Wednesday, April 23rd, dawned dreary, cold, and damp- a typical Portland mid-January day…except that the calendar said April 23rd. The weather could easily have generated several understandable reasons to stay in bed. Despite that, a group of highly motivated career seekers made their way to Wednesday’s CRN meeting at the University of Phoenix.
Doug was his usual way-too-energetic-so-early-in-the-morning highly caffeinated self. In addition to making those in attendance wonder if it might be time for him to stick to decaf, he came bearing exciting news. CRN’s continuing to grow, and in our never-ending quest for total world domination, we’ve made the leap into social media:
– Twitter: @crnglobal
– Facebook: CRN Global
– LinkedIn: Career Resources Network (CRN) … group
The CRN leadership committee’s continuing efforts revolve around the desire to create meaningful programs and products to assist those seeking new careers (or those seeking to improve theirs). That desire derives from the knowledge that 80% of career advancement comes through networking. With that in mind, we’re working to put programs in place to help career seekers maximize networking opportunities. More information will be forthcoming as things develop, so stay tuned!
Our guest speaker was Dr. Ron Ennis, whose topic was “The Three Critical Elements of a New Career Search.” If you’d been there, you’d know what those three critical elements are!
Dr. Ennis’ presentation focused on the need to look inward, to get to know ourselves and then use that self-awareness to understand what we truly want from our career. We all have something that feeds us- a passion that, if we could make a career of it, would add meaning and fulfillment to our lives. The challenge is to know oneself well enough to recognize that passion and then develop a plan to make it happen.
I’ll leave you with a few simple tips on networking. Even though networking is something many find stressful (I still do, but I’m slowly becoming more confident), having a plan can help reduce that stress. When you walk into a room at your next networking event, try to keep these simple steps in mind (courtesy of Adam LoDolce, founder of SexyConfidence.com and GoTalkToHer.com):
1. Know how to break the ice. Have a strategy for making small talk.
2. As with many activities, a good warm-up will help you find your rhythm. If there’s someone you’d really like to talk to, try speaking with a few other people first. Once you’re comfortable and confident, move on to your “target.”
3. There really are five tips…and if you came to a CRN meeting, you’d get all five…and much more! Why not come to a meeting and see what you’ve been missing?
Join us Wednesday morning, May 14th, when Bruce Hazen, President for Life at Three Questions Consulting, will be our guest speaker. His topic will be “The New Physics of Career Management.”
Looking for a new career today requires a different strategy, a new approach, or, as Bruce puts it, “a bigger theory of the game.” If you attend the next CRN meeting, you’ll leave with some new ideas that may help jump-start your search.
I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, May 14th. Doors open at 7:15 a.m. for networking, with the program set to start at 7:50. Bring some business cards, a smile, and the desire to meet new people. You might find yourself taking that first step towards reaching your dreams.
Leave a Reply