Happy New Year 2011

Wishing you all the best for a happy and healthy 2011

Perception is reality

Let's just assume this is true for conversation sake. Put aside your doubts for a moment anyway.

Do first impressions really matter? If you say yes, then are you dressed on your job search for success?

Folks in Orange County, CA can turn to a great non-profit for help in this wardrobe area.

Working Wardrobes, an Orange County Charity Organization, empowers men, women and young adults in crises to confidently enter the workforce through career development and wardrobe services.

Each year we serve over 5,000 clients from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, including Welfare-to-Work, alcohol & substance abuse, domestic violence, transitional homelessness, catastrophic illness and other life crises.

Several things come to mind from this organization.

1. If you are in Orange County, this is a good place to turn to for help
2. If you want to contribute, this is a good and worthy cause
3. If you are not in Orange County, why not start something like this in your area? Let the fashion or fashionista side of you come out!
4. No matter where you are located, consider if you are properly dressed for success

Thanks to Tim's Strategy for pointing out this great site and prompting these ideas!

Success through the 'power of we'

Thanks to the 71 folks who participated in yesterday's Job Search Jam Sessions, the event was a success by most any measure. The attitude of the folks was very much inline with the t-shirt Linda put on during her Super-networker impression:

Great presentations lead by
Joanne Dustin - Keys to Successful Interviewing
Suzanne Gray - Self-Employment & Franchising
Linda Waters - 7 Habits of a Successful Networker
Ricky Berger - Art of Negotiating
Joseph Mullin - Linkedin
Bill Lippincott - Networking (and a separate session on 'The Age Question')
Denise Zazzera - Buddy groups
Bob Heiselmeyer - Milford Career Center programs

A buddy group formed during the session.

Smiles were observed on a number of faces as they left the sessions.

There was a great deal of buzz in the main hall between sessions.

Thanks to the organizing team
Marilyn Johnson
Pauline Lussier
Denise Zazzera
Gil Krispien 
Christine Hurley
Michele Duffy