SJN Curriulum Beta Test Successful

Thanks to all who participated at the SJN meetings since February when we launched the SJN Curriculum on the Job Search Process

The sessions covered the following topics:

• Understanding the Emotions of a Career Change
• Creating Your Vision and Personal Marketing Plan
• Developing Your Resume
• Creating Leads, Networking
• Interviewing Skills, Part I
• Interviewing Skills, Part II
• Managing the Offer

Participant feedback will help us refine the content and improve exercises to reinforce the learning. SJN's Curriculum Development Team, head by Jim O'Hara, will review input and their own observations and make enhancements to the content, presentation and effectiveness of each session. The improvements will show up in the curriculum when it is run again starting September 2.

Over the summer, we have an interesting line-up of programs, and I can share some of those topics here and you can read more detail on our EVENTS CALENDAR

Jun 3 - Financial Do's and Don'ts During Job Transition (Michael Prahl, Financial Advisor)
Jun 17 - Panel Discussion on Being Entrepreneurial (led by Doug Bruhnke, Growth Nation)
Jul 15 - The Brand Called YOU (Holly Schor, Jobing.com)

Hang with us--there are no vacation days at SJN!

Financial advisor-speaker seeks job seeker input

SJN member Michael W. Prahl, Vice President-Financial Advisor from First Financial Equity Corporation, accepted an offer to speak to our group at the SJN meeting on June 3, 2008.
Michael was asked to speak on the financial issues faced by our members, focusing on the decisions and actions to consider during transition.

Michael wants to know your specific issues in order to tailor his presentation more specifically to those needs. One of the items Michael will address is the need for interim, affordable health insurance.

Please write to me with issues or questions, and I will relay them to Michael.

Many thanks,

Chris Vicari, Founder-Executive Director
Scottsdale Job Network - SJN

P.O. Box 25674 ~ Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(e) info@scottsdalejobnet.com (v) 480 513-1491
(w) http://www.scottsdalejobnet.com/

LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisvicari

SJN benefits when you order business cards and other printing
from VistaPrint online at our website http://www.scottsdalejobnet.com/business-cards/

Reality and Hope

On Tues of this week, Channel 3 TV News came to an SJN meeting and conducted interviews with some of our job seekers, taped Matt Moran's presentation and interviewed me as leader of the group.


This media interest was coordinated through the efforts of SJN VP-Bill Austin. SJN was fortunate to have the exposure for our community service work, and we hope it will bring positive results for our job seekers.

The evening's televised report edited a lot of positive things shared. My comments were condensed to one statement that went something like this:

"We have seen an increase in attendance since January from 70 and to a current attendance of 85-100. "

What was not added was my perspective that I attributed this growth in part to the positive reputation of the group and the impact we are having on individuals and families.

There are industries hard hit by layoffs and that is impacting many people and SJN’s growth. For me, the volunteer work we do at SJN--and at least my personal mission—is to be a resource to workers and ease the burdens on families hard pressed by economic downturn. We “light the path” to re-employment and offer ourselves as a source of hope. This happens whether there are two people in a meeting or 102. . . and yes, we’ve done our presentations with both!

I am proud to know SJN is making an impact in many lives. What better volunteer work would I want to do as a retired worker myself?

I encourage job seekers to look for the opportunities, build your networks, offer to be resources to others—and oh yes, as I told the reporter, go outside your comfort zone to make connections!

Blessings and good wishes,


Christine (Chris) Vicari
Executive Director
Scottsdale Job Network (SJN)
info@scottsdalejobnet.com
http://www.scottsdalejobnet.com/
V-mail: 480 513-1491

5/14 - SJN at Jobing.com EXPO, Glendale

Scottsdale Job Network (SJN) Executive Director, Christine Vicari, and Board member, Eric Walton will make an appearance at the Jobing.com Career Expo at the University of Phoenix (Cardinals Stadium) in Glendale on Wed, May 14, 3:30-4:30 PM. SJN is offering a workshop on Networking and will also talk about the services SJN offers to those in career transition and employers looking for talented workers.

The Expo runs from 12 Noon - 5 PM and we hope to meet many of you there.

NETWORKING AS A JOB SEARCH STRATEGY

Phoenix is the largest small town in America! To get a job in this town, you HAVE to network. Come to this workshop to enhance your networking skills. This session is more than just a talking head, we will conduct an exercise that is guaranteed to help you network. Discover how to make each networking meeting memorable for your audience and learn how to connect to the companies and jobs you really want.

Read more about SJN at our website and consider joining us at our next meeting on 5/20, 9 AM. See http://www.scottsdalejobnet.com/

Exploring Your Passion Workshop 5/27 9A-4P

SJN is hosting a special workshop for job seekers on May 27, 9 A - 4 PM, "Exploring Your Passion and Putting it to Work." The program description and registration link are shown below.

We received this inquiry: Does this workshop identify job titles that fit the strengths, talents and preferences we'll be recognizing?

Please read response from workshop facilitator, Maria Wojtczak:

We have shortened the workshop title and refer to it as the Passions workshop. The actual title is Exploring Your Passion – and Putting it to Work, the key word being exploring. This isn’t something you get done in a day. From the feedback I have received from previous participants, it raises new questions and gets people to think and look at the next phase of their life in a different way. This is work that requires thought, reflection, trial and error and honestly, sometimes, just dumb luck!!

Identifying job titles that fit particular strengths is not the objective for this workshop. The purpose and objectives are to:

• Explore individual desires, strengths, and talents in order to create a vision fueled by passion.
• Identify potential “stuckness”
• Utilize different tools and approaches to identify patterns in our life
• Begin to identify our strengths and talents
• Begin to identify a personal vision

Exploring Your Passion – Putting It To Work
(a special workshop for job seekers)

TUES, MAY 27, 2008 9 AM - 4 PM

Description
"Do you love what you do?" If you're one of those "lucky ones" who can answer a resounding "Yes!" to this question, then this seminar is not for you. But, if you're not, then you've probably asked yourself if there's a job or career out there that's a better match than what you've experienced - one that can be more satisfying and have more meaning in your life - and how you might go about finding it. This workshop is designed to help people who have asked themselves those questions.

Job seekers often limit themselves to what they “have always done” because it was the career that defined them for many years. They tend to lose sight of their many gifts, interests, strengths, and wealth of skills developed through life experience. This workshop utilizes proven tools to help individuals identify their strengths, talents and preferences - what they're basically good at and really enjoy doing, and can prove to be useful in opening up job search options.

Presenter
Maria Wojtczak has 20+ years of organization development (OD) experience and worked with a wide range of organizations. She has worked with Chris Vicari, Executive Director of the Scottsdale Job Network (SJN), offering the Passions workshop and Job Transition workshops for the last five years. Maria currently serves on the SJN Board and is a member of the Curriculum Development Committee. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Maria is the owner of DrivingMBA, a driver tutoring facility here in the Valley http://www.drivingmba.com/

Workshop location
Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032-4839
Click here for a location map on MapQuest

Register via Internet by May 26
Seating is limited to 30 participants and has a minimum enrollment of 12 participants to run the program. Because SJN provides assessment booklets, binder and printed materials, there is a fee of $25 for this event. To register and make payment: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/106918797

Lunch/Snack
Bring a sack lunch and beverages for the day. If possible bring something to share with the group as a breakfast treat in the morning or a snack in the afternoon.

General Inquiries
Contact: David Bell, chicagoman419@yahoo.com