Network Now

Strategies on Creating a Soft Landing for your Resume

2010-07-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

Joanne Lynch, Network Now's Director of Program Development, wrote the following guidelines for those seeking full time professional employment:

The key to creating a "soft landing" for your resume is to develop and cultivate relationships on an ongoing basis. As you increase your relationships, you increase the number of soft landings (and connections to soft landings) that will be available to you.

Networking:
*In Person/Face to Face - Network, network, network. Ask people to make introductions for you. You will do it for them someday.
*Social Networking - LinkedIn/facebook. Research people within targeted companies and industries. Request introductions to 2nd and 3rd level contacts.

Exploratory Interviews - target organizations you want to develop relationships with.
*People genuinely want to help.
*Don't take too much of their time.
*Offer assistance to them - it is a two way street. If there is something you can offer, offer it.
*Stay in touch.

Connect the Dots Approach - Find commonalities and reach out to potential contacts based on them.
*Become an active member of community & volunteer groups
*Join other interest groups
*Blogs/Articles/Twitter - reach out to the authors based on the information shared.

Pick up the Phone & Call -
*Get contact informatiom of hiring manager or HR person but know what you are going to say if they pick up the phone.
*Ask questions like:
-I am a very strong candidate for this position. Is the position still open?
-Can I send my resume directly to you?
-What is the screening process and how do you recommend I follow up? Always ask permission.

Applying through the "black hole" application process
*Research websites of targeted organizations you would like to work for. Find out who is the hiring manager.
*Get their email address, which is often listed on the website or ask the receptionist to give it to you. It is all in the way you ask.
*Send an email directly to them. Explain that you have applied through the formal process however you wanted to share with them the specific value you can bring to their organization. Ask them to share your cover letter and resume with others who are involved in the selection process.

If you got the interview, but not the job (or not the job YET)
*If you developed a good relationship, stay in touch. Ask permission to stay in touch. Build a relationship that can open the door to a future opportunity or business venture. You never know.
*Don't take it personally. Something else may come along and you will be in a better position to take advantage of it.
*Send them information of interest. Check in on a project.
*Stay in touch periodically but not to pester about the status of the job. Provide value. Provide information of interest.

Twitter

2010-03-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

As a followup to our Twitter seminar, here are some takeaways:

Twitter is a micro-blogging platform. Users publish messages in 140 characters or less. Their message is seen by anyone that is following them. Users also monitor the messages of the people they are following. This medium allows for fragmented opinion, news, events, ideas & feedback. Posts (or "tweets") can include links to articles, images etc that are hosted elsewhere on the web. Professionals use it to help build their brand and make them the expert in their field.

How to setup a Twitter account:
Enter your full name, a user name, a password & your email address. The user name should either be a version of your name or brand. Upload a professional photo of yourself with "Settings" "Picture" Use a headshot rather than a full body image as the image will be small on the screen. Add a profile description about yourself. Also use the "Settings" page to personalize your profile background and setup account notifcations.

How to follow people:
Click "Find People" & type in the name of someone you'd like to follow. Or click "Invite by Email" to send a personal email to someone asking them to follow you. By clicking the "Find on Other Networks" tab, you can search your entire email address book, see who is already on Twitter and send out a lot of requests at once. Once you start following people, you can click on their name to see who is following them (or they are following). If you find someone interesting, you can start following them as well.

How to post information or "Tweet":
On the Home page, in the box at the top, where it says "What's happening?", type your message using 140 characters or less. Twitter will let you know if you've reached the 140 character limit. To include a hot weblink, use http:// in front of the address. To shorten the weblink, use a url shortening site to convert the address (i.e., http://tinyurl.com). To link your mention of someone to their actual Twitter account (so followers can click to their profile if they wish), use the "@" symbol in front of their Twitter user name in your tweet.

How to send someone a Direct Message:
If you want to send a private message that only one person can see, click on "Direct Messages" in the right hand column of the Home page. Select a user from the dropdown box (this person must be following you & you must be following them). Type your message in the second box & click "Send". You can see messages that were sent to you below in the "Inbox". This tool is helpful when you do not have a person's email address.

How to manage your account using TweetDeck:

Go to www.tweetdeck.com and download the free software. Connect it to your Twitter account. (You can also connect it to other social media accounts.) Setup columns to help you sort all the incoming tweets. As an example, I have one column for "Women Entrepreneurs", one for "Doylestown", one for "Bucks County".

