Skills USA

Last week, I attended a competition/conference known as Skills USA. If you know nothing about the organization, you should really go to their website and check them out. Skills USA events are annual and begin with state level championships in a multitude of vocational studies - from machining to cosmetology; masonry to crime scene investigation; welding to culinary. The state champions move on to compete in the national championship, which was held last week in Kansas City, MO.

It was, quite literally, one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The competition floor was upstairs in the conference hall and was pretty much just a three block long area of uninterrupted space - filled to the brim with vocational study after vocational study.

Photos of the event:

The convention hall is to the right. The competition took place on the top floor of that entire building.

A Diesel engine with the truck it came from in the background. Shit was huge.



Masonry competition. I stood and watched this kid for a good 20 minutes. I thought it was pretty amazing.




Culinary competition. I think this one gives you the best idea just how big each competition space was.

Welding.

Collision Repair. Next to the this was Finishing - they had like 6 or 7 cars lined up. I couldn't get close enough to take a good picture, whatever they were using to finish the cars smelled too potent to get too close.

Machining. My machinists. Okay - well they aren't mine, per say, but most of them will be using the book I published next fall. Because of my relationship with the people running this competition, I was actually allowed inside this one. I have about a million pictures of these kids programming and of the CNC machines on the floor.

Next up: Pheonix for the HTEC conference. I'm a little nervous about this one because I won't know as many people as I did at Skills USA and I won't have anyone else from Cengage with me either. Also - it will be about 120 degrees and, apparently, if I forget eye drops my contacts are screwed.

Packing & Unpacking

Hey guys, remember me? I used to blog here?

I mean, I still do. And I'm hoping the posting will become more frequent as I settle in to the job, the apartment, the life. All I've been reading - or re-reading - is the Song of Ice and Fire series in preparation for Dances with Dragons due out next month! NEXT MONTH!!! And I've been reading it verrrrrrrrrrrry slowlllyyyyyyyyy....

Part of the reason for the career change was the fact that my new position allows for a decent amount of travel. That excites me - I've always wanted to travel. But - so far - I feel like all I've done is travel. Not that I'm really complaining. But since we moved into the apartment, I feel as though all I've really done there is pack (my new & fabulous pink Vera Bradley duffel!) and unpack.

In May/early June:

On top of having to go to Long Island two or three times and up to Canton once, I went to:

Pennsylvania: To visit two of my authors and some machining and welding programs in the area. It was my first trip by myself, but luckily the area sales rep offered to pick me up from the airport and show me around. It was also my first business dinner and I was nervous as all hell. But the rep said I did a good job and that it seemed like my authors really took to me. I hope so. I'm seeing one of them again soon ... tomorrow in fact!

Anaheim, CA: For the WINDPOWER conference. Again, I met up with two of my authors (different authors than the first time). This time I was completely on my own, but I had a great time. And I learned that connections can be made ANYWHERE around a conference. So, some simple rules I intend to follow when in a conference city from now on:

1) Always look professional and presentable. Not necessarily in a suit, but shouldn't look like a piece of junk.
2) Always behave as though the president of your company is in the room. So... professionally?
3) Always strike up a conversation. Ask - What do you do? & Are you here for the conference?

I made two really great connections this trip and BOTH were outside the conference hall. One was in the hotel bar (yes, but - they wouldn't let me check into my room and I had to go SOMEWHERE! I did work and ate food. For real.) The second was on the plane on the way home. That one became a reviewer for us and invited me climb a wind turbine in Oklahoma next spring. I'm SO going.


LA: This one was self-inflicted. But the boy's movie premiered in LA and I realized - I had to be there. Even if it meant flying to California twice in the matter of days.


Up next:

Kansas City, MO: For the Skills USA conference. I leave early tomorrow morning.