Face2Face Job Search Networking: Merging technology with face-to-face job search networking in Minnetonka, Minneapolis, St Paul, Minnesota area

Jim Bear heads a financial planning company but is also a networking expert. He has developed a small business networking model that works wonderfully for individuals in job search. In fact, he's taught this at Face2Face twice before, and members always rate him highly. He's upbeat, practical, and has a time-tested, proven methodology.

You'll leave with new ideas about expanding your network AND making contact with the people who know about your next job even before you do.

January 19, 2012: Joanne Meehl, Career Coach and Face2Face Founder/Facilitator — Setting (and Keeping) Your Job Search Motivation on Fire

Job searches today are longer. How do you keep up your motivation, despite your ups and downs? How do you survive the roller coaster? What’s new with "informational interviews", and how do they help with your motivation, of all things?!

Joanne Meehl, Career Choice and Job Search Coach, and F2F Facilitator, will address several points, including:

- How to renew your confidence, over and over again

- How to use the three kinds of career research meetings (informational interviews) to help, and a new tool that will make these meetings more productive

- Causes of "getting stalled", and how to counter them

- Refreshing your support systems

This session will boost your energy and help you stay on track in this new year, so that you can land sooner.

January 5, 2012: Dave Cornell — Take Advantage of Your Fear

Dave Cornell, speaker and coach, is 6'9" and a competitive basketball player, but when he was laid off, still dreaded what was ahead. But he is someone who took the fear he felt after losing his job and turned it into motivation, energy, and hope, as well as a successful business doing speaking, consulting and life coaching. He says, "Never underestimate the value of a crisis!" He's with us at Face2Face this day to give you the know-how so that you can do the same!

Dave will talk about how you can capitalize on your fears, and gain energy and insights that will affect your life and your career. Expect to leave feeling uplifted AND with practical tips on how to go forward in your search in better ways. You can't miss this one!

Due to the amount of material in Dave's presentation, we'll begin it at 10:45 instead of our usual time. Join us!

December 15, 2011: Jason Alba — Getting More Out of LinkedIn: Doing Smart Searches - And, Holiday Pot Luck Edibles

Jason Alba, President of JibberJobber and nationally known LinkedIn expert, will be with us today. We are very fortunate to have him!

On this day at Face2Face, Jason will address FINDING the right people on LinkedIn, in a talk called "Getting More Out of LinkedIn: Doing Smart Searches".

We didn’t want a repeat of previous LinkedIn sessions we’ve done recently, so with Jason’s expertise, we asked him to zero in on searches and "best methods" for searching. This will help you right away in your search.

You'll go away with:

- Knowing more about getting the right contacts for your search
- Solid search methods and rules (algorithms) you should use
- How do you find people without taking hours and hours?
- How do you track contacts during your search AND after you land?

Jason promises to make his content very understandable -- and effective.

Bring your LinkedIn questions about doing good searches for people you want to connect to but haven't been able to. Jason's background in software development and IT will help you understand more about searching on LinkedIn -- for your benefit.

Please note: Jason will speak from 10:30-11:45, and may be available afterward to answer more questions.

It's also the Face2Face Annual Holiday Celebration day, with our pot luck edibles. Feel free to bring appetizers or desserts to share! Please respect the faith of our synagogue hosts and do not bring any items made of pork in any form, shellfish, or milk/meat mixture.

We'll also have an "amazing holiday sweater" contest -- you can read "amazing" any way you'd like! -- so wear that sweater and see if you win a prize.

See you Thursday!

December 1, 2011: Kelly Colosimo, Senior HR Generalist — The Secrets of In-House Recruiting

Senior HR Generalist Kelly Colosimo will join us to give you insights into how internal company recruiters work: How do they work with internal managers so they can find the best candidates? How can YOU work with internal recruiters to get the interview AND land the job?

Bring your questions about what in-house company recruiters do -- and how YOU can better compete for their openings.

November 17, 2011: Marni Hockenberg — The Interview Power Hour: What Employers Value in Top Candidates

What does the employer look for in their new employees, and why?

How do you ready yourself to meet with a recruiter to show you match the employer's opening?

Can you increase your chances of landing the interview with the employer?

And how do you NAIL the interview with the employer?

Marni Hockenberg of Hockenberg Search will address those and many other questions on 11/17.