Strategic Goal Planning

2010-01-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

Peter Bonacum of Action Coach nailed it once again with these insights on goal setting:

To set a new goal, ask yourself these questions:
Where am I right now?
Where am I going?
When do I want to get there?
What do I have to do to get there?
When will I do these things to get there? What system do I have in place to measure my progress?

All your activity should be geared towards getting desired results. Sounds simple, but perhaps you should ask yourself if the activity will contribute to your goals before spending the time. Is it going to move you forward?

A little math:
To succeed, Dissatisfaction x Vision + First Steps should be greater than Resistance. One reason for resistance is fear. Don't let it drive you. It will keep you from trying new things.

It's a Chain Reaction:
The quality of your mentors & teachers will impact the quality of your knowledge & education which will impact the quality of your beliefs & dreams which will impact the quality of your questions which will impact the quality of your decisions which will impact the quality of your actions which will impact the quality of your results. So get a mentor, keep learning, dream big, make good decisions & go for it.

Tips for Surviving the Recession

2009-05-27T16:51:00.001-07:00

Please check out my friend Liz Bywater's new blog for her insights on weathering the stress of the economic downturn. She is a talented writer, successful consultant, powerful speaker and aspiring author. http://bywatercareersuccess.blogspot.com

Collaboration at its best

2009-05-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight's Mother Daughter Empowerment of Girls event had great energy. The collaboration of so many Network Now members was truly something to be proud of.

Thank you to the presenters Vikki Carrel & Shelley Ashby of Two Balance Inc http://www.2balanceinc.com/,

to the non-profit partners Child Home & Community http://www.chcinfo.org/, Buckingham Friends School http://www.bfs.org/, the Pajama Program http://www.pajamaprogram.org/, and the Soroptomists,

to Mary Elizabeth Van Everbroeck for sponsoring the fabulous cupcakes by Shirley Weigl http://www.perfectcakebyshirley.com,

to Mary Gastineau of Monkey Business http://www.monkeybusinesskids.com/ for donating the goody bags,

to the numerous members that donated goody bag stuffers,

and to Jenny Childs of Arbonne for the dozens of mini makeovers she & her daughter did for the girls http://www.jennychilds.myarbonne.com/.

Top 10 Traits of a Master Networker

2009-04-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

Susan Richard of Richard Associates slammed her Effective Networking workshop on Thursday. Her insights included this excerpt from 'The 29% Solution: 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies':
1. Follow up on referrals
2. Positive attitude
3. Enthusiasm and motivation
4. Trustworthiness
5. Good listening skills
6. Commitment to networking always
7. Gratitude
8. Helpfulness
9. Sincerity
10. Dedicated to working one's network

Twilight Wish partnering with Michael Port event

2009-04-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Twilight Wish Foundation is a non-profit partner of Network Now. They will be honored as a sponsor at the Michael Port book launch on April 28th. The theme of his new book, 'The Think Big Manifesto', is to think bigger about what you offer the world. We thought that Cass Forkin, the founder of Twilight Wish, did just that when she grew her organization nationwide. For tix, www.bucksnetworking.com/event_calendar.

Local Bakers to Donate to IDEAS Expo

2009-03-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Jodi Schad of J Scones and Heather Kunkel of Simply Delicious, both from Doylestown, will be giving back to the community by donating their baked goods to the IDEAS Conference & Expo on April 21st at the Spring Mill Manor. You can enjoy Jodi's scones during the networking coffee in the morning. Heather's cookies, decorated like the Network Now logo polka dots, will be offered during the Expo.

Two Balance Selects Girl Scouts as Donation Recipient

2009-03-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Mother's Day, Vikki Carrel & Shelley Ashby will be leading two Mother Daughter Empowerment of Girls seminars in May - the first in Perkasie on May 7th and the second in Doylestown on May 11th. (Info on speakers at http://www.2balanceinc.com/.) They have selected the Girl Scouts, one of Network Now's non-profit partners, to receive a percentage of their book sales. The Girl Scouts provides girls with an accepting and nurturing environment to build character and develop qualities such as leadership, strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. To find out more, go to http://www.gsep.org/.

Good Things Happen to Good People

2009-03-24T05:07:00.000-07:00

I recently attended the fund development meeting at the Twilight Wish Foundation, one of Network Now's nonprofit partners, to find out more about their mission. This charitable organization gives the elderly gifts they cannot afford themselves. The founder, Cass Forkin, was surprised and inspired by the emotion and gratitude she received after paying for the meals of a group of elderly women at a diner. She realized a small gesture made with a big heart can mean a lot. Since that time the Twilight Wish Foundation has granted thousands of wishes across the country. Their goal is to make people happy. It's never too late to make a difference. For more information, go to http://www.twilightwishfoundation.org/.

