Summer Jobing Community Blogs

We thank Jobing.com for hosting the October event for AZIGG (Arizona International Growth Group, www.azigg.com).  Holly - you're amazing!!!

On the first Monday in November at AZIGG we have a special evening event jointly organized by the Thunderbird Alumni Phoenix Chapter and the Arizona International Growth Group (AZIGG). It starts at 5:30pm on November 3rd (the night before election day).

We’re bringing together business owners in the Valley who have the desire to grow internationally with the number one ranked school of international business. International professionals will have the chance to network, exchange ideas and talk about global development and expansion for Arizona.

Five speakers and panelists with roots to Thunderbird School of Global Management will discuss ideas on how to stay current with international business practices and how to grow your business internationally.

Purpose
1. Inform on ways to keep up-to-date on the latest international business practices.
2. Share the value of Thunderbird for local companies with global ambitions.
3. Facilitate networking between the Thunderbird and the AZIGG communities.

Monday Evening, November 3rd, 5:30-7:30pm
FIRST MONDAY: ”Education Supports International Growth”
Special Joint Program with Thunderbird Alumni Phoenix Chapter, featuring:

• Jon Hobgood, International Director at Honeywell
• Bonnie Cameron Wells, Senior Director, Thunderbird
• Joseph Babcock, Director, Thunderbird
• Dr. Paula Shipper, Director, Thunderbird
• Dr. Roe Goddard, Associate Professor of Asia Studies

At Thunderbird School of Global Management, AT&T Auditorium
1 Global Place, Glendale

Investment: $10, includes appetizers

Sign-up here: http://www.azigg.com/, or http://www.sebconsulting.com/thunderbird

AZIGG meetings are typically held on First Monday’s. Our home locations are Jobing.com near 22nd and Camelback or the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Auditorium at Second Avenue and Jefferson in downtown Phoenix - on the south side of Jefferson. There are exceptions - - - like this month at Thunderbird!

The investment to attend AZIGG meetings is typically $10. We welcome all members of Scottsdale Job Network www.scottsdalejobnet.com.  Snacks will be provided.  Attendees should RSVP here: http://www.azigg.com/.

Doug Bruhnke, AZIGG and Growth Nation

I was reading an article this morning that I hit from the US Department of Health.  It brought me to www.http://www.womenshealth.gov where I found this great article:

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Caregiver Support

Did you know that more than 44 million Americans are providing unpaid care for an adult with an illness or disability? Sixty-one percent of these caregivers are women.

If you provide care for someone with an illness or disability, you might have found caregiving to be rewarding at times. But it also can take a toll on you. You probably give up some of your free time to care for your loved one, leaving you with little time for yourself. Making time to take care of yourself is important for your own health and ensures that you will be able to care for your loved one. Here are some tips to help you reduce your stress and take better care of yourself:

• Find out about caregiving resources in your community, such as meal delivery, transportation, and day-care centers.
• Ask for and accept help.
• Say "no" to requests that are draining, such as hosting holiday meals.
• Make to-do lists and decide which items you need to take care of first.
• Follow a regular, daily routine.
• Don't feel guilty that you are not a "perfect" caregiver. Just as there is no "perfect parent," there is no such thing as a "perfect caregiver." You're doing the best you can.
• Stay in touch with friends and family. Social activities can help you stay connected and may reduce stress. 
• Join a support group for caregivers in your situation (like caring for a person with spinal cord injury). Many support groups can be found in the community or on the Internet.
• Try to find time to be physically active on most days of the week, eat healthy foods, and get enough sleep.
• See your doctor for routine checkups. Talk to her or him about any symptoms of depression or sickness you may be having.
• Make time each week to do something that you want to do, such as going to a movie.
• Take one day at a time.

Keep in mind, taking better care of yourself will help you feel better and make you a better caregiver for your loved one.

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If ever you find yourself in need of care for a loved one, please know that Right at Home is here to serve you in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Carefree, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek and surrounding areas.  We provide trained, bonded, background checked quality caregivers for as little as a few hours per day....all the way up to 24/7.

Give us a call at 602-569-7240 if we may be of assistance to you or your family.

Sincerely,

Glen Davis

Owner

The Veteran's staff at Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) is sponsoring its annual Veteran's Career Fair on November 20th at the Maryvale Community Center (4420 N. 51st Avenue, Phoenix, AZ) 10:00am - 2:00pm.  

This is also an excellent opportunity for employers and jobseekers to meet face to face with the highly-qualified, professional veteran representatives of the Arizona Workforce Connection - and to learn more about the programs and services available at the various one-stop centers. 

Call out to employers:  If you have positions you are trying to fill and need good, qualified candidates, please consider attending this event.  There is no cost for this event.  Contact your local DES veterans representative or call 623-247-3304, ext 1028 for space registration.

Jobseekers:  Open to all veterans; opportunities range from entry level to experienced to highly skilled positions. There is no cost for this event. Dress to impress!  Bring plenty of Resumes! 

See you all on the 20th!

Tuesday, Oct 21, 2008 AzODN Program 6:00 - 8:30pm

"Translating OD Impact to Business Results"

This program focuses on OD practitioners ability to translate the value of what they produce into terms that are most understood and appreciated by senior management - financial and operational measures.

Participants will learn:

• Best practices to link your OD strategy with the business strategy.
• How to design your OD interventions so they are valued by your partners in the business.
• How to use operational and financial metrics to highlight the success of your interventions.
• How to prepare and conduct executive discussions at the C-Suite level.

Presenter: Kevin Miller, MBA, RODC

Location: Banner Good Samaritan, Educational Classroom C. Park in main parking garage in front of hospital on 12th street and McDowell. Get directions to the classroom from front desk.

