Press release available

 “Job Search Jam Sessions” Will Offer
Networking Opportunities, Motivational Boost
for Massachusetts, Rhode Island Job Seekers

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Event is scheduled for May 14, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The location: St. John the Evangelist Parish Center, 20 Church St., Hopkinton, Mass.

HOPKINTON, Mass.——New England, a region especially hard-hit by the current economic slump, will play host soon to “Job Search Jam Sessions.” Events like these are springing up around the country in response to the recession. In coordination with the Hopkinton Networking Group, Job Search Jam Sessions offers peer-to-peer learning, networking opportunities and motivational support for unemployed and under-unemployed workers.  New and recent college graduates are welcome to participate to learn the tips and tricks of the job search.

Job Search Jam Sessions is scheduled for Friday, May 14, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The location: St. John the Evangelist Parish Center, 20 Church Street, Hopkinton, Mass. The event is expected to draw up to two hundred job seekers from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Persons interested in attending should register at http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com. You can pay via PayPal or at the door. The cost is the same – $5 per person.  Attendees will be asked to check in at the Parish Center on May 14, between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.  Coffee, refreshments and snacks will be served during the conference.  Proceeds from ticket sales will help defray expenses. Any ‘profit’ will be donated to the Church in return for the use of their facility.

Directions to the St. John the Evangelist Parish Center can be found on the church’s website (http://www.stjohnhopkinton.com).

“This is an ‘unconference’ for the unemployed and underemployed,” says Steve Sherlock, lead organizer. “The event’s organizers and session facilitators all have experience dealing with the challenges of layoffs and unemployment, and they are enthusiastic about sharing what they’ve learned in a peer-to-peer setting.”

“Job Search Jam Sessions participants will not only acquire dozens of new LinkedIn connections. More importantly, they will share experiences and ideas with their peers, make potentially valuable new contacts and refine their job search skills. And at the end of the day they’ll return home more confident and motivated to pursue new opportunities.”

Job Search Jam Sessions Agenda
The event will feature both seminar-like sessions and informal opportunities to network in small groups. The agenda will be adapted to reflect the needs and interests of participants. There will be sessions devoted to job interviews, financial planning, and the use of social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.


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You can register here: http://jobsearchjamsessions.eventbrite.com/?ref=ecount

Note - you can pay via PayPal or credit card in advance or select "show other payment options" to reserve your ticket and pay at the door. Either way, your reservation will help us plan for the amount of people to expect that day.

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Be like a kindergartener!

What kindergarteners do differently, is that they start with the marshmallow, and they build prototypes, successive prototypes, always keeping the marshmallow on top, so they have multiple times to fix ill built prototypes along the way. So designers recognize this type of collaboration as the essence of the iterative process. And with each version, kids get instant feedback about what works and what doesn't work.

You can view the complete TED Talk here (about 7 minutes).




Be like a kindergartener, come to the Job Search Jam Sessions on May 14th.


Mix and mingle with other job searchers.


Share and learn with each other.


Expand your network.


The next connection you make may be the one to land that dream position!


You can register here:
http://jobsearchjamsessions.eventbrite.com/?ref=ecount


Note - you can pay via PayPal or credit card in advance or select "show other payment options" to reserve your ticket and pay at the door. Either way, your reservation will help us plan for the amount of people to expect that day.




PS - we'll provide the marshmallows!

Session Suggestions

Video tour of the Job Search Jam Session facility

I visited St John Evangelist Parish Center today to record this brief video and provide a view to the wonderful space we will be able to utilize for the Job Search Jam Sessions coming up on Friday, May 14th.




Consider registering for the Jam Sessions here:
http://jobsearchjamsessions.eventbrite.com/


Note - you can pay via PayPal or credit card in advance or select "show other payment options" to reserve your ticket and pay at the door. Either way, your reservation will help us plan for the amount of people to expect that day.

You can have cake!

The evolution of camps from community gatherings for techies (BarCamp), to social media (PodCamp, NewBCamp), to knitting and crocheting crafters (FiberCamp), to health and pharmaceuticals (HealthCamp) and those job searching (LaidOffCamp, Job Search Jam Sessions) has also reached food.

Yes, there will be a Cupcake Camp in Boston tomorrow!

The concept of using open space methods (or unconference) to bring people together around a common interest to share, network, learn from each other and then move forward reinvigorated is proving itself time and time again.

If you are looking for work, take a few minutes to register and then participate in the Job Search Jam Sessions on Friday, May 14th.