Network Now to Co-Sponsor Bucks County Designer House event

2009-03-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

Save May 6th on your calendar for what's sure to be an amazing networking event at the Bucks County Designer House. 250 women entrepreneurs are expected to come together outdoors underneath huge tents for heavy appetizers and networking with Network Now and four other networking groups. Gina Rubel of Furia Rubel Communications will be the emcee for the evening and Neen James will be the keynote speaker. If that isn't enough, the ticket price will include the house tour. Discounts for members of any of the five hosting networking organizations.

Michael Port is Back!!

2009-03-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

I am excited to announce that Michael Port, mega best-selling author, has agreed to speak for Network Now again! He'll be back at the James Lorah Auditorium from 7-9 on Tuesday, April 28th, to inspire us to think bigger about who we are and what we offer the world. Networking, seminar, door prizes and book signing all for $20 ($15 for Network Now members). We are also offering you $5 back for every friend you refer to the event. We challenge you to fill those seats and make this a fantastic event!

Support Network Now members

2009-03-03T05:49:00.001-08:00

Make it a habit to check the Member News webpage on Network Now's website. There are seminars, parties, fundraisers, adventure outings, sales, and more. All members can have their events posted for free. A nice value added benefit if I do say so myself. To see what's on the calendar, go to www.bucksnetworking.com/member_news.

Increase Your Sales

2009-03-02T12:24:00.001-08:00

Take advantage of the power of the internet and start selling your products or services on your website. Join us for an eCommerce seminar on Wednesday, March 25th, from 9:30 - 11:30 at the Boy Scout Council building in Doylestown. Learn about shopping cart software, online payment processing and customer loyalty programs.

April is a Busy Month

2009-03-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

Get those tax returns filed so you can join us for our upcoming events in April:
* April 2nd 9:30 - 11:30 at Saxby's - Effective Networking w/ Susan Richard
* April 16th 9:30 - 11:30 at Saxby's - Branding & Marketing w/ Chanin Walsh
* April 21st 9-4 at Spring Mill Manor - IDEAS Expo co-sponsored with WBF
* April 28th 7 - 9 at James Lorah House - Think Big event with author Michael Port

Empowerment of Girls event back by popular demand

2009-02-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

The Mother Daughter Empowerment of Girls event will be held on Thursday, May 7th, in Perkasie and again on Monday, May 11th, in Doylestown. This seminar is targeted to girls ages 8-12 and teaches healthy body image, labels, choices and accountability, self esteem, positive thinking, balanced lifestyle and leadership skills. Tickets are $35 per family (mother and daughter(s) combined). Early bird discount of $5 if register and pay by March 15. For more information, go to www.bucksnetworking.com/charity__community_events.

Local Author Making the Rounds

2009-02-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

Claudine Wolk entertained and inspired the MOMS Clubs of Buckingham North & South this morning at their combined general membership meeting. Claudine self-published a book called "It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers" under her publishing company, New Buck Press. It is being re-released this June by a large national publishing company. She is making the rounds to all the local MOMS Clubs to introduce herself and her upcoming book. Claudine is witty, smart and extremely personable. The MOMS Club President told me this was the best meeting they've had in a long time. To find out more, go to www.help4newmoms.com.

Speed Networking

2009-02-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night, Network Now had a Speed Networking event at Paint n' Pottery in Doylestown. We had 22 people attend. I was loud and fast and a lot of fun. Everyone made connections with 21 other women entrepreneurs. Many thanks to Cyndi Ringenary, owner of Paint n' Pottery, for hosting the event - the sangria and refreshments were delicious!

The Great Sprout Tuck-In

2009-02-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Katelin Matecki of Independence Financial Associates emailed me today to tell me about a wonderful collaboration that she heard about. She was excited to see one of Network Now's non-profit partners featured in a video on the Learning Channel. Sprout, a new 24 hour preschool tv channel, and the Pajama Program have launched 'The Great Sprout Tuck-In'. In the evenings, the characters in the shows will be promoting the Pajama Program and encouraging viewers to donate new pajamas and new books for foster children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience a normal bedtime routine. To view the video, go to http://uk.truveo.com/sprout-and-the-pajama-program-launch-the-great/id/288230387294909432

See What Sticks

2009-02-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

Throw it all against the wall and see what sticks. That was my motto when I first started out and the advice I give to new entrepreneurs that aren't sure what exactly they will offer or to who. You do not start in your final destination. You don't have to have everything figured out. Just start. There are a lot of supportive women that are ready to lead you in the right direction.

