I thought I would give you an update about what ASTD-Orange County's Special Interest Groups are doing.
 
I went to this month's OD-SIG meeting. There were 60 people there! The speaker was a youthful and dynamic Michael Cato, CEO of Restaurants on the Run.  He spoke passionately and without notes for close to an hour. Here's a leader who knows how to leverage his "People Department" as he calls them.  I would have to rank his talk today on a par with some of our better Learning Event speakers.
 
Because it was this SIG's 4-year anniversary, I had the floor for 3-4 minutes to recognize the hard work of Karen and Sangeeta (and SIG founders Cheri Sherman and Liz Barbour) and presented them with some modest soap/bath gel gifts with thank you cards I made for them.  Sangeeta later volunteered to me that she and Karen are not "burnt out yet" (thankfully!).

The CPLP SIG (I think we can call it that now since we are not going to be assessing any charges) has attracted 6 people, including myself.  We are having our first real study meeting tomorrow night.  Everyone is a member of ASTD-OC and they seem very pleased to know they have the chapter's support. I bought them all pancakes at IHOP for our Info Session. That never hurts. :-)
 
I am also coaching one individual who has passed the test but has not yet submitted her work product.  She has a deadline of September 1 so she is very motivated but wanted an accountability coach and someone to bounce ideas off of.

Our Career Management SIG Leader is still dedicated to providing advice for all people in transition throughout the month.  While we do have a monthly meeting, Rod asks that anyone interested in planning on joining the meeting call him to confirm their attendance.  He does this so that he can provide participants with advice and action plans to work on before the meeting, and also because he believes that career management shouldn't wait until the second Thursday of each month; it should be ongoing.

That's all the SIG-nificant news.  Feedback, comments, accolades all welcomed.

Last Chance to Register for the Los Angeles Jobing.com Career Expo on Tuesday, August 5th!!!

It's not too late to register for Jobing.com Los Angeles Career Expo on Tuesday, August 5th at the Convention Center.  The Career Expo is free for job seekers, and the doors open at 2PM with the event running until 6PM. Come out and join other local companies like Kragen Auto Parts, King Taco Restaurants and Arc Machines to find your next great employee!
Jobing.com has great booths available, starting at just $999, and sponsorships beginning at $2299. Click here to learn more about the packages available!
Visit www.jobing.com to for more information about our great event.  

Jamie Kelly
Event Manager
jamie.kelly@jobing.com
310 694.3671

 

Creating a Mentoring Program

When faced with a personal crisis, many people turn to a mentor. In the work world, it’s also important to have someone to turn to when facing professional challenges. Workplace mentoring programs can help employees become more capable and confident, and organizations benefit as well. Pairing senior-level employees with less experienced workers can help education and development continue beyond initial training. In addition, mentoring programs improve productivity, expand problem-solving skills and allow employees to build better relationships with their colleagues. You can create a successful mentoring program by considering the following tips. Think 'strategy first' - When designing a mentoring program, create a plan detailing management requirements, expectations and monitoring plans. This step is important because a haphazardly initiated mentoring program can waste time and frustrate efforts, doing more damage than good. By determining the desired outcome you can create clear goals that will ensure the program is a success from the start. Play matchmaker - Pairing the right mentor and mentee will determine the success of your program. Both personality and tenure should be considered when determining mentor relationships. Positive interaction is crucial, and diverse pairings typically create the most beneficial partnerships, as long as both participants are open to communication and an alternative point of view. People from different cultures, backgrounds and generations can learn more from each other than those with similar experiences. Encourage mentoring up - The successful pairing of an experienced employee with a rookie allows both individuals to learn. Don’t forget that younger or less experienced employees also offer knowledge to their seasoned counterparts, especially concerning technology or popular trends. Younger employees can also provide valuable insight on the values, attitudes and habits of their generation to upper-level management. This knowledge can impact how your business interacts with younger customers and provide insight into the future direction of your organization. Through planning carefully, making good matches and supporting upward mentoring, you can create a mentoring program that helps strengthen your organization and your employees. Copywrite Express Personnel Services. Reprinted with permission by Express Personnel Services

 

On behalf of the Recruitment Team, Thank You to the 300+ job seekers who visited the Sport Chalet booth at the Orange County Career Expo on July 17th! This was a very successful event, and our first in Orance county! We are very pleased with Jobing, and I would imagine you'll be seeing us at future events...along with additional recruitment staff to sustain the onslaught of job seekers! Not only does Jobing provide great events, they also provide fantastic information to the job seeker! Take a look below at what Theresa Loving of Jobing.com has to say about attending the next event!

