Networking is part of "Job Search 101," yet many job seekers lack the actual network of "people with connections" during a time of job transition. Networking is one of the cornerstones of North Coast Job Seekers and we are very intentional about providing face-to-face time to explore connections, be introduced to new contacts, discover new opportunities, and share the people resources that YOU have to help another job seeker.  Join with other NCJS members for this face-to-face time of constructive networking, job leads, and issue sharing.

Ron Finklestein is called the “Real Deal” by his clients because of the results they achieve. Finklestein is the creator of the Business Growth Experience and owner of RPF GROUP INC. He is a Business Coach, International Author, Trainer, and Speaker. His eight business books include management and leadership, personal development, operations, marketing, and sales. His latest work: Make a Difference: From Success to Significance” was a 12-year study of 1000 successful small business owners and what they did to be successful.

In this presentation, job seekers will learn how to communicate their value to prospective employers and referral partners to achive faster results.

After a successful consulting career, Ron has spent the past 15 years building his business and helping entrepreneurs and business owners build their businesses.  Ron has experience in working with businesses across a wide range of industries (Manufacturing, Banking, Government, Healthcare, Outsourced Services, Technology Industries, and Insurance) and helping companies grow the top line, allowing him to offer practical and proven ideas and strategies to improve most any business. 

Ron knows and understands that all successful people exhibit nine behaviors, and he has built products to help implement these behaviors in businesses of all sizes. Because of the depth and breadth of Ron’s experience, he can quickly and decisively see and identify business and personal challenges, identify innovative solutions and creates opportunities out of most any problem.

As a Certified Knowledge Manager and business consultant, Finklestein has both business and technology experience spanning more than two decades; he brings a blue-chip background from global companies such as Xerox, Unisys, GenCorp/Omnova, Xerox Connect and Wang. Between 1982 and 2001, Finklestein held various technical and executive positions including  Divisional IT Manager, Financial Manager, Manager of Document Imaging and Workflow, and Sales.

Ron is an active member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his LinkedIn profile can be found at Ron Finklestein.

Gary Szelagowski knows what it is like to go through a long job search.  Drawing on his personal as well as professional experience, he will present a way of going through job transition that addresses more than just resumes and interviews. Gary will encourage job seekers to "feed your soul," manage time and priorities, and find a workable "rhythm."  Networking is essential, of course, and Gary will offer a unique way of tending to your job search network.

Gary Szelagowski is a seasoned HR professional who has delivered game-changing results as a subject matter expert, as well as in generalist roles supporting business line clients.

Between 2010 and 2012, Gary managed a protracted job search at the height of the great recession.  He learned the value of networking, perseverance and working a plan, while keeping a positive attitude and remaining flexible.

Gary is currently an assistant vice president in the Human Resources Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. He is responsible for leading the development and execution of enterprise-wide succession planning, performance and change management, talent development, recruiting and employee engagement.

Prior to joining the Cleveland Reserve Bank in 2014, Gary served as vice president of performance management at PNC Financial Services, in Cleveland. He also held senior human resource positions with National City Corporation, and he has served in technology and sales management at KeyBank.

He is an active member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his LinkedIn profile can be found at Gary Szelagowski.

You need a new mindset!  In the current job market, you need to consider yourself self-employed.  There are no long-term social contracts for employment, if they ever existed.

The Cheshire Cat might be the best example of where most of us have been with careers and jobs. With an ever changing, dynamic job market, finding stable employment is a difficult challenge. We live in an age where jobs include temporary, part-time, downsizing, core employees, contracted services, specialized skills, reduced benefits, and self-employment

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where," said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"So long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

Principal at Skills Enrichment, Joe Ortenzi has more than four decades experience putting difficult-to-place individuals in satisfying employment.  During this time he has learned how to break through the clutter and make his clients stand out among the multitudes of job seekers.

For the last 18 years, Joe has operated Skills Enrichment Group – his own company focused on return-to-work services.  He provides transitional employment services, vocational evaluations, vocational feasibility evaluations transferable skills analysis, vocational explorations, employment workshops and vocational consulting.

For nearly three decades, he was a Senior Counseling Psychologist managing vocational rehabilitation services for disabled veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs. His career has been devoted to helping clients overcome serious barriers to re-entering the workforce. These include a wide range of disabilities, injuries, career changes, employment gaps, felonies and dramatic changes in the job market.

 Joe has a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling from John Carroll University and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Bowling Green State University. 
More information available on web site: www.jobsearchstrategies.net.

Why it is important to have a complete LinkedIn profile? De-de Mulligan will present “Unlock the Power of LinkedIn.”

You will learn how to “beef up” your profile so recruiters and potential employers can find you. Mulligan will also discuss how to remain relevant on LinkedIn by becoming a thought leader in your industry.

