Interview Questions Workshop

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by an Interview Questions Workshop. The facilitator for this week will be Gil Krispien. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, we will conduct an Interview Questions Workshop.

Interview Questions Workshop

We have had an Interview Workshop in the past and it was always a lot of fun and a learning experience. Each person is both an interviewee and interviewer. We start off by someone is selected to be interviewed and selects an interview question from the bag/can of interview questions. The person is asked the question by the interviewer and his / her response is analyzed by the group with possible suggestions for a better response. The person selected to be interviewed now becomes the interviewer and selects someone to be interviewed, and the process is continued until everyone has a chance to conduct both roles.

William Lam Photo Session

William will be conducting a photo session for those who would like their picture taken for LinkedIn or for any other purpose. Please bring a flash drive, a read-write CD, or any device where the photos can be copied onto. Dress the way you feel appropriate for the picture.

Recap of HNG Meeting of May 1, 2015:

Our 145th meeting had 20 people, this is one more than the previous meeting; three signed the New Member list. Emilia Gordon was our facilitator. There were three introduction speeches.

Landings:
Michelle Levesque Robert Half & Accountemps Salaried Professional Service Division, started April 29th

We had a speaker, Kristen Beyer, whose subject was, "Learn Ways to Preserve Your Future During a Job Transition."
This covered the following:

* How can I manage expenses and continue to pay bills without a regular salary?
* How can I continue to provide my family with medical care without my employer’s insurance coverage?
* What are the long-term consequences if I tap into my retirement savings?
* How will a job loss affect my tax situation?

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

June 5, 2015 Robert Dandrade & Panel of IT Professionals “Finding a Job That Fits When You are Older than 50”

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Emilia Gordon emiliagne@gmail.com
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Ronaldo Lu ronaldo.lu@comcast.net
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBPO) - Job Opportunity Announcement – NOW OPEN

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is currently hiring 2,000 Customs and Border Protection Officers (CBPO) by September 30, 2015.  A CBPO entry-level job opportunity announcement is currently open on USAJOBS until May 11, 2015 or until 15,000 applications are received.  

CBP Officers play a vital role in preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States and enforcing customs, immigration, and agriculture laws and regulations at U.S. ports of entry.

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, CBP requires that every employee be reliable, trustworthy, and fit for duty. To meet these standards, applicants must undergo and successfully pass a thorough background investigation (which includes a polygraph examination), a medical examination, two preemployment fitness examinations, a drug test, and a structured interview in order to be placed in a CBP Officer position. Information on how to apply for the CBP Officer career is located on the following CBP webpage:  http://www.cbp.gov/careers/join-cbp/which-cbp-career/cbp-officer.

On this website, you will find the following information:

·            CBP Officer Qualifications and Requirements

·            Duty Locations Where CBP Officers are Hired

·            How To Apply and Schedule for the CBP Officer Entrance Examination

·            Reporting for Duty and Training

CBP's Office of Human Resources Management (HRM) recruits for the CBPO positions using short-term vacancy announcements throughout the year.  This provides candidates the opportunity to move through the hiring process quickly and efficiently, and facilitates hiring quality candidates to report to the Office of Field Operations Academy fully prepared to join the proud ranks of CBP Officers.  Below is the schedule for the Job Announcements for CBP Officers and Border Patrol Agents that will be open throughout 2015.

CBP Job Announcements for 2015
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers	April 27 ⎼ May 11
U.S. Border Patrol Agents	May 22 – June 8
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers	June 26 – July 13
U.S. Border Patrol Agents	October 16 – November 2
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers	November 27 – December 14

We need your assistance in reaching our hiring goals.  Please help us fill our ranks with individuals who share our core values of vigilance, integrity, and service to country.  Encourage your friends, neighbors, and family members to visit http://www.cbp.gov/careers to learn more about this occupation that protects our Nation's borders from terrorism, human and drug smuggling, illegal migration, and agricultural pests while simultaneously facilitating the flow of legitimate travel and trade.

By spreading the word about our Agency's upcoming job opportunities, you can help us build a better and stronger CBP.

Follow us on twitter: @CustomsBorder.

"Learn Ways to Preserve Your Future During a Job Transition"

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by speaker, Kristen Beyer. The facilitator for this week will be Emilia Gordon. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, Kristen will talk about "Learn Ways to Preserve Your Future During a Job Transition."

Learn Ways to Preserve Your Future During a Job Transition

Weathering job transitions. Preserving your future … This presentation can help answer your questions about how unemployment could affect your future including:

* How can I manage expenses and continue to pay bills without a regular salary?
* How can I continue to provide my family with medical care without my employer’s insurance coverage?
* What are the long-term consequences if I tap into my retirement savings?
* How will a job loss affect my tax situation?

This will be followed by a discussion on how to best manage finances and retirement savings during a job transition. Please come with questions!

Kristen Beyer

Kristen Beyer is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial and specializes in Comprehensive Financial Planning, Asset Management, Retirement Planning and Estate Planning. She has been with Ameriprise for 17 years. You can find out more at http://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/kristen.k.beyer/

Recap of HNG Meeting of April 17, 2015:

Our 144th meeting had 19 people, this is five less than the previous meeting; no one signed the New Member list. William Lam was our facilitator. There were no introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Lisa Rosen, whose subject was, "Managing Your Job Search." This covered the following:

Keep Calm and Job Search On…This presentation resulted in learning how to start, organize or restart your job search plan. She discussed tips and strategies to conduct an effective job search in today’s challenging employment environment.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

May 15, 2015 Interview Questions Workshop & Photo Session by William Lam

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Emilia Gordon emiliagne@gmail.com
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Michelle Levesque mdlevesque222@yahoo.com
Ronaldo Lu ronaldo.lu@comcast.net
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com

HNG: Managing Your Job Search

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by speaker, Lisa Rosen. The facilitator for this week will be William Lam. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, Lisa will talk about "Managing Your Job Search."

Managing Your Job Search

Keep Calm and Job Search On…This presentation will result in learning how to start, organize or restart your job search plan. We will discuss tips and strategies to conduct an effective job search in today’s challenging employment environment.

Lisa Rosen

Lisa Rosen, Career Advisor and Workshop Facilitator at Employment & Training Resources in Framingham, has 10+ years’ experience in recruiting and human resources. An accomplished workshop facilitator, she has led classes in Managing Your Job Search, Developing Your Self Marketing Pitch and Networking Works to name a few. Additionally, she is certified as a professional résumé writer. Her guidance and support has led to many jobseekers returning to work.

Recap of HNG Meeting of April 3, 2015:

Our 143rd meeting had 24 people, this is three less than the previous meeting; seven signed the New Member list. Ronaldo Lu was our facilitator. There were seven introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Bill Lippincott, whose subject was, "How to Keep a Positive Attitude." This covered the following:
* Learn to be a sales professional
* Go into unchartered territory
* Go into uncomfortable situations and get yourself out
* List positive re-acclamations; your best defense for all the "No's"
* Finally, he gave a quote from Sir Winston Churchill, something about hell; however, there were two that I uncovered that fit
quite appropriately to everyone's situation and Bill's talk:
"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know
you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."

And:

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."

This was an enlightening presentation, and he was kind and gracious to fill in at the last moment for the scheduled speaker who had to cancel.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

April 17, 2015 Lisa Rosen "Managing Your Job Search"
May 1, 2015 Kristen Beyer TBD

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Emilia Gordon emiliagne@gmail.com
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Ronaldo Lu ronaldo.lu@comcast.net

HNG meeting: Interview Workshop or Speaker TBD

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by either an Interview Workshop or a speaker. The speaker that was scheduled for this week had to cancel because she is in transition of moving to Schenectady, New York, so attempts are being made to get someone else, and if that fails then we will conduct an Interview Workshop. An update to this agenda will be sent in the next day or two if a speaker has become available. The facilitator for this week will be Ronaldo Lu. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, we will conduct either an Interview Workshop or a speaker.