 

Posted July 14, 2008
by Theresa Loving, Jobing.com Career Expo - Los Angeles

This is a fantastic opportunity to meet face to face with great local companies, make a great first impression, and get on the road to your next great career. Remember that you still have a few things to do to be ready for the job fair.  First, put together a professional look that will impress any employer you meet.  You want employers to take you seriously and the way to do that is the first impression of how you are dressed.  Clean, pressed clothing, polished shoes, and above all else, conservative and appropriate to the job.  Even if you don't think you'll have to dress up for the job, the employers at the job fair will be more willing to talk to you if you show you've put the effort into looking your best.

Jobing.com offers workshops regularly at their events, which truly empower the job seeker at every level! Be sure to learn more about the Power of Your Image at future career expos.

The second thing is to go over your resume and make sure it is polished and ready to be seen by employers.  Have family or friends look it over for you to help find any minor changes that need to be made.  At the Career Expo, we have resume reviews throughout the duration of the expo, so you can also bring your resume down to have these great professionals give you their input.  Also, if you bring an electronic copy of your resume, on cd-rom or a usb drive, we will have computers available, courtesy of DeVry University, where you can make the edits from the resume review and print out a new copy to give employers.

Lastly, prepare your 30-second speech on why an employer should hire you.  Focus on your positive skills that you know they are looking for and present yourself with confidence and enthusiasm to capture their attention.  Practice is very important with this speech, so don't pass up any opportunity to practice on others so that your confidence shines through.

Career Expos are your chance to come out, meet employers that want to hire energetic, motivated people, and really WOW! them with all you have to offer.  Be sure to bring your energy and big smiles to future Jobing.com Career Expos!

 

L.A.'s Largest Mixer Promises Opportunities to Extend Contacts, Build Business Leads and Increase Chamber Memberships. Over 30 Los Angeles area chambers of commerce and hundreds of business organizations will bring together professionals representing hundreds of industries and companies throughout Los Angeles to provide the ultimate networking experience. The mixer, which is open to all business people, is $20 per person.
The event is hosted by: Chambers of Commerce: California Junior, Canoga Park/West Hills, Century City, Culver City, East LA, Greater El Sereno, Greater Lakewood, Greater San Fernando Valley, Greater West Los Angeles, Hollywood, La Verne Chamber, Los Angeles Area, LA Junior, Miracle Mile, Regional Black, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, United Chambers-San Fernando Valley, Universal City North Hollywood, and West Hollywood. Convention and Visitors Bureaus: Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, and LA INC. Business Organizations: American Business Women's Association, Asian Business Association, Downtown LA Business Improvement District, HSMAI-Greater Los Angeles Chapter, National Association Of Women Business Owners-Los Angeles, Rotary Club of Los Angeles, Travel and Tourism Marketing Association, and Valley Industry & Commerce Association. The event is produced by The Dave Linden Group, Inc. 

The goal of the mixer, now in its 10th year, is to encourage membership in one or several chambers of commerce, allowing businesses to grow based on a wider network of support. Each participating chamber of commerce and business group will have a booth with representatives to answer questions about their organization. The mixer also provides a chance for businesses to network with each other for mutual support. Businesses and individuals do not have to be affiliated with a chamber to attend the event.

 L.A.'s Largest Mixer X

Thursday, July 24, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, 700 W. 32nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90007

INFO: (323) 230-5656 or visit www.lamixer.com

 

 

Re-posted Jason Careau, Recruitment Manager

Original Post by Sheila Gilliam-Wiley, Jobing.com Community Relations - LA

By now, you may have heard of-and even utilized-online social networking through the various sites available to the technically savvy, including Plaxo, LinkedIn, Naymz, Twitter, FaceBook, Ryze, and a host of others. However, you may not have realized the intensity that using these powerhouses can have on your job search.

To spell it out most succinctly, preserving job mobility, whether you're merely maintaining your professional value or actively seeking your next leadership role, is core to stayed employed in one form or another. And, as you'll find, the robust qualities and rapidly growing population of leading online networking sites make them a gold mine of opportunities for doing precisely that.

Most executives who have accessed these sites simply log in, create a profile, wander around a bit, and place a few connections. This, according to many social networking experts, means you may be missing out on the true value.

In my special report "When Employers Google You, What Will They Find? 5 Effective Techniques for Managing Your Digital Dirt," I've pointed out that maintaining an online social networking profile is crucial to a job search at the upper echelon.

After all, executive recruiters WILL be looking for information about you on the Web. Maintaining a fresh, well-connected profile ensures that YOU will be in charge of what the world reads about your background.

Here are 5 tips that will bring your online networking knowledge up to speed and allow you to maximize your efforts during a career transition:

1 - Build your profile information carefully.
After creating a profile, typically a simple process that allows you to edit key pieces of information, you'll notice that most sites allow you to add a professional summary. This is where I'd advise against simply using the classic summary information on your executive resume.

Instead, create a bullet-point list of career highlights that includes some of your skills, your leadership expertise in particular areas, and your top achievements.

