Answer: As stated before, the Chiller offers several ways to play, the main one is the Chiller Adult Hockey League (CAHL). The league offers several levels of play depending on your experience from A-level being the highest all the way down to E-level the lowest absolute beginner. I consider myself a solid D-player because I can skate decently and have a general understanding of the game, but my stick-handling and shooting leave a lot to be desired. The downside to the CAHL is it is not cheap. In fact it is pretty expensive, however if you play in other rec-leagues consider how much to spend on those and if it is worth it to you to be involved. The chillers also offer stick-and-puck and drop-in hockey sessions. Stick and Puck is basically an hour of open practice ice where you can work on all of your skills. Drop-ins are pick up games which have skill-levels all over the place. For someone just starting out, these can be pretty overwhelming and sometimes discouraging since Drop-ins most times become a place for current and former junior players to show-off. The best Drop-in style activity the Chiller offers is it’s Saturday Night Class which features 45-min of instructional drills followed by on ice play. Most people who attend are of the E/D/and C level so the play is pretty even and a lot of fun. I highly recommend attending these.

Question 2: What do I need?

Answer: This will be a pretty involved question, hopefully I can provide you with a lot of information here that will prove helpful. What you need is Full-gear. Full-gear like most things in hockey, is expensive, however once you get it, if you take care of it, it will last you a pretty long time. I will give you a run-down of the gear you need and will say that each piece is important to reduce your chance of injury. I pretty much wear everything to any hockey event I participate in. There is one exception which I will address when I get to it.

So here is a list of what you need with some explanation:

1. Skates:

I know this seems mundane but Skates are absolutely the most important piece of equipment you will purchase, and the one you do not want to skimp on. If you buy a bad pair of skates, your performance and growth in the game will suffer. My advice to a first time buyer is first, DO NOT buy a pair of skates from a big chain store like dick’s or sport’s authority. These skates are the lowest of the low in quality and will not provide you with the support you need to be an effective skater. Instead go to a specialty store like the hockey stop in Columbus. They have people there who will help you select a good skate for your level of play and what fits you the best. Try on several pairs of skates varying in brand and model. Most skates have a specific foot-type that fits the best for that particular skate. I just recently purchased the Bauer: Vapor X20s, they are a great intermediate skate and fit my foot very well.

Protective: each piece of protective equipment is important and serves an obvious role. Explore the different types to find what fits, how much it costs, and how it fits your style of play.

Shin Pads: When it comes to these you want to make sure the center knee cup is square with your knee cap and extends down to right above the foot. making sure the length is correct is important since having an incorrect size can either leave you not fully protected or limit foot-mobility.

Pants: The pants are the things that look like shorts, they offer a ton of protection for your mid-area, a proper fit should stop just above the knee and cover your lower back and around the kidney area.

Cup: This is another really important piece of protective equipment, these vary from the classic jock-strap, to a loose gym short with built-in strap, to compression shorts with a pouch for the cup. I use the gym-short style and wear compression shorts underneath.

Shoulder pads: Although, amateur adult hockey is non-contact, it is still a good idea to wear these in any kind of game situation. Things happen in hockey and you want to be protected. They protect your shoulders, chest and back from any kind of impact. The only time I don’t wear these is sometimes at stick and puck. Otherwise I wear everything.

Elbow pads: Elbow pads are another great piece of protective, they not only protect the elbow but also provide protection to your fore arms. Make sure they fit snug and do not limit your mobility.

Gloves: Simple enough, things happen in hockey especially around the hands and stick. You want your hands to be protected. They are going to seem huge on your but make sure your fingers fully extend to the front of the glove otherwise they really are too big.

Helmet: Next to the cup, this is the most important piece of protective equipment, you want your head protected and this is the only piece of equipment that actually is mandated by the Chiller, they will yell and you if you skate around with it off. As an adult, you are only required to wear a helmet. Any type of facial protection is highly recommended but not required. Your choices for facial protection are either a half-shield visor which protects your eyes and nose, or the full-shield which protects everything. These come in either a wire-cage, a clear plastic mask, or a half-and-half. I use the wire-cage, some may call me a whimp, but most adult league players wear full-protection, plus in PR I do not want to scare the girls who work in the field away from me with scary marks on my face.

Underclothes: This is based on what is most comfortable to you. I would recommend a shirt some type of compression short if you do not have the compression short cup, and thin athletic socks. If you can afford it, get moisture-wicking material because you are going to get very sweaty playing. The socks are great to have moisture-wicking because it will keep your feet dry and keep them from sliding around in the skate. I wear pretty much under amour for everything.

Other things: Hockey Socks are leggings that cover the shin pads and hold them in place, they attach usually to velcro tabs on the bottom of your cup shorts. You will usually also secure the shin pads by either taping the outside of the sock around the shin pad or doing the same action with an elastic strap like I use. Also for the purpose of drop-in play, I recommend buying a white practice mesh and a black practice mesh jersey.

Stick: Finally the stick, sticks are shaped depending on what hand you are either left or right. They are usually made of either wood or composite, obviously wood sticks are cheaper. The stick should come to the bottom of your nose if you are in regular shoes. After that it is pretty much up to you for what you think feels right.

By no means am I an expert on this subject, but I hope I was able to shed some light on hockey and how to at least get started and what Columbus has to offer. Have fun, hope to see you out there!