De-de Mulligan is a Social Media Strategist for small to medium sized businesses.  She also serves as a Hudson Job Search Advisor. She consults with clients all over the country on their LinkedIn profiles. She has been published in Social Media Today, Tech Patio, Evvnt, DEFINE magazine, Crain’s Cleveland Business, and Crain’s New York Business. De-de lives in Hudson and works in Streetsboro.

De-de is a member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and her LinkedIn profile can be found at De-de Mulligan.

Job-seekers are constantly hearing that magic word, “networking” as the answer to how to find a job in today’s challenging market. But exactly how do you network? What are the steps that you should go through to effectively search for a job using “networking?”  Michael Spiro will help demystify this powerful job search tool by sharing a 5-step process for successful networking.

Michael Spiro has been a 3rd-Party Recruiter and Account Executive in the staffing industry for over 15 years.  He is currently the Director of Recruiting / Northeast Ohio for Experis Finance, a dedicated business unit of ManpowerGroup.  Other recent positions include President of Midas Recruiting, a boutique head-hunting firm, and Director of Talent at Patina Solutions, a professional services firm that deploys professionals with at least 25 or more years of experience.  Prior to that, he was with two of the largest search firms in North America.

Michael is also the creator of the popular blog, Recruiter Musings, providing free advice for job-seekers and receiving thousands of hits a week from all over the world. Before his career in the staffing industry – in a former life – Michael was active in the entertainment industry, with extensive road-warrior experience as a touring performer (singer-songwriter / guitarist / comedian) and as a recording artist, producer and booking agent.

Michael's resume speaks for itself, but he's even better in person!  Michael is a member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his LinkedIn profile can be found at Michael Spiro.

The Power of the Second Degree:  It's not who you know... it's who who you know knows!  This presentation is for those who already have a basic understanding of how LinkedIn works.  It will cover all recent changes, the many differences between Basic and Premium JobSeeker memberships, and an extensive list of useful resources.  Susie will provide a link to the PowerPoint slides for later reference and use.

Speaker Susie Sharp has been helping executives, job seekers, and college students see the power of LinkedIn for more than 8 years.  She is currently working as an Independent Constractor and Business Consultant.  An active member of the NCJS community, she is an active participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and her LinkedIn profile can be found at Susie Sharp.

A conversation with a panel of HR leaders:

- Their BEST TIPS for the job search process.

- What is the best way to get noticed when going after a posted opening?

- Is there more I should be doing? Will my phone calls and emails help or hurt during the process? How much is too much?

- What is the best piece of advice an HR professional could share with you to make your search more effective?

- What burning question do you have that an HR professional could answer?

A panel of HR professionals with unique experiences in diverse organizations will share their job search insights and do their best to answer your important questions.

Seth Briskin is Partner and Chair of the Labor & Employment Group at the law firm of Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis.  He provides labor and employment counsel to private, public sector, and non-profit organizations.  One of his specialties is preparation of emplyment and consulting contracts, confidentiality and non-compettition agreements, and advises clients on severance packages and separation agreements.  He brings a particularly important perspective to NCJS members as he ordinarily represents employers and executives in his legal practice.  He is a frequent speaker on labor and employment law issues, and is eager to share his insights, expertise, and strategies with our NCJS membership.

Bill King is a successful entrepreneur who has been helping job seekers since 1998.  An author, counselor, seminar leader, and speaker on job search related topics, Bill wrote an article recently about using the principles of advertising to increase the effectiveness of any resume.  The article can be found in the North Coast Job Seekers online Resource Library.  Bill will present "Increase Your Resume's Response Rate Using Principles of Advertising" in this meeting.  He will share 14 classic principles advertising companies routinely use to garner your attention in their media offerings.  He will also describe what makes good advertising/resume copywriting.  Bill is a member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his LinkedIn profile can be found at C. William King.

Mark Gonska is Executive Vice President and leads the outplacement practice of Dise & Company.  Also known as America's Career Coach, Mark has has assisted well over 8,000 job seekers moving forward in their careers.  His advice and counsel has led not only to new jobs but also to successful salary and benefits negotiations.  His methods intentionally combine People, Process, and Passion.  Mark's NCJS presentation will stretch your mind with insights and techniques that will set you apart from the competition and help you land the right next job.

Jim Folger is a successful headhunter who has been conducting professional and senior level management searches for over twenty years.  He will share techniques he uses to network including how to identify the right people to interface with.  Jim will offer tips to get phone numbers and email addresses of the people you want to connect with, as well as a methodology to initiate networking. Jim’s techniques can easily be adapted to your job search when you are targeting organizations and hiring managers.

Jim Folger, CPC, CPBA, CPVA is President of One Source Technical. Inc.  He is an active member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his LinkedIn profile can be found at Jim Folger.

