eChaser: March 2012 / p3

Networking Not Just for Job Seekers, Recruiter Says

by Tim Tune

vice president – finance, IABC Fort Worth

Networking is as important for the gainfully employed as for the active job seeker, Liz Young, a recruiter for the Dallas staffing agency Creative Circle, told participants at IABC Fort Worth’s sold-out speed networking event Feb. 28 at Joe T. Garcia’s. Creative Circle specializes in advertising and creative talent.

With the economy recovering and businesses gauging their next moves, Young said, “it’s always a good idea to have lots of good contacts in industries and organizations you’d like to work,” even if you’re not looking for work right now. “Join as many networking groups you can to build a good community and referral base you could tap — just in case.”

Young shared more basic job-search guidelines:

• The résumé must be perfect. With so many to screen, employment specialists can be picky. Even one typo can disqualify you, she said.

• Don’t make a recruiter request portfolio samples, unless that’s specified in the job posting. Recruiters don’t have time to ask for portfolios, Young said. Include attachments or share links to your website or online file-sharing folder.

• Always let recruiters know what jobs you’ve applied for. If you’re working with multiple recruiters as well as directly with target companies, be up front about where you’re looking. This saves everyone time and prevents potential conflicts that might damage relationships and your reputation.

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PEOPLE & PLACES

It’s all Carmen Goldthwaite all the time this month as the versatile Fort Worth SPJ member makes appearances in a trio of venues. She will present a TCC Southeast Campus Women’s Month program at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 6, speaking about women in business and the professions from her Texas Dames column, “Ahead of Their Time.” She recently received author copies of “Chicken Soup of the Soul: The Magic of Mothers and Daughters,” and they’ll be in bookstores March 13. In it is an essay she wrote, “Burgers and Butterflies.” And as noted on p. 1, she’s the speaker Monday, March 19, at the Writers’ Guild of Texas meeting in Richardson.

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Allyson Cross, Greater Fort Worth PRSA

Time sure does fly when you’re having fun! February was a busy month, with our luncheon, the launch of the Worthy Awards, a Worthy mixer and the PACE Award judging. Thanks to all who participated. The next few months should be just as busy. Here’s a glimpse:

• The 2012 PRSA Southwest District Conference will be April 11-13 in Tulsa, Okla. We want to send at least 7 percent of our membership, so I hope you can all attend.

• Our luncheon March 14, coordinated by programs VP Richie Escovedo and Dan Keeney, APR, will dissect crisis communications efforts recently taken by Netflix, Bank of America and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. More on p. 1.

• March 19 is early entry (discounted fees) deadline for the Worthy Awards. April 6 is the final deadline. PayPal will be up and running soon.

Looking ahead, we will continue to offer great programming throughout 2012. As a reminder, we’re seeking sponsorships for all of our events. Contact Rita Parson at rita.parson@tccd.edu.

I look forward to seeing you all next week!

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OVER & OUT

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

Application deadline has been extended until March 30 for the Gayle Reaves-King Mid-Career Grant. You should apply for this. You should. ...

The SPJ Region 8 Conference rolls through town every three years, and the installment this spring — March 23 and 24 at the Hilton downtown, see p. 1 — promises more of the robust information exchange and nuanced mingling you expect from Fort Worth SPJ. It all starts here. Then there’s the 9th annual First Amendment Awards and Scholarship Dinner, Friday, April 13, at Cacharel in Arlington. That snappy invite above is just for you. RSVP here. ...

Dallas deep thinker Joe Rowe asks in a blog post last month, ”What’s important?” You won’t like his answer, but you know he’s right. Of the remarkable food-for-weapons breakthrough with North Korea, he writes: “This was the greatest diplomatic victory for us since the end of World War II, and we’re sitting around yawning. What’s wrong with the press? I suspect the real question is not what’s wrong with them, it is, ‘What’s wrong with us?’ ” You should get to know this man Joe Rowe, if only through his website. ...

Created for journalists in their first three years on the job, the SPJ Reporters Institute, June 10-13 at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., is packed with hands-on training, essential reporting skills and hobnobbing with peers. Cost: $300 plus travel. Deadline to apply: March 15. ...

Professional and student SPJ chapter leaders will meet June 1-3 in Indianapolis for the Ted Scripps Leadership Institute. Funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation, the weekend is a chance for incoming chapter leaders to meet and to develop leadership skills. Learn more about the program by checking out last year’s highlights. Apply by March 15.

Caught my eye. UT Arlington’s the Green at College Park is the first certified Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) landscape. ... SCOTUS blocks Montana’s ban on corporate political spending. ... President Obama highlights Energy Department efficiency training centers that reportedly save U.S. manufacturers $5.6 billion. ... $26B mortgage settlement: Good for banks, not so good for homeowners. ... Planned Parenthood sees huge donations spike after Komen decision. ... Chicago Tribune pulls Doonesbury cartoon over charity mention. ... The complete guide to the Susan G. Komen debacle. ... Anonymous exposes Nazi Third Position ‘bridging tactic’ with Ron Paul. ... Japan earthquake: before and after. ... Pollution ‘against God’s will,’ UK Catholic Church leaders say. ... Road transportation emerges as key driver of warming. ... Unexpected consequence: Increased CO2 could lower nutritional value of crops. ... A Republican mom sends a letter to her party. ... This winter, average temps in U.S. Northeast are ‘at least 5 degrees above normal.’ ... First test-tube hamburger may be ready this fall. ... Pollution from North America cuts Europe wheat crop 1.2 million tons per year. ... New e-mails show BP knew of oil spill possibility in Gulf but kept it secret. … House Transportation bill slashes bike and ped funding in favor of big oil. ... New idea for sharing urban roads: Sidewalks removed on busy London street forces drivers to slow. ... ’Solar cucumber’ harvests fresh drinking water from the ocean. ... Air pollution causing stronger cyclones in Middle East and Asia. ... Fracking questioned in Oklahoma quakes. ... earthCell batteries said to provide exceptional power, zero waste. ... U.S. geothermal resources could replace coal 10 times over.

Closing words: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” — Steve Jobs