Previous NCJS Meetings

2023

NCJS Members and the Advisory Board seriously considered returning to in-person meetings now that the global pandemic is mostly in the rearview mirror. However, the consensus was to continue meeting virtually due to the convenience of Zoom, stewardship of time and travel, and the ability to make our programs accessible beyong NE Ohio.

We continue the pattern of meeting on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Ordinarily, the first meeting of the month is a roundtable for job search troubleshooting and the second meeting is a speaker with a presentation.

Second Monday of Each Month 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Job Search
Troubleshooting Roundtable

See description below listing of our featured speakers

Monday, January 23, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

I Have LinkedIn, Now What?

How to leverage LinkedIn for the next-level job search

Speaker: Christopher Gentry

Join us for an overview of areas on LinkedIn job seekers can leverage to improve their career search and networking activities. Topics to be discussed will be LinkedIn follies for new users, top-notch networking tips, job search suggestions, and Security and Privacy settings. Come with your questions as this will be a great opportunity to network and learn next-level details about LinkedIn.

Christopher Gentry became interested in this topic when his position was eliminated in 2003. At the time, his company provided him "outplacement services." Through this experience, he was introduced to the world of networking, job search groups, and techniques he had never heard of, all of which have helped him stay employed.

Monday, February 27, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Developing a Marketing Plan

Speaker: Jean Gagné

In this meeting, Jean will share the cumulative knowledge he has gained over the years in both using and coaching others to employ a personal Marketing Plan.  Additionally, he will explain the purpose and value of this critical job transition document as well as dissect the content for anyone to easily make your own.  Come one, come all ,and learn how this simple one-page plan can accelerate your transition to your next great opportunity!

Jean Gagné is an Information Management Professional with experience in manufacturing, distribution and retail organizations.  His formal background is in Information Technology, but in addition to serving in various IT management positions, he also gained significant business acumen working in Customer Service, Warehousing and Distribution, Supply Chain and Human Resources.  Earlier in his career, Jean found himself in transition which forced him to develop and refine a comprehensive Job Search Process Map ranging from what you need to do before you start your search through on-boarding your next opportunity.  Jean serves as board member on two job search groups in NE Ohio and has been part of NCJS from its inception in 2014.

Monday, March 27, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Marketing Yourself Like a Pro

Speaker: Jim Folger

Jim Folger will be giving a presentation detailing a process and methodology for successfully marketing yourself into target companies where you don’t already have a contact. The presentation will show you how to expand your list of target companies, identify people to market to, obtain their contact information, and propose a methodology for initiating contact.

Jim Folger is a recruiter, and the President of OneSource Technical, Inc., a national search firm that partners with small to medium sized companies to help them recruit for a broad range of professional positions.  Jim is an Engineer with 2 decades of industry experience in Engineering, management, and customer facing roles prior to founding OneSource Technical.

Jim’s background as a hiring manager and as a recruiter provides a unique perspective that encompasses both sides of the hiring desk.  Jim can be a valuable resource to reach out to should you be at a crossroad in your career and need to brainstorm ideas.  Job seekers are also welcome to Search Jobs in the company’s network of nearly 1.000 recruiters.

Monday, April 24, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Cuyahoga Works: Job & Career Services

Speaker: Ebony M. Hogan

Cuyahoga Works: Job & Career Services’ professional career counselors take pride in helping job seekers put their best foot forward to find employment, advance their careers, or pursue new career paths. Since 1976, Cuyahoga County Public Library has helped adults at all stages of their working lives acquire the skills employers desire, find jobs, and transition to new careers. Among services offered:

• Career Counseling & Coaching
• Resume, Cover Letter & Social Media Profile Reviews
• Job Search Strategies
• Interview Preparation
• Free Workshops & Community Collaborations

​Ebony M. Hogan, M.Ed. is the Career Services Supervisor and a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with the Cuyahoga County Public Library. In this presentation she will offer an overview of the many services available in the Cuyahoga Works program.

Ebony received a Master’s in Education with a major in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Studies from Kent State University. She has also earned a myriad of professional certifications including Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner, and Digital Brand Strategist (CDBS).

As an advocate of people and change, Ebony takes pride in providing everything from time to resources to a listening ear to a word of advice or encouragement to here clients. Her life's journey and work has always been to see others realize their utmost potential so that they can reach the highest height in their respective life venture.

Monday, May 22, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Are You On the Right Path?

Using & Interpreting the Trimetrix DNA Instrument

Speaker & Facilitator:  Jim Folger

Registration Is Required for This NCJS Program

Jim Folger has been using behavioral sciences to help clients make better hiring decisions by aligning the right people with the right jobs for almost 2 decades.  In Jim’s volunteer work with job seekers he has also used these tools to help job seekers understand whether they are pursuing the right jobs.

TRIMETRIX DNA ASSESSMENT

Prior to the meeting, you will be given an opportunity to take a self assessment tool to provide insights into your behavioral style, the things that motivate you, and the development levels of 25 soft skills that the instrument looks at.  Jim has arranged for NCJS members to receive and use this instrument at no cost (it ordinarily costs $360 per individual).  In a group presentation Jim will give an overview of how these relate to our jobs.

In this session you will:

• Receive a FREE online instrument utilizing 3 sciences:  Behaviors, Motivations, and Skills (a $360 value).

• Gain a better understanding of yourself, how you interact with others, why you do what you do, and how your behaviors, motivations, and skills  align with your career.