Frank Hulewat had been very successful thorough out his career.  However, when he was laid off from his job thirteen years ago the ONLY thing he knew about networking was how to spell it.  That quickly changed.  Frank attacked the job market by applying the skills he learned and practiced as a Project Manager.  Soon he became a networking machine and ultimately landed a new job where his performance led to roles of increasing responsibility.

Now retired, Frank was the Director of Project Management at Steris.  In the years since his own successful job search, he has been a resource for countless job seekers.  In this presentation he will give us a “back to basics” approach to conducting a successful job search.  Come prepared to have your job search revitalized with this invigorating CPR!

Create your Interview Bucket List and Shift Your Search into High Gear

Through a series of exercises learn how you can identify prime target companies that need your skills. This is much more than choosing from a, “Best Companies to Work For” List. Join us for some happy hunting that brings dignity to your search. Early on, Cynthia recognized the Bucket-List approach for the amazing tool it is and has shared her expertise with local job seekers for years. Bring your device, paper and pencil. You’ll be taking lots of notes and participating in hands-on exercises during this session.

Cynthia Trotta is an experienced Project Manager with both IT and marketing teams, currently working as an Account Manager with Mainstream Software. She is articulate and motivating with an infectious enthusiasm. Cynthia has the ability to bring focus and clarity in the midst of "information overload" and seemingly overwhelming circumstances. Hers is also a voice of experience -- she has gone through (and survived!) the job search process, knows what it's like, and draws on personal experience to make her presentations relevant and authentic.

Jim Smith is The Executive Happiness Coach^®, a global provider of executive coaching, and personal and workplace transformation services.  His passion is to create a Happier world and workplace, one Leader at a time. Drawing on his 20+ years of executive experience as well as 50+ years as a Human Being, Jim has coached leaders from 27 countries and six continents. He works with leaders to better balance their lives, dramatically improve their leadership skills, and build more positive workplace cultures.

Jim is also the author of Happiness At The Speed of Life: 13 Powerful Strategies for Finding Happiness at Home and On the Job, and he has touched the lives of over 16,000 people through his work on Positive Emotion and Leadership.  He has used the 13 Principles of Happiness to raise his own family and to deal with work, life, love, and tragedy – and he will be sharing some of those practices with you.  

Finally, Jim wants you to know this: he worships Dark beer, Dark Coffee, and Dark Chocolate... and deeply believes that Happiness is a Decision, not an Event!

Learn more about Jim at www.TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com.

Marshall Karp is a very familiar name to members of the NCJS LinkedIn Group as the author of the Job Search Tip of the Day posts.  Marshall is a career counselor, developer, and coach who genuinely loves to share his knowledge and skills with job seekers.  His innovative approach to the job search process led him to develop an app called The Job Search Power Meter to track progress toward getting a new job.  With 31 years in private practice as a career counselor, Marshall has worked with thousands of job seekers, authored many articles, and was the recipient of the prestigious Job Training Partnership Program of the Year Award.

Michael Spiro has been a 3rd-Party Recruiter and Account Executive in the staffing industry for over 15 years.  He is currently the Director of Recruiting / Northeast Ohio for Experis Finance, a dedicated business unit of ManpowerGroup.  Other recent positions include President of Midas Recruiting, a boutique head-hunting firm, and Director of Talent at Patina Solutions, a professional services firm that deploys professionals with at least 25 or more years of experience.  Prior to that, he was with two of the largest search firms in North America.

Michael is also the creator of the popular blog, Recruiter Musings, providing free advice for job-seekers and receiving thousands of hits a week from all over the world.

Before his career in the staffing industry – in a former life – Michael was active in the entertainment industry, with extensive road-warrior experience as a touring performer (singer-songwriter / guitarist / comedian) and as a recording artist, producer and booking agent.

Michael's resume speaks for itself, but he's even better in person!  Michael is a member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his LinkedIn profile can be found at Michael Spiro.

A conversation with a panel of HR leaders:

• Do you ever wonder abouit the wisdom of the advice you are always hearing to bypass HR and go straight to the Hiring Authority?
• How should you handle the dreaded "salary question?"
• What is the best way to get noticed when going after a posted opening?
• What is the best piece of advice an HR professional could share with you to make your search more effective?
• What burning question do you have that an HR professional could answer?

Come to North Coast Job Seekers this evening as a panel of HR professionals with unique experiences in diverse organizations will share their job search insights and perspectives.

Tracy Conn is an Executive with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, building relationships with business leaders at all 12 Reserve Banks, the Board of Governors and financial regulatory partners to develop and expand the network of regulatory agencies. Tracy is also a Strengths Performance Coach specializing in helping employees, teams, and job seekers discover their natural talents and intentionally apply them for personal, career, and organizational fulfilment and success. Her specialties include knowledge management, social networking/social learning, collaboration, driving change and innovation, and successful business partnerships.

