By Martha Plotkin, JVS Staff

Seventy people caught the career express at Temple Sholom in Framingham on June 5, 2012. The event featured six different topic tables, each facilitated by a JVS staff person and an outside recruiter. Participants could go to three different tables for 30 minutes each. 

 Here are some highlights from the event:

• One satisfied participant started the evening at the Informational Interviewing/Networking table, then went on to the Personal Branding table and finished with Networking Using LinkedIn. Choosing topics in that order enabled her to assemble information in three logical steps.
• JVS’s Leah Berk teamed up with Cindy Key, a corporate branding expert at the Personal Branding table. Cindy explained that personal branding is a fancy term for “reputation,” and that your professional reputation precedes you. The comment resonated with participants, including those with little experience in marketing, advertising, or PR. 
• At the Career Change/Exploring Options table, participants heard from a successful career changer,   learned about the importance of  self-assessment and shared tips for surviving career transitions.
• The benefits of networking were clearly demonstrated at the Resume/Cover letter table, facilitated by JVS HR staff member Margaret Chapin and an HR staffer from the TJX Companies. A participant at the table had recently submitted his resume for a position at TJX, and was dissatisfied with some parts of it. The TJX representative invited him to email her directly, offering to help him send in the revised version.
• At the Informational Interviewing/Networking table, several attendees admitted to being afraid of informational interviews. Mary Ingamells, HR consultant from UMASS Medical Center, allayed their fears, describing informational interviewing as a low-stress and low-risk way to learn about a career field, and a great way to practice for future networking meetings once they’re focused on a particular field.

When it comes to coping with the emotional and practical challenges of job search and career transition, there is always more to learn. For more information on Career Moves @ JVS services contact Judy at jbottkol@jvs-boston.org or 617-399-3162.