Tampa Bay Jobing Community Blogs

The purpose of the Thank You letter is to reinforce feelings created during the interview. Brevity must prevail because letters do not win jobs. Your credentials must be clearly established during the interview. Your success will be determined by your ability to respond to questions with polished CAB (Accomplishments) stories, ARQS (Responding to career liabilities) and being able to ask intelligent questions. The Thank You letter should include a one or two sentence paragraph containing no more than 50 words for inclusion in the format. The focus must be on the important issues discussed during the interview, particularly areas where you feel you can make a difference or a significant contribution to the company, division or department. The identical letter can be used with minor variations if several individuals are involved in the interviewing process. I recommend that you send the Thank You letter within 24 hours following the interview.

SAMPLE – Thank You letter

Dear Mr. Nelson:

My sincere thanks for the time, courtesies and consideration extended during my interview on June 30, 2009. I felt the chemistry was good and I am confident that I can make a meaningful contribution to the ABC Company.

I say that because of the extensive experience I gained in counseling people while serving in the personnel and administrative fields in the US Navy. This experience coupled with my education will allow me to easily assimilate the knowledge and procedures needed to be an effective ABC counselor.

Again, Mr. Nelson, my thanks for the time and courtesies extended. I will touch base with you in the near future. Until then, my very best regards.

Sincerely,

First M. Last

The purpose of the Thank You letter is to reinforce feelings created during the interview. Brevity must prevail because letters do not win jobs. Your credentials must be clearly established during the interview. Your success will be determined by your ability to respond to questions with polished CAB (Accomplishments) stories, ARQS (Responding to career liabilities) and being able to ask intelligent questions. The Thank You letter should include a one or two sentence paragraph containing no more than 50 words for inclusion in the format. The focus must be on the important issues discussed during the interview, particularly areas where you feel you can make a difference or a significant contribution to the company, division or department. The identical letter can be used with minor variations if several individuals are involved in the interviewing process. I recommend that you send the Thank You letter within 24 hours following the interview.

SAMPLE – Thank You letter

Dear Mr. Nelson:

My sincere thanks for the time, courtesies and consideration extended during my interview on June 30, 2009. I felt the chemistry was good and I am confident that I can make a meaningful contribution to the ABC Company.

I say that because of the extensive experience I gained in counseling people while serving in the personnel and administrative fields in the US Navy. This experience coupled with my education will allow me to easily assimilate the knowledge and procedures needed to be an effective ABC counselor.

Again, Mr. Nelson, my thanks for the time and courtesies extended. I will touch base with you in the near future. Until then, my very best regards.

Sincerely,

First M. Last

Education is a sure fire way to increase your marketability in the workforce. Yet, if you are seeking a career change, education can be a very time intensive and lengthy process. When considering this change there are many options to weigh.

• How long will the process take?
• Do you need a degree or do certificates or graduate programs exist?
• Is there demand for the job, once you are educated?
• What is motivating your change? True passion or a fleeting interest?

Education is a commitment, and one you must take seriously. When considering the time the program will take, you must be confident you are happy in your current job. Will you have the patience to wait until the end of your program before you are working in your new a career?

Considering the education options, what is truly needed? Is a full 4 year degree necessary, or will a 2 year degree help you get into the industry? Often passion and enthusiasm for the job will set you apart from others who have formal degrees. Using teaching as an example, you must be certified, so you much complete the degree. Yet, going from business to HR may simply require a certification. Investigate what is truly necessary to get your foot in the door.

As you embark on your change, is there a future for it? Fleeting interest fields often see a rise in people in the market and a drop off of demand. This was evident in crime scene investigation, due to the popularity of police shows. Not only ensure that you can gauge a demand for your career once your education is complete, but that you have a true passion for it. A fleeting interest or a fad will not last long.

The resources Jobing.com has to offer to help you find a great educational program include JobingEducation. Additionally, if you are seeking the benefit of a graduate degree, Grand Canyon University offers adults great online opportunities.