How to Improve Your Memory

2009-02-03T05:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we had a brief introduction on how to improve our memory at the networking coffee. I thought I would expand on that and provide some more helpful information:
Memory is the mental activity of recalling information that you have learned or experienced. Short term memory is meant to be fragile. Your brain retains the information just long enough for you to use it. You only need to remember something like the prices of items in a store for a few minutes.
Long term memory involves information you make an effort (concious or unconcioius) to retain because it is meaningful to you, you need it, or it made an emotional impression.
Step 1 - Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. It is hard to be motivated when you convince yourself that your memory is bad.
Step 2 - Keep your brain active. Regularly exercising your brain keeps it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills, especially complex ones like learning a new language or how to play a musical instrument, and challenging your brain to puzzles, you can improve your brains physiological functioning.
Step 3 - Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation throughout the body including the brain and can help ward off memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, thereby improving your memory uptake.
Step 4 - Reduce stress. Chronic stress can make remembering more difficult. Prolonged stress can damage your brain, affect your health and your memory. Relax, breathe, practice yoga or introduce stretching exercises into your routine.
Step 5 - Eat well and eat right. A healthy diet contributes to a healthy brain. Foods containing antioxidants (broccoli, blueberries, spinich) and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning.
Step 6 - Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. If you concentrate and make a concious effort to remember things, you'll do much better.
Step 7 - Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short term and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things. Avoid distractions and complicated tasks and just focus on what you want to remember.
Step 8 - Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. To keep the association strong, make the images shocking or emotional rather than too simple.
Step 9 - Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see or think about something, the more surely you'll remember it. Repeat is out loud or silently. Write it down. Think about it.
Step 10 - Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things such as a shopping list can be difficult to remember. To make it easier, categorize the individual things form the list. If you remember that you wanted to buy four kinds of vegetables, you'll fin it easier to remember all four.
Step 11 - Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need such as keys in the same place every time. Use a planner to keep track of appointments and due dates. Keep phone numbers in one address book or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so you can remember less routine things.
Step 12 - Try meditation. People who practice mindfulness are able to focus better. Researchers believe regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain, increases the blood flow to that region, and enhances attention span, focus and memory.
Step 13 - Sleep well. A good night's sleep affect's the brain's ability to recall recently learned information.
Step 14 - Learn mnemonics. These are memory aids that increase your ability to quickly learn and recall anything. Techniques include: Visual images (a microphone to remember the name Mike); Acronyms (initials of words you are trying to remember that spell out a real word such as FACE for figs, apples, celery, eggplant); Loci (to remember a speech, associate each part of the speech with a landmark in a route you know well, such as your commute to work).
Step 15 - Learn a new poem each week. It doesn't have to be long and simply learning it by heart will improve your memory hugely. You should soon find it becomes easier as you do it more and more.

Body Balance Workshop Getting Rave Reviews

2009-01-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

I have been receiving phone calls and emails (and reading Claudine Wolk's hysterical blog posting http://www.hybridmom.com/blog/ about the wonderful experience everyone had at the Body Balance workshop this morning. Shelley Ashby had everyone up on their feet dancing, working on their posture, trying out some exercises, practicing visualization, and listening to her recommended steps towards attaining balance. We also learned how flexible my assistant, Amy, is! If you haven't heard Shelley speak, try to rearrange your schedule and attend the Women Empowerment event on Thursday night. She is sure to dazzle again!

Network Now to co-sponsor IDEAS Expo '09

2009-01-22T21:44:00.000-08:00

Network Now is co-sponsoring the IDEAS Expo '09 with the Women's Business Forum on April 21, 2009, at the Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland, PA. Everyone should attend in some capacity! This will be a huge opportunity to network, connect with media personalities, and take a class with big time authors.

The event, now in it's third year, has been expanded to include a morning conference from 9 a.m.- noon.. The event will begin with a networking coffee, followed by two business workshops and a media discussion panel.

After a one hour networking lunch, the Expo will open to the public from 1-4 p.m. Exhibitors will include professional services, health and beauty products, fashion and jewelry, crafts and home accessories, food and meal preparation, and publications and networking groups dedicated to supporting women.

The fee to attend the conference is $35. The fee to exhibit is $275 (less $100 for paid members of Network Now or Women's Business Forum). For more information, go to http://www.lifetimeexpos.com/IDEAS09.html.