North Coast Job Seekers is a job search support group for professionals in transition or those who are currently employed but seeking new career options. We provide tools, tips, resources, techniques and networking opportunities to help maximize a job search. If in transition, or want to explore new career options, we encourage attending North Coast Job Seekers meetings.

"North Coast" refers to the geographic region of NE Ohio, particularly the metropolitan Cleveland area (which is on the shores of Lake Erie, hence the "North Coast" of the U.S.). However the resources available here are offered to any who might benefit from them.

NEXT MONDAY NIGHT MEETING:

Monday, January 11, 2021

7:30 – 9:00pm EDT
[online meeting room will open at 7:15pm]

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Virtual Networking Meeting
Networking & Job Search Issues

Join with other NCJS members and leaders for constructive networking,
job search troubleshooting, sharing what's going well and what is not,
and collaborating on job leads.

Use this link to join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone:

NCJS Online Meetings

North Coast Job Seeker meetings are held online during this season of social distancing.  Using a secure platform, our meetings continue "virtually."

Using the secure and encrypted platform GoToMeeting, we are continuing our most important NCJS services:  Meeting "face-to-face" for networking, job search support, and presentations to assist professionals in transition.  While not the same as "being there" with the group, these virtual meetings are a helpful time of connecting and networking.  They also serve as good training ground for virtual interviews!

How to prepare for NCJS Virtual meetings:

• Download the GoToMeeting app to your computer or phone (it's free):
  GoToMeeting Download
• Make sure your tech is working and plan a quiet space to join the meetings.
• If you do not have webcam/video technology, you will be able to call into the meetings and participate with audio only either from your computer or a phone.
• Review your "30-Second Elevator Speech" to be able to introduce yourself and clearly communicate your expertise and skills to someone who doesn't know you. We will be using these in the online meetings.  Here's an easy to follow tutorial: Elevator Speech
• At the designated time, join the meeting using the link provided.  Each meeting "room" will open 15 minutes before the meeting begins in order to make sure you are connected and to become familiar with the GoToMeeting platform.

PLAN AHEAD - FOLLOWING MEETING:

Monday, January 25, 2021

7:30 – 9:00pm EDT
[online meeting room will open at 7:15pm]

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

The Art of Hello:
Professional Branding
Be Remembered in a Noisy World

Speaker: Paula Calise

As professionals we all deserve to be known for our achievements, and to be understood for our value proposition.

Right now, it’s a particular noisy world. The news is cluttered and people are preoccupied with the Covid-19 virus.

Now is not the time to lose ground on being known for your professional achievements, hard work accumulated over years or decades. Be proactive in using your Art of Hello™ message, making it simple and clean so that people can “hear you” over the din of our troubled times.

Often called personal branding, the core is introducing yourself to people in a way that the listener understands the essence of your professional life. Once scripted and perfected, your branded introduction is a durable asset. It is useful for emerging professionals, for senior leaders, for business owners, for those seeking positions on boards, and job seekers.

A well-conceived professional brand introduction is the old-fashioned elevator pitch polished up to a professional level with a memorable impact. It differentiates you from others. So simple to recognize when done well, and so hard to make one your own. Paula provides the background, tips and rules and a three-step method that results in you having a professional brand introduction of your own to use, that day. It’s called the Art of Hello.

ABOUT PAULA CALISE

Paula specializes in filling hard to fill positions, completing over 600 mission critical searches since founding Linked Executive Search.  Paula is known for rapidly finding talent to fill key positions that fit the company, culture and team – delivering quality candidates who can step in and immediately produce positive results.  Across many professions and industries, Paula often fills jobs that have been open for 6 weeks to 6 months. Forbes lists Linked Executive Search #1 headquartered in Texas and 9th overall in the US on their list of the US Best Recruiting Firms for 2020.

As a hiring manager by profession, Paula fills jobs like her clients would themselves, if they had the time.  With years of leadership in sales and marketing at TXU Energy, LexisNexis and IBM, she brings a wealth of placement and executive experience to every client search.

Paula is a frequent speaker and author on The Art of Hello™, Be Remembered in a Noisy World, providing presentations, workshops and keynote addresses. Paula can be heard at MBA programs, professional associations, conferences, internal company leadership programs, and job seekers support groups. Paula’s popularity as a speaker is in part due to providing actionable and fresh perspective on the topic of personal branding for professionals and executives. Paula shares the tips and tools on The Art of Hello weekly on LinkedIn.

Paula earned an undergraduate degree in HR from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of Houston. She is actively involved in community volunteerism and leadership. Paula serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of North Texas College of Business.  She is a board member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Retail Executive Association, co-founder of Dallas Executive Women’s Network Group, a founding member and Vice President of The Board Connection, and a former Assistant Vice President of Southwest Higher Education Authority.

Additional Suggestions During the Coronavirus Crisis

Even during this pandemic, job search work does not take a pause.  We have several recommendations and ways that NCJS can continue to support your job search networking and efforts:

• Our NCJS LinkedIn Group is stronger and more vibrant than ever.  That is an outstanding place to actively network, ask questions, promote discussions, and stay connected with one another.
• Telephone Networking.  Picking up the phone and talking with other NCJS members you have met, following up on job leads, and networking voice-to-voice is an excellent tool that is not impeded by the COVID-19 virus.
• Find an Accountability Partner who will commit to helping you stay on track with your job search and with whom you can talk about job search issues.
• Our NCJS website contains helpful information in our Resource Library that you can explore and use.  We will do our best to bolster that resource during this time.
• Commit to using this time to focus on your job search via internet searches and online resources, one-on-one meetings (practicing "social distancing" for safety), and making/keeping appointments as you are able.

We are committed to supporting you in whatever ways we can.  We commit to keeping you informed of changes and updates to our scheduled events.  Please be safe, smart, and help others do the same.

-- North Coast Job Seekers Advisory Board

Career transitions are seldom easy. The many pieces of a job search can be overwhelming, and fitting those pieces together to find your next position can be tricky. North Coast Job Seekers wants to provide support, training, and resources as you go through your job search.

NCJS is a completely volunteer organization bringing together those in job transition with leaders, presenters, resources, and other job seekers.  Job seekers themselves bring a multitude of resources to NCJS with knowledge, experience, skills, and professional networks.  Together we share a mission to help motivated people succeed through career changes.

North Coast Job Seekers meets in the Gym/Fellowship Hall of Pioneer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Solon, Ohio at 7:30pm on the second and fourth Monday of the month. We actively network, discuss job search issues, and get terrific tips from job search experts. If you are in transition or want to explore new career options, we encourage you to start attending North Coast Job Seekers meetings.

If you're not part of the online discussions, job leads, and networking with NCJS, join the NCJS LinkedIn Group now to expand your job search resources.

The twice monthly meetings of North Coast Job Seekers is supplemented by an active LinkedIn Group. This rich forum includes relevant discussion topics, job postings, and networking opportunities. Click on the LinkedIn logo to visit the group page.

If you are looking for our job listings or have a position to share with the NCJS membership, we invite you to participate in the NCJS LinkedIn group.  All of our job postings and information are handled on LinkedIn, not on our website.  For more information about the LinkedIn group or for instructions on posting a job opportunity, click this link.

Newest Resource in the Library:

We are grateful for our generous partners: