Wednesday, May 7, 2014

National Womenbuild Week 2014

There is a great movement to promote volunteerism across the US.  The reason is rankings of states have been based on the people's effort to help by volunteering.  Volunteering to keep busy, or to be altruistic, or to make friends or for professional networking or to find a job.  Many factors are influencing me to work on the Habitat for Humanity Womenbuild Program in Schenectady New York.  The one that stands out is the fact that I still remain unemployed after years of study at the university and years of networking in the hidden job market.  This week marks the 3rd week of volunteering to help support the vision of creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live.  This Saturday we raise the walls on the 7th Womenbuild house and it commemorates national womenbuild week.  This volunteer to professional network has a great cause.  Today I met 4 women that decided to help paint the concrete and wood structure with indoor and outdoor paint.

Effective Networking - for Employment and Career Opportunities

How many people know that I need employment is a question I wonder about everyday? I noticed that close to everyone I have met at networking events has avoided direct mention of the topic. I found it curious that very few people have approached me about the status of my job search.

Finding opportunities can happen at networking event, I guess that is all about the nature of the hidden job market.  I learned about HJM after sending hundreds of online resumes to potential employers. Recently I decided humiliation due to lack of success drove me to publically analyze and reflect on the outcome of my networking efforts.

The IEEE foundation funded the making of the documentary I just watched. I have spent more hours volunteering for IEEE that I wish to admit. Since IEEE sponsored the event, I had expected to know about the showing of the new documentary on Charles Proteus Steinmetz titled 'Divine Discontent'. But it was an unannounced event.

At this networking event, most everyone met at the auditorium 1/2 hour before it started. Many of the attendees found seats early. Quite a few people attended, mostly from the college or retired employees of GE. Since the refreshments were served in the auditorium, it was difficult to connect with anyone before the event.  I was luck to pass out 3 networking cards, but received not one in return.  It appears that no one is following the standard networking practice of business card, elevator pitch and handshake. Fortunately for me, one of the three people I gave the pitch to worked as HR at Global Research GE. Anyway the luck of the draw on that encounter.  Now here comes the follow up on the event.