Use education to make a career change – for life.

A friend recently came to me for advice on his job search.  We went over his resume, which had already seen multiple revisions, and we practiced for referral interviews. But the real advice I gave him was to use the tools at his fingertips to find companies that are hiring, find the right people to connect with and increase his visibility.
 
There is a lot of information out there right now about social media, what it is, how to use it and why you need to care about it. Just as a company would use social media tools to market their product or advertise their job openings, a job seeker can use these same tools to network with others and advertise their area(s) of expertise.

As a professional, you want to be on LinkedIn. It's easy to create a basic profile, but consider LinkedIn as your online resume. Connect with current or former co-workers, colleagues in your industry, alumni members, and business contacts. Ask for recommendations and ask connections for introductions to connections they have at companies you are interested in. Jason Alba wrote an easy guide to learning more about LinkedIn. Additionally, you can research companies on LinkedIn, find key individuals within those companies (if they are on LinkedIn), search the LinkedIn job board and join discussion groups. I like the groups because they offer a way to connect to others with similar interests and provide you with a forum for sharing your expertise. Monitor and participate in discussions on topics within your industry.
 
Twitter is another site that is growing by leaps and bounds. You can create a short profile on Twitter, and you have 140 characters to post. Why not ask your followers if they know of anyone hiring within your industry? Use the Twitter search to find and follow companies posting #jobs on the site, or sign up for www.TweetMyJobs.com and have jobs emailed to you daily. Follow others in your industry and they will most likely follow you back, increasing your network.
 
Facebook is another site that companies are now using to share information on jobs, promote their company culture, and build a network of "fans" to help spread the word to others. One of the more well known Facebook sites is Ernst and Young. Another example is Sanofi-aventis Careers. Don't forget to create your free google profile. Include links to your LinkedIn and other social media profiles.
 
My point is to embrace these social media tools - don't be afraid of them. If you aren't sure where to start, you can find information and tutorials online. Have a strategy before you start creating your profiles. If you plan to use these tools as part of your job search, make sure you keep it professional.
 
Best of luck in your career search! 
 
www.linkedin.com/gingerdodds
www.twitter.com/gingerdodds

The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) is a professional, non-profit organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. The primary focus of the organization is to foster a bond among South Asian professionals to unite and support each other locally, as well as to give back and contribute positively to the communities in which we live and work.

Join us this year at:

The 18th Annual NetIP Conference
Held in the Dynamic and Vibrant City of Toronto
Friday, Sept 4th to Sunday, Sept 6th 2009

• Engaging Panels and Workshops (covering finance, healthcare, entrepreneurship, culture, media arts)
• Film Screenings & Community Outreach Events
• Chic & Elegant Parties
• Captivating Entertainment (including a Bollywood-themed gala affair)

Create Memories of a lifetime and gain an opportunity to forge lasting friendships, as you mingle with elite South Asian professionals, network with industry leaders and meet top notch speakers!

For more information, visit www.NetIPConference.org.  

Suncoast Human Resource Management will hold their July monthly meeting at the Hospice of Florida Suncoast.  Palliative Arts therapies, as a complement to traditional medicine, are intended to increase comfort, reduce stress, anxiety and pain, and enable people to achieve a sense of balanced inner peace.

In appreciation for the support employers give to our community every day, The Hospice would like to share these relaxation gifts with human resources professionals.  We an all enjoy a relaxing and informative morning on Wednesday, July 8th with our community hospice – together we make a difference every day.

Are you an Operations Management Professional who is unemployed, under-employed, or interested in making a career transition? Or, maybe you’re concerned about your future employment status with your current employer? Has your job search slowed to a crawl, or maybe it never successfully started? If so, I have felt your pain...

Throughout my career I have faced all of these situations on more than one occasion. However, during those trying times I relied on my faith and family as my primary means of support. In addition, I sought wise counsel in order to take appropriate actions for moving forward. The combination of action and support has always served me well.