Remember that what you add is searchable by others who might be looking for you. This means that executive recruiters can search for you by occupation and location, so be sure to add a title such as "Chief Technology Officer" or "Operations Director" to generate hits on your profile.

My recommendation? Log in, and take a look around at others' profiles to gain some ideas.

2 - Maintain visibility.
When you first sign up, most networking sites will remind you to add connections through email addresses. Don't limit this activity to your first sign-in! Keep on adding connections, rather than merely dumping the contents of your email address book in once and then forgetting about it.

Frequently finding others with which to connect serves two purposes:  it keeps your profile on top of Web searches for your name (since search engines love fresh content), and it maintains a business presence for those who read your profile.

3 - Use the site search functions to aid your job hunt.
One of the best-kept strategies for approaching contacts is this:  after identifying a target company where you want to work, analyze a networking site to find company insiders, especially HR resources or, better yet, C-suite executives interested in your leadership skills.

Send your resume by the method requested on the company's website, and then send an additional note to the contacts you find. Be sure to indicate that you have already sent a resume, and wanted to use the networking site to forward another letter of interest to them.

4 - Avail yourself of the extra functions.
Some sites, such as LinkedIn, contain engines that allow you to have additional job search capability at your fingertips through access to major job boards.

In addition, LinkedIn and other sites contain forums where you can view and participate in question-and-answer activity with other members-further establishing your reputation as an expert and thought leader in your field.

5 - Regularly educate yourself on the optimum usage of each site.
There are numerous ways to promote yourself as a leadership candidate using social networking sites-and someone is constantly coming up with more methods.

You can easily access training curriculums, blogs, and other resources that will bring you up to speed. In fact, enhancing your online presence has never been easier!

For example, Jason Alba's book, "I'm On LinkedIn, Now What???", offers an in-depth look at the power of this popular site for professionals and executives in career transition.

In short, it pays to be aware of the impact your online presence can have on your job search. Accelerate your efforts by maintaining a profile that may prove to be instrumental to your success.

Laura Smith-Proulx, Certified Career Management Coach, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Certified Interview Coach, is the Executive Director of An Expert Resume, a career services firm that caters to organizational leaders. Published in six career bestsellers, she is a former corporate recruiter who works with executives and IT leaders to present a powerful and compelling leadership brand.

L.A.'s Largest Mixer X Promises Opportunities to Extend Contacts, Build Business Leads and Increase Chamber Memberships.Over 30 Los Angeles area chambers of commerce and hundreds of business organizations will bring together professionals representing hundreds of industries and companies throughout Los Angeles to provide the ultimate networking experience. The mixer, which is open to all business people, is $20 per person.
The event is hosted by: Chambers of Commerce: California Junior, Canoga Park/West Hills, Century City, Culver City, East LA, Greater El Sereno, Greater Lakewood, Greater San Fernando Valley, Greater West Los Angeles, Hollywood, La Verne Chamber, Los Angeles Area, LA Junior, Miracle Mile, Regional Black, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, United Chambers-San Fernando Valley, Universal City North Hollywood, and West Hollywood. Convention and Visitors Bureaus: Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, and LA INC. Business Organizations: American Business Women's Association, Asian Business Association, Downtown LA Business Improvement District, HSMAI-Greater Los Angeles Chapter, National Association Of Women Business Owners-Los Angeles, Rotary Club of Los Angeles, Travel and Tourism Marketing Association, and Valley Industry & Commerce Association. The event is produced by The Dave Linden Group, Inc.
The goal of the mixer, now in its 10th year, is to encourage membership in one or several chambers of commerce, allowing businesses to grow based on a wider network of support. Each participating chamber of commerce and business group will have a booth with representatives to answer questions about their organization. The mixer also provides a chance for businesses to network with each other for mutual support. Businesses and individuals do not have to be affiliated with a chamber to attend the event.

 L.A.'s Largest Mixer X

Thursday, July 24, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, 700 W. 32nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90007

INFO: (323) 230-5656 or visit www.lamixer.com

The Los Angeles Career Expo is fast approaching on Tuesday, August 5th at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  The doors are open from 2 to 6pm, don't miss this chance to meet with great local companies looking to find a great employee like you!

To see the latest list of the attending employers, just check out our website!  Now is the time to start planning for who you want to meet, and do your research now so you can tell them why you want to work at their company, and how you would make a great fit!

If you want to make sure you get into the event fast, you can register today, which will allow you to print out a Quick Pass and make your way into the expo fast!  Also, by registering now, you'll be sure to be included in our emails to give you more information closer to the event.

While you're at the event, you can take advantage of our FREE resume review from 2 to 5 pm and our great workshops beginning at 2:15pm.  Plus, if you bring an electronic copy of your resume (on CD or USB/jump drive), we'll have computers on site where you can update the changes from the resume review and print out a new copy.

This is your chance to find your next great job, don't let it pass you by!