Gear Talk

So, it's April on Wednesday. No joke! Do you have your summer job yet? Yes? Well, congratulations and I bet you're excited. No? Well, no worries, because there is still time to snag a job in a great place. Check the What's New page to see the latest and greatest summer job opportunities at any time, and if you needed a job yesterday, check out the Help Wanted Now page for employers seeking employees immediately.

Now to those of you who do have your summer jobs and you're chomping at the bit to "get outta dodge," you probably have a long list of outdoor activities you want to do once you get to your summer job and might have no idea what type of gear you may need. To aid you in the endeavor for post-work fun, we recently created a group called Gear Talk on My CoolWorks to cover just such questions. We hope that this group will be a melting pot for everyone to share their shopping secrets and favorite stores for getting themselves ready for their summer fun. Plus, another cool benefit for you is that CoolWorks.com has secured discounts for our tribe from some of our favorite vendors so by clicking on the ads in that group, you'll get deals on the things you may have already planned on buying. So, please join in the discussion and take advantage of discounts on gear too because we all know that the best part of a summer job in a great place is the fun you get to have when the work day is done.

Lastly, some members of our tribe have set up other groups by hobbies and activities so you can connect with people who like to do the same stuff as you.

Like to hike? Check out Hiking Partners.
Shutterbug? Check out Photo Phanatics.
Addicted to the seasonal lifestyle? Check out Seasonal Addicts Anonymous.

There is bound to be a group for you!

WHTI - Travel Document Requirements

WHTI, or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, is going into effect on June 1, 2009. More correctly, the full requirements of this initiative are going into effect at that time. With the summer season upon us, and many summer job holders potentially driving through Canada to reach their seasonal jobs in Alaska, it seems like a good time to refresh everyone on the rules. The WHTI also affects Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean region (17 nations). And, frankly this is more about getting home than going to another one of these countries.


From their website, here is the why of WHTI.

ABOUT WHTI

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S.

The goal of the initiative is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

As it stands today, here are the basic rules of required travel documentation.


AIR TRAVEL - All persons traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States. (Source: U.S. Department of State)


LAND/SEA TRAVEL - Beginning January 31, 2008, the United States ended the practice of accepting oral declarations of citizenship at the border. (Source: DHS)


What does this mean? Well, if you are crossing a border into the U.S. from Canada by vehicle or arriving by boat, you will need to provide certain documentation that proves both identity and citizenship.


Identification documents must include a photo, name and date of birth. When the initial initiative went into effect, this included the U.S. Passport Book, U.S. Passport Card (like a passport but not good for air travel), or other documents approved by the DHS. They also allowed a combination of documents like a driver's license (identity) plus a birth certificate (citizenship).


To see a visual version of the documents, click here.


As far as I can tell, the only major change for the June 1, 2009 update to the WHTI, is to the age of children and what they can use to prove their citizenship. More details available here.


I did want to share that this blog post exists because of discussion started on our social network, My CoolWorks, a wonderful source of ideas for blog posts, and honestly, since I have been in possession of a passport since 1994, I really hadn't paid too much attention to these changes, but figured I might learn a bit more about them by writing this piece. So there you have it. And, as someone pointed out in the discussion, the passport is a great document to have with you when you complete your I-9 form at the start of your new job. It's always nice when a document has a dual purpose.


And a bit about the dollars - Passport Fees. Although, the passport ($100) is more expensive than the passport card ($45), try to think like an accountant by amortizing the cost over 10 years. You'll only pay $10 this year and you'll certainly make more than that at your summer job.





Lastly, please make note that we have also scheduled a chat to discuss these requirements for Monday, March 30 at 9pm Eastern / 6pm Pacific. I hope you'll join us.

Internships at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

If you're looking for a unique outdoor internship this summer, you should take note that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting. Visit http://www.experience.com to learn more about internships.

High school students in North Carolina are being recruited for the park's summer internship program, which takes place from June 22 to July 31. Interns will work three to four days each week and receive $10.31 per hour, according to an article by the Citizen-Times.

Interns, who will need to provide their own transportation, will be based in the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center.

Interns will have a chance to work on park research projects and education programs, including: high elevation bird migration; inventories of beetles, waterbears and other groups for the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory; monitoring salamander populations and effects of ozone on native plans and assisting the national park staff with conducting the children's Junior Ranger programs.

Those interested must be at least 16-years old by June 22 and enrolled in an accredited high school or have been accepted into a college for the fall 2009 semester. To apply for an internship, send a resume, reference and cover letter explaining why you would be good for the job to: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, P.O. Box 357, Lake Junaluska, N.C,. 28745 by March 21.

The internship program is funded through a three-year, $1 million science education grant from Toyota to Friends of the Smokies, a non-profit organization that supports conservation, education and other park priorities.

The grant is meant to provide students with science-related experiences that may encourage them to seek a career in science. Students generally work with park staff, scientists or graduate students from various local colleges. Since 2003, about 70 students have participated in these internships.

Try Something New

With job news like this, I would say that it's time to throw your caution to the wind and find the summer job you've always wanted. Can't take a vacation this year? Get a job and live where you want to go. Think you're too old? Not so. Now is not the time to let the economy tell you who's boss, do something about it. I'm not saying I'm happy about the way my retirement funds are dwindling daily, but, it's not going to stop me from enjoying time with friends and family, meeting some new people like possibly Dave Morin on my mini-break up at Whistler, or trying to snowboard today after a two year hiatus. I think that now is the time to just do it as they say at Nike.

Need some motivation? Watch this.

Twitter

Personally, I've been tweeting since the end of April 2008 and I was affirmed in this decision after reading a blog post from Cheezhead. Then, in September 2008, I started tweeting as Cool Works and have been actively twittering about the new summer job postings and employers who advertise on our website. More amusing or annoying, depending on your like or dislike of animals, I even tweet as my cats, which for me goes back to an old paper I wrote in middle school that was written from my cat's perspective. Call it my creative outlet - =^.^=



Anyhow, there has been an inordinate amount of chatter about Twitter lately as it seems to gain footage in mainstream society. Here are some examples:

Evan Williams [Twitter co-founder] predicts that "normal people" will use Twitter in five years. This is an excerpt from an interview with Charlie Rose.



From the Today Show -
Like everyone else, celebrities all a-Twitter



And you know that it's really gaining traction if Jon Stewart talks about it on The Daily Show. He may not know what he's talking about, but clearly people are listening. Funny stuff.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Twitter Frenzy

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

In closing, I definitely believe in the power of twitter and am happy to sing its praises. For me, as a solo web worker, it is an easy way to be social and I have made connections with many cool people in the photography world, the recruiting industry and even with a few of my real world friends. I hope you'll at least follow Cool Works and check out twitter. You never know who you might meet!