If you find yourself in one of the scenarios I mentioned earlier, consider attending the "Quick Start" job search workshop this Saturday, June 27th. The one day workshop is designed to provide you with everything you need to know to start an effective job search campaign the next day – regardless of the type of work you do.

Some may ask, why I am blogging about this workshop, and the answer is very simple. Many times job seekers do not take advantage of resources available to assist them with their job search due to the expenses involved. This workshop is an exception, as it will only cost the participant $10.00 for the 100 page workbook. $10.00! (FYI, your CPA may find this workshop qualifies as a tax deductible job search expense)

What about the quality of the facilitator and the materials, how good can it be for $10.00? Having been through outplacement with two large international firms, co-founding a job search support group, and participating in a previous workshop, I can vouch for the quality of the workshop and materials. I can't guarantee your satisfaction, however I assure you it will be the best $10.00 investment of your job search.

If this workshop is such a great value why is it so inexpensive, what's the catch? There is no catch. The workshop is subsidized by the sponsoring non-profit organization as a community service. They provide funding for the speaker, advertising, and facility costs. There are no services or materials being sold to participants before, during, or after the workshop...

So...if you are feeling this pain, and could use some high quality, low cost job search advice this Saturday, go to www.yourcareercalling.org/Workshops.html and register! I'll see you there!

In the past six months or so, we’ve all learned new acronyms and new definitions for words we thought we already knew.  We’ve heard countless news reports about TARP or the troubled asset relief program for banks and other financial institutions.  And, of course, there’s been much made of the stimulus program and its focus on “shovel ready” projects that will help to reinvigorate the economy.

Eventually, I suppose, all of this investment will trickle down and have a beneficial impact on those of us responsible for talent acquisition.  Patience, however, is not a virtue in the c-suite of most organizations today.  They’re under too much pressure to accept our relying yet another acronym: HOTAIRE or Hold On, The Advertised Improvements Roll-out Eventually.  They want—indeed, they expect—results right now.

How can you respond?  I think the best approach is a combination TARP and stimulus strategy for recruiters.  It should focus on some of our most troubled assets and fix them with “shovel ready” solutions.  Here are my suggestions.

The Troubled Asset: the Career area on most corporate Web-sites.

Most Career areas have the look and feel of a store.  They provide a transactional experience—hey, we’re a buyer of labor, you’re a seller of labor, so let’s do a deal—that appeals only to active job seekers.  It leaves the passive prospect cold.  And, of course, it’s the passive prospect we most want to attract and recruit.

What “shovel ready” project will enable you to fix that problem?  Launch a blog on your site.  There are only two things that will attract and hold the interest of passive prospects: credible information on what it’s like to work in your organization and interaction with their peers.  So, design your blogging program not as a something your recruiters do, but rather as a way for the best and brightest in your organization to recount their experiences on-the-job.  Think of it as a platform for your “A” level performers to strut their stuff to their peers.  It will transform the look and feel of your Career area from a store to a farm, a place that nurtures relationships with exactly the kind of talent you want to recruit.

Blogging done well takes time and effort, so how can you get your already busy “A” level coworkers to sign up?
• First, limit each person’s participation to a three month assignment.  Make their involvement a short term project not a penance.
• Second, position a person’s selection to blog as career-enhancing inside your organization.  Make sure it has a positive impact on their performance appraisals and salary review.
• Third, select three new bloggers—representing different career fields and work experiences –every three months.  Give your bloggers some company and some competition.
Then, stand back and watch your all stars battle it out, both to be selected as a blogger and to be the best blogger on the Web.

The Troubled Asset: the resume database in most corporate applicant tracking systems.

Employers invest hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars building up a resume database and then do very little with it.  Their recruiters may conduct a perfunctory check of the archived resumes when sourcing for a new opening, but typically that’s about it.  They see the database as a static stack of electronic files, rather than as a platform for building relationships with the people behind the files.  Yet, those people are prospects who don’t have to be sourced and have already expressed an interest in the organization.  In effect, they are a ready-made way to cut both the cost and time to fill vacancies.