Bill King is a high-tech entrepreneur.  He is president and owner of Essential Research, Inc. and two spin-off companies, ER Microsensor and ER Semiconductor.  Not one to rest, he recently started another company, Top Ten Tapers, to produce bamboo fly rods based upon vintage manufacturers' specifications.  In his "Guerilla Marketing" presentation Bill will offer his keys to job hunting success using an extremely focused entrepreneurial model employing marketing concepts and strategies.  Over many years Bill has helped hundreds of job seekers with job search strategies, interviewing skills, and resume writing.  Bill is a member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his LinkedIn profile can be found at C. William King.

His clients call Ron Finklestein "The Real Deal" because of the results they achieve with his business coaching and sales training program, RPF GRIOUP INC., voted best sales training company in 2013 & 2014. Finklestein is an international author of six business books. His marketing book, 49 Marketing Secrets (THAT WORK) to Grow Sales, has been translated into six languages. His latest book, Make a Difference: From Being Successful to Being Significant, has been praised by James Malinchak, America's Secret Millionaire, as "a way to achieve higher levels of success and happiness." After a successful consulting career, Finklestein create RPF GROUP INC. as a way to change the lives of entrepreneurs and business owners by helping them solve the tough problems that hold them back. Finklestein is passionate about making a difference in peoples' lives by helping them to achieve their business and personal goals and dreams.  Ron is a member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his profile can be found at Ron Finklestein.

Mike Perry is President of Szarka Financial and President of Next Level Planner, Inc.  Mike has become an expert presenter on the topic of developing effective job search strategies from the perspective of a hiring manager.  In addition to a distinguished career in the financial industry, Mike is a leadership coach, management consultant, mentor, and expert networker.  His presentations are packed with information presented in a lively, "no nosense, straight to the point" manner.  Mike is a member and participant in the NCJS LinkedIn Group and his profile can be found at Michael Perry.

A conversation with a panel of HR leaders:

• Do you ever wonder abouit the wisdom of the advice you are always hearing to bypass HR and go straight to the Hiring Authority?
• How should you handle the dreaded "salary question?"
• What is the best way to get noticed when going after a posted opening?
• What is the best piece of advice an HR professional could share with you to make your search more effective?
• What burning question do you have that an HR professional could answer?

Come to North Coast Job Seekers this evening as a panel of HR professionals with unique experiences in diverse organizations will share their job search insights and perspectives.

Brad Kahn, PMP is a leading Project Manager in both IT and Human Resources Information Systems. He has a passion for helping others, particularly those experiencing job loss or transition. Brad's professional background, direct communication skills, quick wit, and comforting presence make him an ideal coach for job seekers. He is also a professional ski instructor, so he definitely knows how to help when things seem to be tumbling out of control!

Mark Gonska is Executive Vice President and leads the Outplacement Practice for Dise & Company. Also known as "America's Career Coach," Mark has assisted over 8,000 people moving forward in their careers. He designs and delivers leadership and executive coaching with a method combining People, Process and Passion. Mark speaks with enthusiasm and candor as he offers insights, encouragement, and tough love to job seekers.

Cynthia Trotta is an experienced Project Manager with both IT and marketing teams. She is articulate and motivating with an infectious enthusiasm. Cynthia has the ability to bring focus and clarity in the midst of "information overload" and seemingly overwhelming circumstances. She has developed a very helpful "Job Search Marketing Plan" that has helped others as well as herself during job transitions.

Christopher Gentry is a recognized Program Manager and Senior Project Manager of high impact enterprise-wide IT teams with experience in healthcare, financial, and insurance based companies.  He is a decisive leader with experience in merging disparate matrixed personnel into effective team-centered IT projects. All that, and he's a really personable and fun guy, too!  He has a dynamic presence along with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and has developed particular expertise in using LinkedIn as a tool for job seekers.

Tracy Conn is an Executive with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, building relationships with business leaders at all 12 Reserve Banks, the Board of Governors and financial regulatory partners to develop and expand the network of regulatory agencies. Tracy is also a Strengths Performance Coach specializing in helping employees, teams, and job seekers discover their natural talents and intentionally apply them for personal, career, and organizational fulfilment and success. Her specialties include knowledge management, social networking/social learning, collaboration, driving change and innovation, and successful business partnerships.

Sonya Weiland, President of WeilandWorks Consulting, has built her career by building positive relationships as a strategic HR partner to many organizations. Sonya has partnered with Senior Executives to develop talent management and HR solutions with a clear link to business results. Her expertise includes the design and implementation of training, creating HR systems, performance management and evaluations.

Jim Folger, President of OneSource Technical, shares a number of techniques that he uses to network, and shows job seekers how to identify names of people to network with, get their phone numbers & email addresses, as well as a methodology to initiate networking. Presented at the March 24, 2014 meeting of North Coast Job Seekers.