Interview Workshop

We have had an Interview Workshop in the past and it was always a lot of fun and a learning experience. Each person is both an interviewee and interviewer. We start off by someone is selected to be interviewed and selects an interview question from the bag/can of interview questions. The person is asked the question by the interviewer and his / her response is analyzed by the group with possible suggestions for a better response. The person selected to be interviewed now becomes the interviewer and selects someone to be interviewed, and the process is continued until everyone has a chance to conduct both roles.

Recap of HNG Meeting of March 20, 2015:

Our 142nd meeting had 27 people, this is seven more than the previous meeting; nine signed the New Member list. Gil Krispien was our facilitator. There were nine introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Lisa Rosen, whose subject was, "Tips on Networking." This covered the following:
The goal is to UNDERSTAND what Networking is and how it is beneficial. The benefit is seeing directly how “strangers” can network amongst themselves. This addressed the WHO, What and Where components. Who should be networking? What is networking? And where should you network? Learned how to understand and start networking. The session covered tips and strategies on HOW to network smarter and develop a plan in order to obtain employment in today’s challenging environment.

This was an excellent presentation, and she will be coming back again for a similar subject or something different.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

April 17, 2015 Lee-Ann Johnson TBD

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Sheri Ablaza sheriablaza@gmail.com
Grace Carcich gracec814@gmail.com
Emilia Gordon emiliagne@gmail.com
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Ronaldo Lu ronaldo.lu@comcast.net

HNG Meeting - March 20 - Tips on Networking

Hello Everyone,

We are nearing an end to the winter months, but if the Hopkinton schools are cancelled on the day of our meeting then we do not meet; however, if there is a delay, then we do meet. Even if the schools are not closed, if the weather is bad, it is best to stay home then risk an accident.

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by speaker, Lisa Rosen. The facilitator for this week will be Gil Krispien. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings,Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, Lisa will talk about "Tips on Networking."

Tips on Networking

Networking presentation The goal is to UNDERSTAND what Networking is and how it is beneficial. The benefit of attending our workshop is seeing directly how “strangers” can network amongst themselves. Presentation will address the WHO, What and Where components. Who should be networking? What is networking? And where should you network? Learn how to understand and start networking. The session will cover tips and strategies on HOW to network smarter and develop a plan in order to obtain employment in today’s challenging environment.

Lisa Rosen

Lisa Rosen, Career Advisor and Workshop Facilitator at Employment & Training Resources in Framingham has 10+ years’ experience in recruiting and human resources. An accomplished workshop facilitator, she has led classes in Managing Your Job Search, Developing Your Self Marketing Pitch and Networking Works to name a few. Additionally, she is certified as a professional résumé writer. Her guidance and support has led to many jobseekers returning to work.

Recap of HNG Meeting of March 6, 2015:

Our 141st meeting had 20 people, this is eight more than the previous meeting; two signed the New Member list. William Lam was our facilitator. There were two introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Robert Gaughan, whose subject was: "If you have to pay for your own Health Insurance – maybe I can help."

The following was covered:
* Rules related to enrollment in Health Insurance
* How Health Insurance plans are structured
* How premiums are determined
* What to look for/think about when selecting a Health Insurance plan
* Discussion of "subsidized" Health Insurance
* Discussion of penalties for not having Health Insurance
* Dental/Supplemental/Life and Long-term Care Insurance

This was an excellent presentation, and perhaps he will come back again.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

April 3, 2015 Shelley Cull TBD

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Sheri Ablaza sheriablaza@gmail.com
Grace Carcich gracec814@gmail.com
Emilia Gordon emiliagne@gmail.com
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Ronaldo Lu ronaldo.lu@comcast.net

Sports and Entertainment Career Fair - Mar 28

The New England Revolution and Kraft Sports Group will host their annual Sport Management and Entertainment Executive Lecture Career Fair on Saturday, March 28 at Showcase Live at Patriot Place. College students and members of the general public who are interested in a career in the sports industry are invited to attend the fair, which will take place just prior to the Revs’ home game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Gillette Stadium. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

The four-hour event will begin at 10 a.m. and feature a series of panels and presentations from sports professionals throughout the New England region. The career fair offers prospective employees an opportunity to network and interview with high-level professionals in the sports business that are looking to offer internships as well as part-time and full-time positions with their organizations.