What “shovel ready” project would enable you to realize those savings?  Start communicating with the people behind the resumes.  Launch a campaign of regular email messages that push out information about your organization and pull in updates to their careers.  The communications should be no less frequent than quarterly, but no more frequent than monthly.  The goal is both to pre-qualify individuals for your future openings (by keeping their record current) and to pre-sell them on your organization as an employer (by sharing information about its work and successes).

People are all but overwhelmed by email these days so how can you get them to accept, let alone ready your messages?
• First, make the program opt-in.  Respect their right to say they don’t want to participate.
• Second, make sure the content of your messages is interesting.  Avoid marketing or even recruiting collateral and instead, send them brief vignettes of the on-the-job experiences of your top performers—the people who would be their colleagues if they worked for your organization.
• Third, get the mechanics right.  Ask them to add the email address of your messages to their white list so they won’t be caught up in their spam filter and use a common subject line so they learn to recognize your messages when they arrive.
Then, get ready for a significant response.  The simple act of signaling your continued interest in applicants is so rare among employers, you are likely to get a lot of takers.

Hiring activity is way down at the moment, so now is the time to invest in improvements that will upgrade your performance once recruiting picks back up.  While there are many ways to make such an investment, I think you get the best return by focusing on your most troubled assets and on solutions that are “shovel ready.”  Do that, and you greatly diminish the possibility that you will need a career-damaging bailout down the road.

Thanks for reading,
Peter
Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including his latest, Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

We’ve all heard of the alpha male and female.  The dictionary defines them as the dominant person in a group, the one everybody emulates and follows.  The term was originally coined to describe behavior in wolf and dog packs, but for most of the 20th Century, it also accurately depicted the way we interacted in our careers.  One person was on top, and the rest of us brought up the rear.

While wolves and dogs are stuck with this leader-follower relationship, however, we humans have an option.  We can pull ourselves out of the back of the pack—out of the pack altogether, in fact—and assume a new role.  I call it the “alpha career athlete.”  It recognizes our innate ability to act as individuals and to set our own unique course in the world of work.

More often than not, the alpha career athlete still finds their employment in an organization.  Most aren’t free agents or independent contractors.  They work in teams, on projects and for departments and they report to a boss.  Their on-the-job experience is similar to that of every other person in the workplace.  What changes is their view of who they are working for and why.

An alpha career athlete works on themselves for themselves.  They are interested in learning just how good they can be in their profession, craft or trade.  They accept a job because it challenges them to be better than they have been, and they devote all of their talent to passing the test.  Moreover, that same commitment to self improvement also enhances the value of their contribution to their employer.  In effect, they protect their employment and preserve their paycheck by persevering in their determination to excel.

In Search of (Personal) Excellence

In 1982, Tom Peters wrote a business classic called In Search of Excellence.  The book’s popularity was largely based on the author’s research into how companies achieved superior performance.  It outlined a number of practices that other organizations could implement in order to achieve their own version of excellence.

What many readers missed, however, was the underlying premise of the book: success was best achieved through a commitment to excellence.  If you wanted your company to prosper, it wasn’t enough to be good or even very good and certainly not mediocre or just enough to get by.  The one sure pathway to prosperity was excellence.

What was true for organizations in the 20th Century is true for individuals in the 21st Century.  Success is not achieved by being loyal to one’s employer or by knowing how things get done inside an organization.  It is not assured with years of experience or even with a knowledge of the current state-of-the-art.  What produces sustained career advancement in today’s world of work is a commitment to personal excellence.

It is what drives the alpha career athlete.  He or she is “in search of excellence.”  They are on a quest to become the champion inside them.  This is not some quixotic adventure, but rather an entirely rational determination to express and experience the talent with which they (and all of us) were created.   Alpha career athletes believe that, just as every company can achieve superior performance, so too can they.  And they’re resolved to do so.