Marni is a leading talent management professional in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. She works for companies in manufacturing to fill their key positions, and with companies who need HR talent. She also gives her time to professional and community organizations. We're very fortunate to have her with us this day!

November 3, 2011: Joanne Meehl, Face2Face Founder and Facilitator — Avoiding the Top 3 Mistakes of LinkedIn Recommendations

LinkedIn recommendations are critical for your online presence AND "brand".

Most experts believe that you should have at least five recommendations on your LinkedIn profile. Do you?

And how do those recommendations read? Would an employer read them and pick up the phone to talk with you?

How do LinkedIn recommendations differ from references -- and can you get the same people to do them both?

You'll learn the top three mistakes LinkedIn users make with recommendations -- and how to avoid them. Join us.

October 27, 2011: Joanne Meehl, Face2Face Founder and Facilitator — Free webinar: Twitter: 8 Reasons To Use This Powerful Career Tool

To register for the webinar:
https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=rpj7ej0ogli5

We could also call this "Ignore Twitter at Your Own Peril: 8 Reasons to Use This Powerful Career Tool".

Don’t laugh off Twitter: it’s quickly become a fantastic way of enhancing your career AND your job search. Today you cannot use one tool for everything -- neither the resume or LinkedIn do it all -- so get updated and learn how Twitter can help you in as little as 15 minutes a week.

While this session is meant to "replace" the 10/20 Face2Face meeting we could not have, it will be open to the public, so non-members will be attending as well.

Registration info will be going out on Monday. Sign up quickly because there will be a limit of 99 registrants. To "attend", you must register, then all you’ll need is your computer and telephone.

If you are a Face2Face member, look for the invitation to arrive then! All others are welcome.

To register for the webinar:
https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=rpj7ej0ogli5

October 6, 2011: Gary Braley — Don't Get Left Behind: Technology That Companies Are Using, And What You Should Know About It

Today's companies are using -- AND wrestling with -- new technologies like social media, interactive video, and beyond.

Yet you're still listing "Word, PowerPoint, Excel" or "Microsoft Office Suite" on your resume.

Know that today, you have to go way beyond those tools to show that you are a FIT for your target companies. Even if they don't yet have their act together about exactly what their company's Twitter policy is, they'll hope that YOU come with some ideas and solutions.

Now this doesn't mean you have to be an expert now. It DOES mean that you need to at least be aware of technologies that companies and organizations are using.

Technology early-adopter and guru Gary Braley, an IT/Software business consultant and student of all things technical, will bring you way up to date on newer tools. And on what you should say about them in your job search.

Get updated by coming to this meeting -- you'll be so glad you did.

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Click here for a typical Face2Face agenda.

September 15, 2011: — How to Never Worry About Layoffs Again: Lucrative Alternatives to the W-2 Employee Cage - Panel

Aside from the upbeat and fruitful Networking Cluster sessions, our Face2Face meeting next week will address this topic: striking out on your own. In the last 3 months, more of you have been asking for a program about this than in the last 3 years.

All of you should at least consider this option before saying "I only want to work for a paycheck and benefits".

With the reluctance of too many companies to create jobs -- indeed, there are now ONE MILLION FEWER professional jobs than existed in 2000 -- hearing what these experts have to say is vital for you!

Especially if you’re in IT, marketing, sales, operations, creative, you name it.

The most recent Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal lists hundreds of new companies, more than in years. What do THOSE people know that YOU could know?

For this special program, if you bring a job-hunting guest who’s never been to Face2Face before, they will not need to give a donation -- your donation will cover the both of you. A "two-fer"!

Also for this special program, feel free to bring your spouse/significant other. Many times, it’s our partner who’s the one to convince about YOU considering something other than the W-2 box.

We have fantastic guest speakers on the panel (more details early next week) who are giving their time to tell you their stories and help you understand the wonderful options that exist.

Why WAIT for a paycheck? Why hope for good benefits, which most companies are reducing all the time? Create your OWN paycheck and benefits. Come hear HOW, on Thursday.

If you’ve read this far, good for you -- here, you’ll learn that in addition to the above, on Thursday we’ll be having a very special Face2Face guest. AND the first 25 attendees to arrive will get a free copy of Joanne's book, The Resume Queen's Job Search Thesaurus and Career Guide, normally $15, this one meeting only!