Additional info on the career fair can be found here
http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/news/2015/03/new-england-revolution-kraft-sports-group-host-career-fair-march-28

Sports and Entertainment Career Fair - Mar 28

HNG Meeting March 6, 2015; Agenda: Speaker on "Medical Insurance Options"

Hello Everyone,

We are in the winter months, so if the Hopkinton schools are cancelled on the day of our meeting then we do not meet; however, if there is a delay, then we do meet.  Even if the schools are not closed, if the weather is bad, it is best to stay home then risk an accident.

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by speaker, Robert Gaughan.  The facilitator for this week will be William Lam. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM.  In the second hour, Bob will talk about "If you have to pay for your own Health Insurance – maybe I can help."

If you have to pay for your own Health Insurance – maybe I can help……

The following will be covered:

* Rules related to enrollment in Health Insurance

* How Health Insurance plans are structured

* How premiums are determined

* What to look for/think about when selecting a Health Insurance plan

* Discussion of "subsidized" Health Insurance

* Discussion of penalties for not having Health Insurance

* Dental/Supplemental/Life and Long-term Care Insurance

Robert Gaughan

Bob has had an interesting life:

* Sold insurance many years ago in college (graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), before most of you were born,   then led a checkered career after college. 

* Restaurant waiter, built a bar, worked for a private detective, worked nights in a textile mill.

* Then got involved with communications, high tech.  Did that for about 25 years, traveled around the world evangelizing   the latest greatest technology.

* Came back to insurance in the last few years focusing on Health Insurance

Recap of HNG Meeting of February 20, 2015:

Our 140th meeting had 12 people,  this is one less than the previous meeting; four signed the New Member list. Gil Krispien was our facilitator. There were four introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Lee-Ann Johnson, Career Center Manager at Employment and Training Resources in Framingham, who talked about "Best Kept Secret - Massachusetts One Stop Career Centers." A brief summary of her talk was:

Many jobseekers realize they may need training and the career center can assist you with guidance and funding.  On the Job Training is another alternative that can help you get a foot in the door at an employer.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

March 6, 2015        Robert Gaughan          "Medical Insurance Options"

March 20, 2015      Lee-Ann Johnson

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:

* Welcome

* Landings (with doughnuts)

* Announcements

* New member introductions

* Needs and Leads

* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group

* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:

* Name

* Skills and Value Statement

* Where have you been?

* Where are you going?

* Your title

* Your target companies

* Geography of search

* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:

St. John the Evangelist

20 Church Street

Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,

Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:

Sheri Ablaza            sheriablaza@gmail.com

Grace Carcich          gracec814@gmail.com  

Emilia Gordon          emiliagne@gmail.com  

Gil Krispien              g.krispien@verizon.net    

William Lam             wmlam508@yahoo.com  

Ronaldo Lu              ronaldo.lu@comcast.net         

     

Best Kept secret - Massachusetts One Stop Career Centers

Hello Everyone, 
Surprise! We are in the winter months, clearly demonstrated by the too many snow storms, if the Hopkinton schools are cancelled on the day of our meeting then we do not meet; however, if there is a delay, then we do meet. Even if the schools are not closed, if the weather is bad, it is best to stay home then risk an accident.

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by speaker, Lee-Ann Johnson. The facilitator for this week will be Gil Krispien. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, Lee-Ann will talk about "Best Kept Secret - Massachusetts One Stop Career Centers."

