Networking Opportunities...

Can be found in unusual places. Have you ever considered volunteering in your community?


President Barack Obama's call for Americans to better their communities through community service is an opportunity to not just better the community, but to also meet new people and expand your network.

Those people who know me know that I am a Chicago White Sox baseball fan - so much so I proudly mention it in my LinkedIn profile. I was happy to read this article:

Sox heed Obama's call to service
First Fan inspires club to start new charitable venture

posted on the Chicago White Sox website. The ball club will organize community service events during 2009 that will incorporate support from the organization, players, staff and members of a new volunteer group. These volunteers will be called upon to join team members and front-office staff at special events during the 2009 baseball season and offseason.

Click this link to sign up for the White Sox volunteer corps, for updates in scheduled service events or for more information on White Sox community service efforts and their charity partners. Who knows.. you might even be able to add Ozzie Guillen to your network.

SHEIFGAB! - Motivationaly Speaking

I've had the great fortune of seeing Conor Cunneen, C.A.S.H. - Consultant, Author, Speaker, Humorist make presentations on several different occasions. His presentations are high value offerings of both humor and substance.

A favorite of mine is one in which Conor crafts a wonderfully inspirational and humorous presentation called "SHEIFGAB The World". (video clip)

"SHEIFGAB"? Conor's pleasant Irish brogue and quick wit may lead you to assume that the term "SHEIFGAB" has some mystical Gaelic meaning but he is fast to point out that it is a memorable acronym he created to help explain eight powerful building blocks designed to get and keep a person motivated during their career transition.

The Eight Powerful Building Block developed by Conor are:

S - Structure (your life)
H - Help (others)
E - Environment (change it)
I - Improve (yourself)
F - Family (communicate with)
G - Goals (set and achieve)
A - Attitude (determines your success)
B - Boss (Bruce Springsteen anecdote)

Conor will be presenting "SHEIFGAB The World" on

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Immanuel Lutheran Church
200 N. Plum Grove Road
Palatine, IL. (map)

Program - 9:00am - 10:30am
Informal Networking - 10:30am - Noon

Conor's presentation is made possible through St. Hubert Job Ministry (contact Bob Podgorski for any event questions at 847-925-6005).

Don't miss this one.

Inaugural Post - Chicagoland HR Transition Group

The inaugural post for this blog profiles The Chicagoland HR Transition Group, a networking group that has helped countless HR professionals in the Chicago metropolitan area in transition. The networking group is a virtual community. Membership is restricted to HR professionals in transition, group alumni and HR professionals wishing to network.

Currently the group, a Yahoo! Group, is comprised of 320 professionals seeking opportunities in the metropolitan Chicago and suburban areas. The group was formed upon the merger of two Chicago area HR networking groups (Northwest HR Group and JobNetworkILHR). Members contribute to the success of the group and support one another by actively sharing leads and providing feedback to information requests. This is accomplished by posting information to the Yahoo Group as well as by sharing information in face to face group meetings which occur weekly.

Information shared includes job leads and positions not typically posted elsewhere, networking advice, meeting notices, landing reports, requests for contacts at specific companies and other helpful job search information. The Chicagoland HR Transition Group alternates meetings between downtown Chicago at Scherer, Schneider, Paulick and suburban Rolling Meadows at Arlington Resources Inc.