Here's our story on the Fort Worth Chamber-backed Job Links Excelerator, where employers and candidate providers trade information over monthly invitation-only breakfasts. Note: Individual jobseekers not invited.
- Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter, Star-Telegram
(Photo: Chamber's Betty Harvey)
We said in this space last week that CareerConnection, the popular Dallas networking group, had launched its first Tarrant County affiliate in Colleyville. That was wrong. CareerConnection spun out an Arlington affiliate earlier this year. It meets Thursday nights at Grace Lutheran Church in Arlington. Click on the link for more info. Scott Nishimura, Star-Telegram jobs and workplace reporter
CareerConnection, a popular networking group that meets weekly at Dallas' Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, has quietly launched its first Tarrant County affiliate. The group held its first meeting Wednesday at the First United Methodist Church of Colleyville, and will continue to meet 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Wednesdays at the church, 5601 Pleasant Run Road.
Julie Burroughs, a member of the church who was laid off in January from her job in sales management at Nortel, subsequently became a CareerConnection member and is co-moderator of the new affiliate.
Ten jobseekers attended the little-publicized first meeting. Burroughs says she'd like to see the group grow to 30-35 weekly participants, a long ways off the 350 who now regularly swamp the Preston Hollow meetings. Similiarly, Thursday meetings of the Southlake Focus Group, another hugely popular, established networking group, have drawn as many as 300 recently.
At 350, "it's very difficult to effectively build relationships and network," Burroughs says. "It's hard to develop that empathy, that relationship."
A smaller group will still produce "a lot of contacts...that you can leverage," locally, statewide, and nationally, she said. If the Colleyville group grows too large, she said, members can meet in breakout groups.
The Colleyville group will follow the structure of its Dallas parent, founded in 1992. Monthly membership fee is $10, which allows access to both weekly meetings, online job board and Yahoo! listserv, and other resources, and covers the cost of materials. Can't afford to pay? You can still attend, but won't have access to the online resources.
The two-hour meetings begin with "30-second commercial" introductions, "Who am I, what have I done, what kind of help am I looking for?" Burroughs says. A discussion follows on a topic such as resume writing, or use of online networking sites.
Burroughs believes the Colleyville group could draw some Tarrant County jobseekers who now drive to Dallas each week for the CareerConnection meetings. After the formation of the affiliate group was announced at last week's meeting, Burroughs says four people approached her with interest.
CareerConnection's Colleyville affiliate is the latest networking group to pop up in Tarrant County.
The Fort Worth Career Search Network, formed earlier this Spring, meets Monday mornings at the North Fort Worth Baptist Church. Some of the leaders of that group are also helping foster the growth of Colleyville Career Search Network group, which meets 9 a.m. Tuesday mornings at Covenant Church Colleyville.
The Fort Worth Career Search Network continues to grow. The networking group, which meets Monday mornings at the North Fort Worth Baptist Church, is launching a Mansfield networking group and taken a three-week old group in Colleyville under its umbrella. Visit the Fort Worth Career Search Network site for more information.
The group is also borrowing from a popular monthly workshop at Crossroads Bible Church in Denton County and planning a half-day "Enhanced Career Services" workshop 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday May 30 at the Trinity Vineyard Fellowship, 910 Collier St., in Fort Worth.
The workshop, free to participants, will cover topics such as "recession-proofing" your next job, improving your "digital footprint," personal branding, and better resumes designed to catch the attention of recruiting screens.
The group leaders are cutting the workshop into 30-minute segments, and promise that some recruiters will also be in the room, to lend their insights.
The Fort Worth group is trying to fill the demand left by the Crossroads program's annual summer hiatus, which began after last Saturday's workshop.
Doug Anderson, a Southlake life and executive coach, has put in a lot of time lately as a volunteer for job networking groups in the area, including the Southlake Focus Group and the Fort Worth Career Search Network.
"No job is permanent," Anderson, a former airline pilot and pilot instructor, tells them. "What does that mean for you? It means you never stop looking for a job. It means you're going to take care of your customers and your suppliers a little differently. Why? Because they're future employers. It means you must take control of your finances. You must live within your means. It means you must be a lifelong learner."
Anderson's talks focus on staying positive and maintaining perspective:
Healthcare: If you're interested in health careers but are running into the experience issue, consider volunteering at healthcare organizations to help build the idea that you're interested. "There's a threshhold in healthcare, but it's not insurmountable."
Stay positive: Look for jobs in growing segments such as new technologies and green. The new economy may produce "workstyles that will be more humane. You really have to understand that this is a spiritual battle. You have to stay positive."
Give of yourself: "What do you do for service to others?"
Take regular time off from your job search: "Don't try to do this six days a week. You'll do a poorer job than if you did it four days."
Know the market, "have more perspective than the hiring manager," and come up with five or six different "job skills" that you're interested in. "Out of six, there may be some action in two of them."
Keep things in context if possible: "You need to know that we're in a historic time."
Keep your age in context: "Age is a factor, but I tell people if you're 50, ignore the age discrimination. Continue to look for what you want. If you're 55, modify your expectations somewhat. If you're 60, you've got to make adjustments. Look for short-term contract work as your focus. Be pro-active in the interview. Be willing to work for X amount of dollars, with no bennies. Tell them, I can come in a lot cheaper."
- Scott Nishimura, jobs/workplace reporter, Star-Telegram
(Photo: Anderson, recently, at a meeting of the Fort Worth Career Search Network)
Here's a story that John Austin, one of our business reporters at the Star-Telegram, did recently on area churches launching more programs to help unemployed members.
- Scott Nishimura, jobs/workplace reporter, Star-Telegram
(Photo: Pastor Bob Roberts, Keller)
We hope you've had a chance to check in on today's Star-Telegram story about job search groups in the area. Here's the story.
Here's more info on how to get in touch the groups that were mentioned in the story:
Southlake Focus Group: Meets 8 a.m. Thursdays at White's Chapel United Methodist Church, 185 S. White's Chapel Blvd., Southlake. Web site.
Fort Worth Career Search Network: Meets 9 a.m. Mondays at North Fort Worth Baptist Church, 5801 North I-35W, Fort Worth. (Northwest corner of I-35W and North Loop 820. Web site.
Career Solutions: Meet 6 p.m. Thursdays at First Baptist Church Euless, 1000 W. Airport Freeway, Euless. Web site
Jobs Now!: Contact the Women's Center of Tarrant County for more information at 817-927-4050. Web site
Texas Workforce Commission workshops and job clubs: Contact TWC for the schedule. Web site.
Covenant Church Colleyville: Group meets 9 a.m. Wednesdays, 3508 Glade Road, Colleyville. Web site.
- Scott Nishimura, jobs/workplace reporter, Star-Telegram
(Photos: Fort Worth Career Search Network)