Best Kept secret - Massachusetts One Stop Career Centers

Being unemployed is a challenging time and the Career Centers are here to help. This is an opportunity to stop and assess your skills and career path. Many jobseekers realize they may need training and the career center can assist you with guidance and funding. On the Job Training is another alternative that can help you get a foot in the door at an employer. Let us help you find your next job

Lee-Ann Johnson

Lee-Ann Johnson is a Career Center Manager at Employment and Training Resources in Framingham. She has been with the organization for 11 years in various roles. She has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She is passionate about providing jobseekers the individual assistance, guidance, encouragement and support they need during the transition to their next job. 

Recap of HNG Meeting of February 6, 2015:

Our 139th meeting had 13 people, this is nineteen less than the previous meeting; four signed the New Member list. William Lam was our facilitator. There were four introduction speeches. 

We reviewed the Goals / New Year's Resolutions made at our January 2, 2015 meeting. Only William Lam, Jeff Beauchaine, and myself listed what we had specified as our goals at the January 2nd meeting, and we met not only the two required goals, but others as well.

Of the eighteen people who attended the January 2nd meeting, only three returned to discuss whether their goals were achieved. This was a significant disappointment, and it is unlikely this exercise will be repeated.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

February 20, 2015 Lee-Ann Johnson "Best Kept secret - Massachusetts One Stop Career Centers"
March 6, 2015 Stephen Gaughan "Medical Insurance Options"

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators: 
Sheri Ablaza sheriablaza@gmail.com
Grace Carcich gracec814@gmail.com 
Emilia Gordon emiliagne@gmail.com 
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net 
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com 
Ronaldo Lu ronaldo.lu@comcast.net 

Part 2 Networking Exercise of Goals / New Year's Resolutions

Hello Everyone, 
We are in the winter months, especially demonstrated by the recent snow storms, if the Hopkinton schools are cancelled on the day of our meeting then we do not meet; however, if there is a delay, then we do meet. Even if the schools are not closed, if the weather is bad, it is best to stay home then risk an accident.

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by Part 2 Networking Exercise of Goals / New Year's Resolutions. The facilitator for this week will be William Lam. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. 

Important Note: Please make a serious, concerted effort to arrive before 10:00 AM. We are going to start the meeting on time at10:00 AM. In the second hour we will review the Goals / New Year’s Resolutions that we specified at our January 2, 2015 meeting.

Goals / New Year's Resolutions Part 2

At our January 2, 2015 meeting each person filled out a form specifying a list of one goal / resolution for each week leading up to this meeting for a total of five, and committing to accomplish two of these. If you only listed two, then you needed to commit to those two. We will review the two committed goals, and if a goal was not achieved, we will want to know why. We will record these reasons and have a speaker to address these reasons on how to alleviate them at a future meeting.

This is a multi-purpose networking exercise, not only having to commit to achieve two goals, but also learning from others why goals were not achieved, and finally having a future speaker to help and show us how to achieve goals in a timely manner.

For those that did not attend the January 2nd meeting, it does not mean you do not have to attend. Quite the contrary, because this is a learning experience that all can benefit from.

Recap of HNG Meeting of January 16, 2015:

Our 138th meeting had 32 people, this is fourteen more than the previous meeting; five signed the New Member list. Ronaldo Lu was our facilitator. There were five introduction speeches. 

We had speaker, Stephen Martins, who talked about "Get the Offer." This included:
Part 1 – Know your approach to job searching. Is it good enough? 
* Offensive
* Defensive
* Sales
Part 2 – Getting to the source with your resume. Is my resume good, too long, right wording? Common errors. 
* Recruiter
* Office worker
* HR
Part 3 – **The Interview** (guaranteed success if they follow this step)
* Confidence 
* Approach
* Questions
* The Close
Part 4 – Question areas

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

February 6, 2015 Review of Goals / New Year's Resolutions of January 2, 2015
February 20, 2015 Lee-Anne Johnson General Services including training and OJTs at Framingham Employment & Training Center

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 and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

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 for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators: 
Sheri Ablaza sheriablaza@gmail.com 
Grace Carcich gracec814@gmail.com 
Emilia Gordon emiliagne@gmail.com 
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net 
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com 
Ronaldo Lu ronaldo.lu@comcast.net