* Job Posting Alert! *
View the Announcements & Jobs page of the CRPRA web site for a new job posting from the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library for the position of Director of Marketing and Communications.
- CRPRA Associate News -
Welcome to Jennifer Pickar, Director of Communications at the American Red Cross!
Congratulations to Rose Slaymaker, owner of Nemec Marketing Group. Rose received with the 2010 Woman of the Year Award from the American Business Women’s Assocication, Cedar Rapids Charter Chapter, AND was a recipient of one of 17 Chamber of Commerce Extra-Effort Ambassador Awards. Great work, Rose!
CRPRA meets the 2nd Thursday of each month, September through May.
Mark your calendars for next season!
by Sher Jasperse
April 2010 - “News from the Job Front” with Scott Sanborn
The Spirit Radio (89.1 FM) News and Development Director Scott Sanborn, a long-time KCRG reporter-anchor and more recently a consultant with Mid-America Career Associates, offered an upbeat perspective on the job market and ways to market ourselves effectively. He started with the undeniable bad news: The U.S. unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent, the Cedar Rapids rate 7.4 percent — the highest jobless rates since the 1960s. But he moved on quickly to discuss the improving economic picture and the power of staying positive and being proactive in a job loss and/or search situation.
Scott challenged us to think about how we are marketing ourselves. Social media notwithstanding, we can’t let technology replace the art of face-to-face communication, because that’s how relationships are built. Many employers are no longer advertising jobs in traditional ways, and only 20 percent of management and executive positions are posted, so the job search becomes all about networking and having strategic conversations with people. Networking takes time, so invest yourself, he emphasized.
People who lose their jobs shouldn’t slam together a resume and start sending it out, but rather should take a few days to enjoy things that matter and do some introspection about life goals and personal skills. Remember that many kinds of skills are transferable from one industry to another. Think about what you’ve accomplished in your career and make a list, thereby building your morale and giving you something to sell. Consider ways to convey what you can do for a prospective employer based on what you’ve already accomplished. Once you have a list of accomplishments, prepare a two-page resume — neither too short nor too detailed — that starts with your qualification summary and provides examples of your accomplishments (rather than your job duties) in previous positions. When you interview, use narrative to enhance your list of skill sets.
Scott concluded by describing his own recent career journey, through which he remained positive, trusted in his skills and values, and consulted with people ranging from professional colleagues to his pastor to arrive at a place where he is truly pursuing his passion. It was a message that offered a dose of the Spirit for all of us.
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