• Understand how to read others and adapt your style to improve communication effectiveness.

* * * * *
NOTE:  Thanks to Jim Folger and Target Training International,

this $360.00 instrument is offered to NCJS members for FREE.

* * * * *

Jim Folger is a recruiter, and the President of OneSource Technical, Inc., a national search firm that partners with small to medium sized companies to help them recruit for a broad range of professional positions.  Jim is an Engineer with 2 decades of industry experience in Engineering, management, and customer facing roles prior to founding OneSource Technical.

Jim’s background as a hiring manager and as a recruiter provides a unique perspective that encompasses both sides of the hiring desk.  Jim can be a valuable resource to reach out to should you be at a crossroad in your career and need to brainstorm ideas.  Job seekers are also welcome to Search Jobs in the company’s network of nearly 1.000 recruiters.

Monday, June 12, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

ChatGPT for Job Search
Speaker:  Jeff Trattner

Jeff Trattner is a business-to-business marketing executive with demonstrated accomplishments and deep expertise across a full range of marketing disciplines in commercial and industrial goods.  He leverages career disruptions as learning opportunities to develop job search techniques. He excels in securing challenging roles and now helps others navigate the job market. Jeff holds a BS in Journalism from Ohio University and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He is an operating advisor at Ronin Equity Partners and principal advisor at Construct Advisory.

Monday, June 26, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Working with a Recruiter
Speaker:  John DiNallo

Monday, July 24, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

"From One Job to the Next:
Financial & Legal Best Practices"

Speakers:  Gina Betti & Emily Smayda Kelly

Gina Betti works as a Financial Advisor.  Her aim professionally as well as personally is to seek the highest quality possible and work for that goal.  Gina sees both financial matters and every person she meets with the understanding that there is no such thing as "one size fits all."  She is committed to listening, learning, and providing the best service she can.  That extends from her professional life into her extensive volunteer work, including North Coast Job Seekers.  Connect with Gina on LinkedIn and join her in the NCJS LinkedIn Group.

Emily Smayda Kelly, Esq. guides both individuals and companies through transitions with her legal consulting company, Kel-Lume Group.  She has taken twenty years of being a labor and employment attorney experience in public (Jane Campbell Administration), private (Union Representation), corporate (Tradesmen International), and nonprofit (GC of Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio), settings on both sides of the table and now focuses on making a difference.  She helps individuals navigate through their employment challenges, including non-compete, severance packages, unemployment and coaches them through to their next opportunity be it traditional employment, business owner, or independent contractor.

Monday, August 28, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Networking and the Job Search

Speaker: Christopher Gentry

Join me in a captivating presentation on the art of networking, where we'll explore its purpose, uncover invaluable tips, and dive into practical strategies to maximize its potential in job seeking. Learn how to prepare for networking events and engage in meaningful discussions that can broaden your horizons. Discover the three critical tasks that will significantly enhance your job hunt: networking, networking, networking! Don't miss out on this opportunity to unlock the true power of networking. #NetworkingSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment #JobHuntingTips #NCJS #NorthCoastJobSeekers

Christopher Gentry became interested in this topic when his position was eliminated in 2003. At the time, his company provided him "outplacement services." Through this experience, he was introduced to the world of networking, job search groups, and techniques he had never heard of, all of which have helped him stay employed.

Monday, September 25, 2023

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Alternative No More: Career Options Beyond the Traditional 9-5

Speakers: Matt Coatney & Terese McGroarty

You can’t turn around these days without hearing about the rise of entrepreneurs and the gig economy. Professionals are discovering viable career options that were once only the path of last resort for the otherwise “unemployable”.

In this session, Matt Coatney and Terese McGroarty will discuss several alternatives to the traditional full-time employment career path, including franchising, starting your own business, and freelancing. They will share their experiences from the front lines as practitioners and provide a candid perspective on the good, bad, and ugly.  

Matt Coatney is a technology executive who has extensive experience in startup businesses and freelancing, including his work as a practicing “fractional CTO” and as a thought leader whose recent book The Human Cloud explores the future of work at the intersection of freelance and Artificial Intelligence.

Terese McGroarty specializes in helping clients looking to become entrepreneurs to find the best possible match for their skills, lifestyle, goals, and financial capabilities. From start to finish, her professional approach and business knowledge will guide you through exploring top-quality business ownership opportunities. Together, we will find a fit that leads to a lifetime of fulfillment. Terese is passionate about helping job seekers whether it is for a business opportunity or finding their next position in the corporate world. She is a great connector and networker and is happy to help you in these areas.  Her business website is www.frannet.com/tmcgroarty.

Second Monday of Each Month

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

North Coast Job Seekers Meeting

Job Search
Troubleshooting Roundtable

We've all been there in our job searches... those times when we hit a speedbump or roadblock and need help talking it through.  We have discovered in our virtual NCJS meetings that in addition to networking, some of our most valuable time is when we bring our issues to the group and ask for troubleshooting help.  This meeting is a Roundtable of Experts -- ALL of us helping one another.

• Troubleshooting Help

• Tools & Tips

• Resource Sharing

• Networking

We will make the best use of this face-to-face time to help one another in a roundtable format.  We will always have members of the community who have extensive experience, including our facilitators and board members.  All are welcome and all are encouraged to seek input for solving those speedbumps and roadblocks.

2022 Meetings & Topics

To view previous meetings from 2022, click button below:

All Previous Meetings & Topics

To view all previous NCJS meetings, use the navigation buttons in the left panel above.