Hopkinton Networking Group: “Network Your Way into the Hidden Job Market”

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin. The facilitator for this week will be Ralph Sabatino. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Joellyn will speak about "Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market".

Speaker Topic: “Network Your Way into the Hidden Job Market”

Landing an ideal career position in today’s competitive labor market requires more effort than chasing “openings” and “vacancies,” posting résumés on job boards, filling out online applications -- and waiting for responses that may never come.

In this seminar, you will learn how to break this dead-end “click and pray” cycle, by understanding what the hidden job market really is and how to effectively network your way into it. Even if you’ve attempted job-search networking without much success, this program will help you get back on track.

Material covered includes:

• The true definition of “the hidden job market;”
• The four stages of a job opening and the truths about job postings;
• What job-search networking is –- and what it isn’t;
• Common mistakes people make in job-search networking situations -- and how to avoid them;
• The importance of having a job-search plan in place before reaching out to your networking contacts;
• How to strategically build a contact list to reach hiring decision makers;

And much more!

About Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin

Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlinis a Certified Career Management Coach who runs a private career coaching practice serving executives, managers and professionals in career transition. Since 1991, Joellyn has helped countless clients find perfect career paths which are fun, fulfilling and financially-rewarding.

Joellyn has been an active contributor of sample resumes, cover letters, and career-related pieces which are featured in many publications, most recently: Gallery of Best Resumes, 5th Edition (2011); Cover Letters for Dummies (2009); and Job Search Bloopers (2008). She has also written articles for the Worcester Business Journal and has been quoted as a career expert in articles published in the d.b.a. (Worcester Telegram & Gazette supplement) and The Chicago Tribune.

Prior to her work as a career coach, Joellyn earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois, freelanced as a professional singer, and held administrative positions across multiple industry sectors, including nearly two years in the HR department of a social service agency.


Schedule for HNG Meetings:

October 21, 2011 Hari Narayanan "Check List for Being JOB READY"
November 4, 2011 Anne Crawford "Is Your Elevator Speech Getting You to the Next Level"
November 18, 2011
December 2, 2011
December 16, 2011
*** HAPPY NEW YEAR ****
January 20, 2012 Clare Harlow " People Reading with DiSC"



General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest/Google for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748