If you like Cupcakes, get yourself to Boston (Somerville) tomorrow!
http://cupcakecamp.pbworks.com/Boston

For more about Cupcake Camp Boston read the article in the Boston Globe G section today here

vulnerable is beautiful

So you were laid off. It may have come as a shock. The economy is not so great right now. It is hard to keep looking. It is hard to keep up your spirits. The financial pressures are starting to mount.

You are not in this alone. The recently released JOLT numbers said that there were 2.4 million jobs posted. It also said that there were 15.1 million people looking for those jobs. Tough competition, yes.

You are not in this alone. You can stay alone and looking.

Or you can admit you are looking and job a networking group. Over the course of their meetings (whether weekly or monthly or?) you'll get to learn something from a guest speaker and network with others.

You can also come to the Job Search Jam Session on May 14th. For the one afternoon, for the cost of only $5, you'll get to share your tips and tricks of the job search with others.

Gain confidence in sharing what you know. Learn something new. Network with others.

And leave the event with more confidence, more knowledge, and a greater network behind you to take your next step in the job search!


Vulnerable Is Beautiful from Rachael Maddox on Vimeo.

Why wait, why not register now!

Vulnerable is beautiful. Especially when you are in good company!


Many thanks to Amy Palko for pointing out this video clip for me. Timing is everything.

the place for positive thinking

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

So only plant good & great seeds in your mind… and if some poison ones have slipped into the soil… yank em out and be sure to get the roots!

Read the full posting over at Kirk Weisler's Thought 4 the Day (T4D).

Consider subscribing to his almost daily email if you like this message and could use more of them. They do not always have a religious bent but they are thought provoking.

This is just as important a message for the job search as anything else you hear. Be positive and the positiveness will come through.

Where can you gain some positive thinking? Job Search Jam Sessions! The sharing and collaboration from the group should generate plenty of positive reinforcement to go forth empowered with more knowledge and connections.

Consider registering for Job Search Jam Sessions here

Spreading the word - you can help

Yes, you can.

If you have been practicing your networking skills while looking for your ideal position, this should be right up your alley.

If you haven't been practicing too much, this will be an opportunity to do so.

1 - Assuming you are on LinkedIn, sign in to your profile.

2 - Post the link for this event to one or more of the groups you belong to. Are you an alumni of a New England college or university? This would be a good event for recent graduates as well as any alumni who may be out of work and looking.

3 - Post the link to one group a day. Posting to more than one will flood your connections with all the same updates (albeit to different groups). Let's spread the word but spread it out for maximum effect.

If you are not already a member of your college or university group, this is a good opportunity to join! Even if you went to school outside of New England, some students or graduates may have ended up here. Help boost your profile by spreading the word!

What link should you use?

You can use either the "Start in Hopkinton" posting
http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com/2010/04/start-in-hopkinton.html

or

Send them directly to the Eventbrite page
http://jobsearchjamsessions.eventbrite.com/

Both pages have links to the other so either way, they should get all the info they would need including where and how to register.

Thanks!

Start in Hopkinton

About 25,000 runners will line up along the streets of Hopkinton on Monday April 19th to start the marathon and run 26.2 miles into Boston.

About 200 unemployed or underemployed can come together on Friday afternoon, May 14th not far from the start of the marathon to take their next step on their job search.

During the afternoon, three time slots will offer a choice of up to eight sessions on networking, resumes, interviewing and overall sharing of the tips and tricks that each of us has picked up along the way.

“This is an ‘unconference’ for the unemployed and underemployed,” says Steve Sherlock, lead organizer. “The event’s organizers and session facilitators all have experience dealing with the challenges of layoffs and unemployment, and they are enthusiastic about sharing what they’ve learned in a peer-to-peer setting.”

“Job Search Jam Sessions participants will share experiences and ideas with their peers, make potentially valuable new contacts and refine their job search skills. And at the end of the day they’ll return home more confident and motivated to pursue new opportunities.”

The Job Search Jam Sessions will feature both seminar-like sessions and informal opportunities to network in small groups. There will be sessions devoted to job interviews and the use of social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  The agenda will be adapted to reflect your needs and interests.


Register here and join us on the starting line in Hopkinton!

Tickets now available

Tickets have been set up using Eventbrite to handle the registration, payment via credit card or pay at the door for the Job Search Jam Sessions.

If you don't see the "pay at the door" option, click on "show more payment options"!