Since then I have primarily worked two jobs. One at the Abercrombie and Fitch Distribution Center of which my recent 9 month sentence I just completed for a grand total of 13 months indentured servitude to Mike Jeffries. A second scoring standardized essays for Pearson Education. Both have been interesting to say the least, although I think I enjoyed working at Abercrombie more, I liked the pay at Pearson far better. I shall be returning to them soon, perhaps I will be able to go on some flights again, so I’ll have that to look forward to.

Still I have not given up my quest of making it in some sort of profession where I can call myself “a professional” and not just an employee. I have bugged my contacts, I have continued to throw my resume places, I have met with people again and again. The truth is, there just is not much out there right now, this was no more apparent than it was yesterday during my trip downtown to the job fair.

I woke up at a decent time, had breakfast and admired the nicely printed resume’s I had spent my weekend working on. I then got ready and began my trek downtown to the convention center where this job fair was apparently being held. This usually would not be that big of a deal with the exception that “white death: part quatre” was falling on the 614. I managed to get downtown and find a garage that was close enough to park in. I began the trek through the arena district to get to the Hyatt on High St. I stepped into the hotel thanking myself for wearing my snow-covered overcoat. I then decided to grab some lunch and melt. Lunch was good as I began to become hungry, not something you want when you are about to talk to potential employers. Once lunch was finished I prepared for the fair itself.

I walked up to the table and signed in and then entered. What I witnessed was what I’ve come to expect from most job fairs currently. A few colleges and mostly sales jobs some of which seemed a bit fishy to me. I doubt with my background they would even consider me, although these seem like the kind of positions where they will take anyone “count me out”. So there I was, a trip downtown, completely wasted, my Dad said “at least you went, I still felt pretty worthless after it however. This seems to be the world we live in these days.

It seems like people have branded me recently as “the entitled generation”. This is a label I despise. I might have agreed with it a few years ago, but not today. The man I am today is far different from the one a few months before graduation, it is safe to say a lot has changed. If we truly are “the entitled generation” who is to blame for that? Are the people who raised us and educated us not to blame for this misfortune? Our entire lives growing up we were told that we could be anything. We had every opportunity given to us, it is not like we could help it, what are we going to do? Say no? Even during my time in college I met people who were only a few years out of school and were already established as account managers, this is a few years out of school I am talking about here. I am a few years out of school and have not even sniffed being an associate, how am I NOT supposed to feel like my life is a failure? Yet you want to brand me? Brand me to say I feel like I deserve things? I can only go by what I see, and that is what I have seen. You are the reason we act so Entitled! So do not disrespect me for something you have everything to do with!

So as you can see, I have begun to get heated, perhaps it will upset you, or scare you away. However, I do not think this is fair. After all, these are the times we live in. The economy is terrible, has been since I graduated, jobs are few and far between, I am trying my hardest to break in, but nothing seems good enough. I guess all I can say is simply, frustration will happen.

Advert/PR:

I enjoy writing, I also enjoy being creative. These are the two primary motivations that draw me to this field. Another strong pull is the fact that this is what my degree is in and I have had several internships to build on. I also have an attraction to the perceived lifestyle. I envision myself biking to a modern office in some trendy part of the city working with other young professionals my age. I suppose that sort of thing I consider “a glamorous life” those who are living it might disagree, but you have not been taking boxes out of storage racks in a stock picker for the past year. It is my vision though, because that is what I saw my life being out of college. The recession however destroyed that, which brings me to the cons of this field.

Con #1: Not recession proof.

Advert/PR is certainly not recession proof, in fact it is by far the biggest industry that gets killed when there is a recession I feel. It is no secret the recession hurt a lot of recent grads, but those in communication I feel got hit the worst. The few I know got laid off soon after. The ones that did not, good for them I suppose. The recession and how it increased my struggle to break into the industry however is what seriously made me question what it was I wanted to go into. I had two opportunities that were canceled due to budget constraints and countless others that seemed like shoe-ins turn ultra-competitive. It certainly is a jungle out there, but this con is surprisingly not the main issue I have with this field.

Con #2: Animosity

I suppose I will need to elaborate, and I will. Animosity is by far the most significant issue I have had when approaching working in this industry. It may be because I feel like I am on the outside looking in, but I can’t help but feel like the connections I had made either do not take my seriously or feel that I do not have the look or am not the kind of person who would work in this field. Ok, hear me out on this one, let’s look at the facts. I am a guy, now I do not consider myself bad looking, but I think it depends what people are into, and quite possibly, I may not have that. I was in the marching band in college so even though it was the Ohio State University Marching Band, it still makes me a nerd. Heck I will be the first to admit it, I am a nerd, I enjoy sci-fi and the BBC. I am far from what someone may consider normal. So I am not saying this is happening, but it sure seems like it could be a possibility. I want to discuss the lady who labeled people my age “the entitled generation” but I think I will save that for a future post.

Aviation

For those who do not know, I am a private pilot. Pursuing my pilot’s license has always been a dream of mine and I finally did it last year. I enjoy the thrill and challenge of flying. I also enjoy the fact that I am in a special group of people that have the unique opportunity to be like birds. As much as I enjoy flying and being a pilot, I never actually envisioned myself being a pilot for hire, especially not an airline pilot. Thus I have been looking along the lines of working in support of aviation. I have met a few people who work in flight ops and am very interested in what we do. I also have talked to people who work for Netjets, another group I would consider seriously working for. The desire is there, the only problem is, is this a viable industry for me to work in? There are certainly a lot of different aspects for me to consider and pursue, the question is, what is it that I should go after. I suppose I will have to see what is available, and what best fits me. For now I will continue to pursue both and see what hits first.