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Stories by Elizabeth Salaam

The first time I see Eliza Jane Schneider onstage, I want to be her friend

Eliza Jane Schneider, self-proclaimed “actress, oral historian, dialectologist, singer, songwriter, playwright, voice artist, and fiddle player,” has been working on Freedom of Speech, her 34-character, one-woman show, for two decades.

October 16, 2013
Get paid to go to school

The Department of Defense seeks apprentices who want to get paid to work and go to school. First, please give me a brief overview of the program. We are a four-year Federal program based upon …

September 26, 2013
When finding a job is your job

For the final in a six-part series, Kate Kerr (nee Hanley) reviews the five main practices necessary to ensuring success with your job search or accelerating your career path. Let’s review. We’ve talked separately about …

Keep on moving forward

This week, fifth in a six-part series, business coach Kate Kerr (nee Hanley) explains the importance of persistence in the job search or job upgrade process. We’ve talked about networking and goal-setting, and today you …

I want to be an independent tradeswoman.

Molly Whittaker explains how San Diego Continuing Education helped inspire her passion for upholstery and where she’s going next. First, tell me a little bit about your job history. I’ve been working as a professional …

We're doing arms tonight, FYI

Yoni Baker manages to make a living (thanks to other jobs) sitting as a nude model for artists in San Diego.

August 14, 2013
What am I doing in Eastlake?

Eastlake boomed and then busted in the housing crisis.

July 31, 2013
Baja is back for visitors

Tijuana is making a comeback, thanks to hipsters, hypesters, and people that never gave up on the border city.

Playing field now leveled

Jamila DeCarli explains how The San Diego Community College District’s WorkAbility III program can help provide vocational counseling for students with disabilities. First, tell me about the WorkAbility program and your part in it. The …

It's not about being naked

Brook Castrejón Solis, artists’ model booking agent, explains what it takes to make it as a figure-drawing model. First, please tell me what you do. I am one of a few artists’ model booking agents …

June 6, 2013
El Cajon takes tax revenue from the county

Does El Cajon gobble more than its share at the tax trough?

May 29, 2013
No noisy bracelets

Warren Carter, of The QualiFind Group, explains the importance of dressing for success. First, please tell me what you do. I’m the founder and president of The QualiFind Group. We are composed of three separate …

LinkedIn or left out

This week, fourth in a six-part series, business coach Kate Kerr (nee Hanley) explains the importance of using LinkedIn to step up your job search or job upgrade your process. We’ve talked about the key …

May 9, 2013
San Diego burlesque dancers spend every dime on costumes

Victoria Markovna sexifies everything. We’re warming up for class with ass-in-the-air pushups, and she encourages us to give ourselves come hither looks in the mirror while we do. Five minutes ago, when she arrived on …

Is your job search smart?

For the third in a six-part series about stepping up your job search or job upgrade process, business coach Kate Kerr (nee Hanley) explains the importance of goal setting. We’ve talked about the role of …

Eight seconds to make a good impression

Rob Smith, of the Job Readiness training program at Second Chance, explains the importance of interview readiness. In your program what is the very first thing you stress to your clients about interviewing? We stress …

San Diego Spinners want to make sweater from sheep in eight hours

Interviews with alpaca owners, spinners, and weavers who live in San Diego’s East County mountain region.

Gun grab

The empty shelves inside the Chula Vista Gun Store (in mid-February) make it hard to tell the place sells guns at all. Last December, the amplification of the gun-control debate sent buyers rushing to this …

Show up and put a smile on your face

For the second in a six-part series about stepping up your job search or job upgrade process, business coach Kate Hanley explains the importance of networking. Last time, we talked about the importance of the …

March 28, 2013
Let's make money

Joel Chrisco, of the International Rescue Committee, invites aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to come learn about what it takes to start or grow a business. First, please tell me about your organization. The …

March 14, 2013
One steak at a time

Interview with Angie Elsbury, a butcher at Vons supermarkets who reshaped her life after being addicted to heroin and going to jail.

March 13, 2013
Don't call these kids at University City High vocational students

Career and technical training used to be called vocational or trade school. San Diego Unified School District has tried to put a new face on the program with much success.

San Diego Public Market seeks permanence

Vendors at the San Diego Public Market wonder what’s next as the management fields proposals to set up permanent spaces and prepares to become an everyday operation.

March 6, 2013
An overall lack of respect...