Companies, however, have Peters’ guidelines with which to work; alpha career athletes need something else.  They need a set of practices that will engage, refine and unleash the excellence within them.  What follows are what I think those practices must be:
I. Pump Up Your Cardiovascular System.  The heart of your career is your occupational expertise.  Re-imagine yourself as a work-in-progress so that you are always adding depth and tone to your knowledge and skill set.

II. Strengthen Your Circulatory System.  The wider and deeper your network of contacts, the more visible you and your capabilities will be in the workplace.  Make nurturing professional relationships a part of your business day.

III. Develop All of Your Muscle Groups.  The greater your versatility in contributing your expertise at work, the broader the array of situations and assignments in which you can be employed.  Develop ancillary skills that will give you more ways to apply your core expertise in the workplace.

IV. Increase Your Flexibility & Range of Motion.  Moving from industry-to-industry, from one daily schedule to another or even from one location to another is never easy, but your willingness to adapt will help to keep your career moving forward.

V. Work With Winners.  Working with successful organizations and coworkers enables you to grow on-the-job, develop useful connections that will last a career and establish yourself as a winner in the world of work.

VI. Stretch Your Soul.  A healthy career not only serves you, it serves others, as well.  A personal commitment to doing some of your best work as good works for your community, your country and/or your planet is the most invigorating form of work/life balance.

VII. Pace Yourself.  A fulfilling and rewarding career depends upon your getting the rest and replenishment you need in order to do your best work every day you’re on-the-job.  Discipline yourself and your boss to set aside time to recharge your passion and capacity for work.

All of us have the inherent capacity to be an alpha career athlete because all of us have an inherent talent that wants to be—deserves to be—discovered.  Humans are the only beings, however, who can willfully choose to ignore their gift.  And happily, they are also the only beings who can choose to recognize it.  So, become the alpha career athlete you were meant to be; put yourself in search of (personal) excellence.

Thanks for reading,
Peter
Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including his latest, Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

In the midst of momentary writer's block, my mind froze as I struggled to identify what is most important for me to share with you as a job seeker. Then the question occurred to me, do you know what to do if you freeze up in response to an interviewer's question. I want to help you get beyond the standard space filler, "ummmmm", so that you can really shine.

A Wall street Journal article, "What Won't You Do For a Job", dated June 2, 2009, emphasized that recruiters are beefing up their screening process; Some are going to great lengths to create "hoops" for candidates to jump through. These hoops include unconventional questions and situations. One candidate was reportedly invited to a group interview and asked to "sell" the competitor seated next to him.

The Wall street article discusses how to be prepared for "off the wall" questions. I believe that part of the preparation is knowing how to handle awkward silences, especially when it's your turn to speak and the words won't come. Here are some tips that I recommend:

• Consider being honest by admitting that you are "nervous"- yes, the anti-perspirant commercials, and all your friends, tell you to "never let them see you sweat", but if your body is already giving you away, e.g. blank stares, shaking voice, a twitch in your eye, it's best to just be "real". You'd be surprised that as soon as you "own it" and laugh it off, the nerves will loosen their grip on you.

• Take a pause and a breath before answering each question- Remember that an interview is a conversation, it's not meant to be a tennis volley; Don't think you have to fire back with a "canned" response.

• "Buy time" on a few of the hardest questions by saying, "that's a really good question. May I take a moment to think about it?" If appropriate, incorporate a humorous laugh or exhalation to emphasize how impressed you are.

• Demonstrate your listening skills and mirror back the interviewer's language. Repeat the words that your interviewer uses back in your answer. As you do this, you can speak slowly and gather your thoughts. For example, if they say, "Tell me about a time that you were challenged beyond your capabilities and what you did about it?" Take your deep breath then slowly lead in with, "For me, the one time I can think of that I felt challenged beyond my capabilities was......"

• If you really didn't understand the question, ask for the interviewer to repeat it. Yes, you don't want to do this more than once or twice, but sometimes questions don't make sense with the way they are worded. It's much better to ask for a repeat, than to frustrate them by answering the "wrong" question.

