Last nights OJUG meeting was great. Beth and Tracy did an amazing job of setting things up in the room and the presentation was wonderfully entertaining and insightful. It was spectacular and informative, what more could you ask for? Anyone who was unable to come certainly missed out, but maybe next year we'll have them give this presentation again. You never know.

Tracy provided us with a wealth of knowledge in terms of how to be recruited. His presentation on Working WIth Recruiters and Best Practices was more than just the basics. Working with a recruiter can be a very good experience. They are there to help you and have a list of things to look for in candidates for whatever company has hired them. They work on commission so you can be sure they are there to help you. I've never worked with one personally, so this information was new to me. One of the things that stuck out most was the importance of honesty. Being honest with a recruiter was one of the things Tracy encouraged. They are there to help you, if there's anyone you need to be upfront with it's them. 

My favorite part of the presentation was discussing things like Linkedin and resume's. Tracy confirmed that which many already know. LinkedIn is a tool that seemed to spring up overnight and it's as important as everyone thinks it is. I have not used it. In fact just before I left for the meeting I opened it on my PC, but I decided to wait for a bit before signing up for it. After the OJUG meeting last night I put opening an account on my list of things to do. It's important that you put yourself out there and sites like LinkedIn are a great way of getting your resume out there.

Resume's are obviously very important, and the information about them was key in last nights meeting. Both Tracy and Beth agreed that no one wants to read a ten page resume. In fact you should really be able to sum up your best work experiences in three pages or less. Now I know that seems like something you already know, but did you also know that most people want your resume minus the fluff? What's fluff? When I say fluff I mean charts, decorations, interests, and any general skill that are common between people. If you're going for a job where you'll be talking to people for ninety percent of the day then you don't need to say "I have good people skills". They know and if they don't they can find out in the interview. This was one of those simple little tasks that can make all the difference between getting a job and getting a pass. 

This meeting was without a doubt a hit. I am truly thankful for the time and energy both Beth and Tracy put into making this happen, and I 'm sure I am not the only one. There are so many other great points that were made that I simply cannot go over them all. At least not by myself. Maybe some of the people who attended the meeting will write their favorite parts of the presentation. Let me know know your thoughts on yesterday's meeting.

Anjuli