Colleen Burkett-Christopher explains what it takes to become a substitute teacher. First please tell me what you do. I’m a substitute teacher. I ensure continuity of education in a classroom when the permanent teacher is …

February 28, 2013
Pancakes, sandwiches, jobs

Tom Fitzpatrick might have a job for you at The Mission. First, please tell me about your restaurant. I have three restaurants with Fay Nakanishi and Deborah Helm: The Mission –Mission Beach; The Mission – …

Let your calendar manage you

For the first in a six-part series about stepping up your job-search or job-upgrade process, business coach Kate Hanley explains the importance of keeping a calendar. First, please tell me what you do. I help …

3 Minutes to Stardom brings fake laughter, stardom

Some San Diegans who have made it onto reality TV shows speak of the experience appreciatively but don’t seem to want to further their TV careers.

February 13, 2013
What's in them sambusas?

Hasno Ali, 46-year-old owner of East African Cuisine, has to struggle to make money at San Diego’s farmers’ markets.

A pile is not a file

Carolyn Walstein, profession organizer, explains the importance of staying organized in your job search. First, please tell me what you do. I’m a professional organizer. I help people update and prioritize, and let go of …

To breastfeed at Felix’s Restaurant in Lincoln Park was all she wanted

On Sunday, December 2, Jamie Boyd and Joseph Taylor met at Felix’s Restaurant in Lincoln Park to eat dinner and to swap their children to Mom (Boyd) after a weekend with Dad. They sat at …

January 23, 2013
The life coach speaks

If one goes out looking for work coming from a place of exhaustion, worry, and resentment, that is what he or she will give off.

I try to never wear the same thing twice

“When people ask what my favorite decade is, my answer is ‘Now.’”

December 26, 2012
Life as a professional mediator

There is no greater feeling than the satisfaction you get from helping people resolve a dispute.

December 18, 2012
We couldn't have built it without Kickstarter

San Diegans have had varying degrees of success raising money for their business ventures through Kickstarter.

December 12, 2012
The Proper Handshake

Robert Coleman, executive director of the Second Chance program, offers tips and resources for the “hardest to employ.” First, please tell me about Second Chance. Second Chance is dedicated to creating opportunities for self-sufficiency. We …

Let Your Website Find You a Job

The biggest no-no is creating a website that looks like you did it yourself.

The Deal with Farmers' Markets

“Someone making great handcrafted yogurt would be in like Flynn.”

November 8, 2012
Dapper Jay’s barbershop in La Mesa – dapper but thrift store

Happy housewives and Mad Men, good for business.

October 31, 2012
North Park Could Blend with East San Diego

The demolition of an auto shop in East San Diego brings optimism and worry.

San Diego's obsessive surfers

Interviews with San Diego surfers who describe the lengths they go to in search of stoke.

October 3, 2012
San Diego water bill outrage

A harrowing tale of San Diego’s waterworks bureaucracy.

October 3, 2012
This is (Not Necessarily) A Man’s World

I think the biggest challenge for a woman in a male-dominated industry is not being taken seriously when first starting out.

Workin’ on the Dock of the Bay, Not Wastin’ Time

Reggie Vaughn explains the ups and downs of semi-skilled trade work for intellectuals. First, tell me what you do. I work on aircraft carriers, doing maintenance and service work. I’m not supposed to go into …

September 28, 2012
Tea Shop Clerk by Day, Burlesque Dancer by Night

Annelise Arevalo explains the challenges and benefits of creating a life around doing what you love. First, tell me what you do. I am a burlesque dancer. I received a B.A. in dance from the …

August 31, 2012
They Want to Hire Veterans

What makes these job fairs unique is that they specifically target America’s service members and veterans.

Hail to the Chief Storyteller

Kim Mohiuddin, of Movin’ On Up Resumes, says it’s your storytelling that could land you the job. I see that you call yourself Chief Career Storyteller of your company. What does that mean? I help …

San Diego ranks neither in top ten or bottom ten of debt-ridden

How some San Diegans (including the author) paid their way out of sleep-depriving debt.

July 25, 2012
Go Ahead, Try Some Tamales

Streetside Spanish lessons from tamale vendor José Gonzáles.

July 18, 2012
San Diegans with Afro puffs

San Diego’s ethnic populations are segregated, for better and worse.

One Wolf Returns to Julian

A visit to the California Wolf Center in Julian.

July 11, 2012

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