Fee: No charge for AzODN members; Non-members $10

Registration: Call AzODN at (480)730-7997 and leave your name, phone number and number of people attending.

Please register to ensure we have enough snacks and hand-outs.

More information about the organization and the program can be found on www.azodn.org or e-mail us at info@azodn.org.

While you are looking for your next career or job opportunity, we know you'll want to put your best foot forward.  Some positions may be casual dress later on, however, attending the Jobing.com Career Expo you'll want to dress the part as if you were going to the interview. 

Professional or business professional dress is strong encouraged at the Jobing.com Career Expo on Wednesday, October 15th from 12Noon to 5PM.  For more information on what constitutes appropriate business or business casual attire, click here.

Date: Thursday November 6 2008
8:00AM to 10:30AM      Location: Jobing.com
4747 North 22nd Street
Phoenix 85016  
     RSVP:     -    www.vshra.org  
About This Event:
    

ARIZONA EMPLOYERS AND IMMIGRATION:  CHALLENGES, STRATEGIES, AND SOLUTIONS

Join us for an informative and fascinating roundtable:

Arizona Employers and Immigration:  Challenges, Strategies, and Solutions

 

Come, hear and ask your questions of:

Glen Hamer, President and CEO of Arizona Chamber of Commerce

Joanne Trifilo Stark, Immigration Attorney, Saks Tierny, and VSHRA member

Mike Aitkin, Director of Governmental Affairs for the Society of Human Resources Management in Alexandria, VA

 

Registration and continental breakfast are at 8:00AM 

Roundtable is from 8:30AM to 10:30AM

The best news is that the event is free to VSHRA members!  There will be a $10 charge for nonmembers.

Calling all female graduates of Arizona State University! Do you want to connect with other successful women who share your Sun Devil spirit? RSVP today to attend the inaugural Wine and Networking event, 5:30-7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15, at La Bocca Pizzeria in Tempe.

The event will kick off a series of varied networking events sponsored by the ASU Alumni Association this year. There will be mixers for women, men, current ASU students and alums seasoned by time in the workplace.

Stay tuned for details on this blog. The events will be a great opportunity to renew old connections with ASU classmates or forge new alliances.

The economic news is a downer these days. I don't know about you, but I hate to pick up the morning paper, check my daily online alerts about the job market and view the lead stories on the web and TV news outlets because they are almost always about the bad economy.

While the news is certainly not a pick-me-up in instilling confidence about the state of the job market, we need to realize that companies are still hiring. Even companies that are laying off employees in some departments and functions are still looking for talent to fill other positions.

Here are 5 Tips for Successful Job Hunting in a Difficult Economy:

1.) Develop and Implement a Strategic Action Plan

The need to plan an effective job search campaign is always important, and in difficult economic times it is vital to develop a strategy for finding the job that's right for you. Here are the steps of a Strategic Career Plan: 

• Assess your talents and strengths and prioritize them in terms of what are most favorable to you
• Research the job marketplace and identify opportunities that are a fit for you
• Develop a marketing campaign, including written communications (resume, cover letter, biography) and verbal communications (interviewing and negotiating), that will allow you to effectively represent yourself to prospective employers
• Identify and utilize all the avenues available to identify job leads including job fairs, recruiters, referral sources and direct research and contact with companies
• Set realistic goals on a daily and weekly basis and follow-up on all leads 

2.) Keep a Confident Attitude and Strive to Build and Maintain Momentum

By developing a plan and sticking to it, you are setting yourself apart from a lot of people who have lost confidence and are not maintaining a high level of job search activity. This results in less competition for you, so take positive advantage of this and increase your lead development.

3.) Consider Temporary, Part-time and Project Opportunities

Even though they may be looking to fill less full-time positions, companies may increase their need for workers to fill temporary assignments, part-time positions and project-oriented roles. While these may not be the best match for your needs and interests, they can provide you with cash-flow while you continue to look for full-time opportunities. Also, these contingency positions can turn into full-time jobs down the road.

4.) Increase your Networking to Expand Information and Job Referral Sources

Especially in difficult economic times, word-of-mouth job searching can produce quick and effective results. Pull out all the stops to develop and maintain referral sources not only for job leads but to get introduced to people in companies you are interested in working for and individuals who can provide vital information on trends affecting your field, function and industry.

5.) Don't Go It Alone: Seek Support

The job hunt is an emotional roller coaster to begin with, and it is much more stressful in a challenging economy. Seek both emotional and professional support from those around you. Take advantage of job search support groups offered by a number of non-profit organizations and government agencies. Utilize the expertise of a career coach to bring efficiencies to your search. Don't operate in a vacuum. There are many sources of support ready to assist you in developing a strategic plan for continued career success.

The weather channel had a severe weather alert for Phoenix this past weekend that read something like this:  A cold front will bring cool breezes with rain possible in the higher elevations.   For us desert dwellers that means the end of triple digit temperatures and the beginning of 8 or so months of pure heaven.  If you live in the metro area and you didn’t spend at least 60% of your weekend outdoors, then to quote Steven Colbert “A Wag of the finger at you!”

I kicked off my Sunday with a much needed hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.  I was looking to trick myself into a good cardio workout by disguising it as a commune with nature.  What I ended up with instead was a lesson in on-the-job training and a reminder for all of us in charge of work place learning:  Very often the most effective learning takes place in the field. 

Are you leveraging on the job training (OJT) as much as you could?  I suggest that we spend more time training managers and leaders how to be better day-to-day teachers.  Read about my "aha!" moment and the full post here in my blog at the breakroom.