• Remember "facts tell, stories sell" (see previous blog entry). If you can't think of an answer, start rolling over in your mind stories (events) from your own experience or even someone else's that will provide you with something to build your answer upon.
• Once you have given a complete answer, resist the urge to keep adding upon it. It will cause you to water down your response and go in directions that you don't want to. If the interviewer seems bewildered, just ask, "did I answer your question?"

Just as I have now shared my thoughts with you which were once blocked, I trust that you will be able to get past your own roadblocks during interviews. You don't have to rely on "ummmm" ever again to get you through, unless you like really like the sound of it.

Russ Haines, CPRW is President of ECI Careers who helps job seekers achieve their career goals.  He provides coaching and training in the art of Networking, Interviewing and develops résumés and cover letters that demonstrate value to a prospective employer.               

¨         My salary requirements are too high

¨         My age will eliminate me from most jobs

¨         My skills are not up to date, i.e. computer skills

¨         I‘m competing with a younger more savvy labor force that is

            willing to accept a lower salary to do the same job

¨         Unemployment is at 10%  (6.6% last time this blog ran)

¨         I never completed college

¨         My résumé does not reflect my abilities

¨         My interview skills are weak

¨         I do not know enough people who can hire me

¨         I need to change careers

First things first, determine what you can control.  

The first thing you can control is your attitude, it must be positive.

¨       You can’t control what the market is determining as a fair salary

         for a particular job. 

o       You can control your expectations and make sure you are seeking

         the top salary for that position you are seeking.  Undervaluing

         yourself never works.

¨       You can’t control your age.

o       You can control your enthusiasm and passion.

¨       You can’t control the skill sets of the competing labor force.

o       You can control what you have to offer and how you present

          your value to the market.

¨       You can’t control the unemployment rate.

o       You can control how you react to the current conditions.   

As you go through the list of 10 items, identify those that you can’t control and those you can control.  Manage those items you can’t control, that is, put strategies into place that will diminish the impact on your search.  For example, look at age as offering more experience, more value and that great baby-boomer work ethic.  You can’t control the unemployment rate, however you can control the way you let it effect you.  The unemployment rate is meaningless; it serves to reinforce negative thoughts whether its high or low there always seems to be a disadvantage to the job seeker and if you are out of work, the unemployment rate is really 100%.

Things you can control include your resume. Does it reflect your value or does it read like an obituary or a task list from “Things I’ve Done” list.  Does it give away your age ?

Your formal education. Are you concerned that you have not completed college and that although you were very successful in your career without the benefit of college, you feel you are being filtered out from jobs you could easily perform?  You can go back to school, take classes, and attend seminars that will build on your current education and job skills.

Your interviewing skills. Have you not been on a serious job interview, not including internal promotional interviews, for quite some time?

Your networking skills.  You read about it in every book, how to find a job article and everyone you meet, you must network.  Do you know how to network; do you know what to do if you are not networking successfully?  Do you know if you are networking successfully?

I need to change careers.  Do you have to change careers because what you do is no longer being done in companies?  The job description and responsibilities are no longer needed or have been automated or simplified to allow a lower paid employee to perform the task?  Or has your job been devastated by some type of economic shift?  Can you present yourself as an expert in a field that you have no experience?  That is the key to the career transition.

Therefore, Baby Boomers control what you can, manage things that you can’t control and seek professional help to learn how to control the things that are in your control.   

Visit my website, www.Mycareerstartshere.com for information on running an effective career search.   

General rule of thumb, if you have been out there for more than 30 days and have not had any serious meetings or interviews, your search is not going as well as it should.  Contact me for a free résumé assessment   Russ@mycareerstartshere.com.

A lot of people are trying to find a job in today's tough environment with a wimpy career, and unfortunately, employers are kicking sand in their face.  What's the alternative? Add muscle to your work credentials and capabilities with Work Strong: Your Personal Career Fitness System. 

