The 4th Annual Un-Company Picnic held on Friday, 31 May 2013 was attended by 38 people – three more than participated in the 3rd Annual Un-Company picnic on Friday, 25 May 2012. These picnics were at Preston Park Meadow Pavilion in Plano, Texas. Those who landed described their new positions. Lee Brucker read a very short list of job fairs and workshops. Everybody recited their 30-second introduction. Paulette Wagner and Bobby Wrenn played a game of Cribbage. The wind blew a few things around, but otherwise attendees enjoyed the fellowship and food. The North Dallas / Plano Career Focus Group, Jeff Morris, organize these picnics. Advance registration for $5 or at the picnic for $6 got two all beef hot dogs, a bag of chips, two drinks, and a large cookie. Funds not used for the picnics are donated to CareerDFW. Potato salad, fruit, and other items were brought and shared by some participants. Photographs taken at the 4th Annual Un-Company Picnic follow. 

Career Jump-Start met on Tuesday, 19 February 2013 at First United Methodist Church at 503 North Central Expressway in Richardson, Texas. They met in room 230A&B because the United Methodist Men were meeting in Ogden Fellowship Hall. This room change occurs on the third Tuesday except during the summer time because of United Methodist Men meetings. The sign in the photograph that follows appears in the church lawn nearest the room where Career Jump-Start is meeting. When this sign is not outside of Ogden Fellowship Hall, go to the parking lot nearest Custer Road and look for this sign near the west end of the building. When you find this sign on the west side of the church:

1.       Follow the sidewalk at the left of this sign to the doors on your left (about the middle of the building)

2.       Enter the building through these doors

3.       Go up the stair case or take the elevator to the second floor

4.       Turn right in the hallway on the second floor

5.       Go to the end of the hallway where you will find room 230A&B

6.       Enter the room through the left door and sign-in at the registration table

Career Jump-Start meets in Ogden Fellowship Hall on most Tuesdays. When you find this sign on the east side of the church (the side close to US-75 Central Expressway):

1.       Enter the building through the door closest to the sign

2.       Go to the right down the hallway

3.       Enter Ogden Fellowship Hall through the second doorway on your right and sign-in at the registration table

There were 19 people in attendance at the Career Jump-Start meeting on Tuesday, 19 February 2013. General remarks before the program included:

• Assessments attempt to determine your comfort zone. 
• Assessments are company specific. 
• Your digital image needs to be pristine especially while looking for a job.
• Read documents backwards to find things that you miss be reading the document forward. 
• Office Max and Office Depot are merging. 
  

Robert Sage presented an excellent review of “Only BFFs Need Apply” by Logan Hill from Bloomberg Businessweek 07-13 January 2013. This magazine article states that companies are hiring people who fit the existing corporate culture even though they are not the best qualified for the position. Culture and diversity are described in this magazine article; however, diversity is beyond the scope of this meeting. Culture is about interactions between people. How do choices you make indicate how well you fit the workplace?

Robert wrote workplace positives and negatives on a white board as people in the meeting named them.

Workplace Positives:

• Family Friendly
• Christian Oriented
• Teamwork
• Halloween Competition
• Fun at Work
• Employees as Valued
• Golden / Platinum Rule
• Lunch and Share

Workplace Negatives:

• Pass the Buck
• Not Invented Here
• No New Ideas
• Always Done This Way
• Good Old ____ Network
• Politics
  

Glassdoor (an online database of information about interviews, salaries, and jobs) collects questions asked by hiring managers. There has been a significant increase in the number of questions asked to determine cultural fit. Companies have distinctive cultures. This culture at Southwest Airlines include going to a weekly party.
 
You should research people who will be interviewing you; Google and LinkedIn are great tools for this. Strive to develop a rapport with the interviewer. A nice firm handshake is important.

“You signal trust in four ways: Look them in the eye, smile, open your body language, and synchronize …” Bloomberg Businessweek, 07-13 January 2013, page 65.

Books recommended in this article are:

• How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less by Nicholas Boothman
• The Fine Art of Small Talk by Debra Fine
  

Both of these books are available from Amazon. If you want to purchase them from Amazon, help support CareerDFW and CareerUSA as follows (this does not change what you pay; however, CareerDFW and CareerUSA receive a portion of the purchase price):

1.       Go to http://careerdfw.org/J/ or http://www.careerusa.org/

2.       Scroll to the bottom of any page on either of the above websites

3.       Click on the Amazon advertisement

4.       Make purchase from Amazon

A wild card is a statement at the end of a 30-second introduction to catch attention. “He walked on fire during the initiation ceremony.”

LinkedIn profiles will replace resumes. There are 30,000 to 40,000 recruiters who are online.

Remember A-R-P (Awareness – Research – Preparation)

North Dallas / Plano Career Focus Group meet on Friday, 09 November 2012 at Christ United Methodist Church of Plano, Texas. Jeff Morris moderates this group. Elizabeth McCormack described her experience in Army Warrant Officer School and helicopter Flight School.

NEXT WEEK: Jeff Morris will talk about the redesigned CareerDFW and recently launched CareerUSA. Also 4th Anniversary Party for North Dallas / Plano Career Focus Group will be held.