Designed specifically for the challenging workplace of the 21st Century, Work Strong not only tells you what to do for career success, but when, where and how to do it.  Career Fitness includes both a revolutionary philosophy of work and a regimen of daily, weekly and monthly activities that empower you to apply that philosophy to your career.

Using physical fitness as a metaphor, it introduces an approach to career self-management that is appropriate for everyone from seasoned professionals to executives, from those who are just entering the workplace to those who are returning to work after a lengthy absence.  In today's world of work, you need (and deserve) every advantage you can get.  So, give yourself the one resource that will enable you to take charge of the one-third or more of your life you spend at work.  Get Work Strong today!

And don't forget about others.  Get Work Strong for yourself and for your spouse, your sons and daughters and even for your mother and father.  Everyone deserves to Work Strong.  To place your order, call WEDDLE's at 317.598.9768 or visit Weddles.com.  Don’t delay.  Place your order today!

Lightning has struck your career and although you thought it would never happen to you now you are faced with a personal and professional crisis. You're not alone. This three part series is designed to lend some insight, advice, and suggestions on how to pick up and move forward when you are faced with the difficult situation of being downsized.

APICS members can register for this free webinar at the following URL: http://www.apics.org/Education/Webinars/Live_Webinars.htm.  Alternatively, you can register by logging into the national site at www.APICS.org . Once logged in, navigate to Education>Online Events> Webinars. Scroll down to the "Register Now" link and sign up! You will receive a confirmation email. Here is the webinar schedule:

Session One | Shell-shocked! Get It Sorted Out, Then Get Out:  July 8, 2009 | 12 – 1:00 p.m. EDT

Session Two | Vision. Get Yourself Out There:  July 15, 2009 | 12 – 1:00 p.m. EDT

Session Three | Moving Forward and Getting Ahead:  July 22, 2009 | 12 – 1:00 p.m. EDT

If you are an operations management or supply chain professional and would like to take advantage of Career Services benefits you can become an APICS member at www.APICS.org.  If you would like to learn more about the Florida West Coast Chapter of APICS please visit out web site at www.APICS-FLWC.org. 

It is our pleasure to invite you to join us at the 31st Annual HR Florida State Conference & Expo, hosted by the HR Florida State Council, the state affiliate for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM.)  This event attracts over 1,500 human resources professionals throughout Florida representing virtually every industry and companies from small business to large industrial centers.  With key notes like Edward James Olmos, Dr. Christine Dumas and The Honorable Alexis Herman it's going to be standing room only! 

This year’s event will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek located in the heart of Central Florida from August 16 - 19, 2009.  This modern hotel leaves no stone unturned in providing guests comfort and the ultimate in business convenience.

Click here for video and remember to stop by the Jobing Booth!  See you there.

We've compiled a list of people to follow on twitter who have written great books about careers. If you're looking for a job, get on Twitter and follow these authors.  All of them have something good to say about finding a job. If you pay attention to the tips they put out on Twitter, you might have a new take to your job search.

@DanielPink Author of a few books- my favorite was The Adventures of Johnny Bunko because it resembles my story.
@alisondoyle  Author of the About.com Guide to Job Searching
@danschawbel Author of Me 2.0, a book about personal branding.
@jonathanfields Author of Career Renegade
@PamSlim Author of Escape From Cubicle Nation, available this Thursday, is also a Mesa resident.
@lindseypollak Author of Getting From Career to College
@alevit Author of They Don't Teach Corporate in College
@MarthaFinney Author of Rebound, a book for people to start over again after losing their jobs
@BarryMoltz Author of Bounce!, a book for people looking to bounce back from their failures
@BarbaraSher Author of I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was.  A motivator that doesn't like self-improvment or the power of positive thinking
Feel free to add to the list, and pass it on.  And buy Pam Slim's book.

Brett Farmiloe is the social media manager for Jobing.com.  You can find him @thatpassionguy, and can find some cool career interview videos he and some buddies did on a crazy cross country road trip here: http://phoenix.jobing.com/video/pursuethepassion