New School Year Message from our Founder, Pat Craddick

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Welcome back!  It’s the start of a new school year and ParentJobNet is gearing up to announce its series of school-based programs, events, and job opportunities for fall 2010.

Our mission is to educate, prepare, and connect parents with job opportunities and other resources to empower them to build financial security and peace of mind for themselves and their school-age children. 

We continue to build momentum and gain visibility within the school and business communities and are proud to have in excess of 40 business partners.  During the first half of 2010, we have connected over 55 people with job opportunities and served over 450 families with workforce programs and job related services.   In addition, we are proud to be featured in a recent article and video from the Department of Education  and the New York Women’s Foundation, respectively.

Throughout the school year, you are invited to join us for our popular professional networking events hosted by TD Bank and Starbucks, which are designed to bring people and potential employers together.  You will have the opportunity to network with other business professionals, promote your business, exchange business cards, and connect with opportunity at these events.  In addition, there are special guest speakers at each event, and at some events participants are given the opportunity to promote their products and services in 2-3 minute presentations.  Be sure to save the following dates and check our website calendar for events planned for the 2010/2011 school year: October 27, February 9, March 9, April 6, May 18, and June 15.   Register at: http://www.parentjobnet.org/professional-networking-events.aspx

We invite those of you who are unemployed, underemployed, considering changing careers, and those developing new businesses to continue to take full advantage of our school-based workshops and classes to connect with job opportunities and build your clientele at our networking events.  Don’t hesitate to contact us at 866-541-3994 or 917-546-9104 for an appointment to assist you with your needs.

Please continue to check our website www.parentjobnet.org for important updates, job opportunities, upcoming programs, and events throughout the school year.

Lastly, there are many great volunteer opportunities currently available at ParentJobNet.  Please feel free to view volunteer opportunities at http://www.parentjobnet.org/volunteer.aspx and contact us directly at info@parentjobnet.org  if you wish to volunteer your professional services.

The members of ParentJobNet and I look forward to another successful school year and the opportunity to be of service to you.

Best wishes,

Pat Craddick

Executive Director/Founder

ParentJobNet, Inc.  

September 2010 Events & Jobs

Here's our schedule for this month.

We are hoping to announce dates for our classes & programs shortly. In the meantime, you can still register for our Professional Networking Events here.

With the new school year upon us, let's hope for a bright and wonderful year!

"Working With Minimal Supervision"

Hello, hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend. I have an interesting story to tell you.

Recently, a friend talked to me about one of his work experiences. He said he was at work, helping to carry things around. When he was attaching things to a cart, his boss came up to him and said "What did you just do?" At first, he was confused. He then said he just attached things to a cart. She said "That's fine" and went on to say that he should be able to do certain things when not being told to. His boss later said that Americans aren't able to work productively without supervision. Her background is Japanese and the way they work is very different from the American work style. She told my friend that he will go really far in his career if he's able to work with minimal supervision.

My friend told me he was bothered when he heard all that. I mean, it was really sudden. However, he quickly grasped the message and understood why she said that. In this day and age, how many of us can say that we can work with "minimal supervision"? We always need someone to tell us what to do to get ahead. Supervisors don't always give clear hints.

I noticed that most jobs these days require the ability to work without getting extensive orders. In an age where everyone's cutting back, you have to make yourself important. Go the extra mile. Put more effort. Think one step ahead. Plan ahead. If your instinct is telling you that you should do it, then maybe you should. Companies are looking for people that have GOOD instincts along with the skills & experience.

Of course, your supervisor may sometimes know better. Don't be afraid to show that you care, but at the same time, show some restraint. What you think might be good may not always be good for the company.

I like to know your thoughts. In any case, I believe that you can forge ahead if you're able to do things without being told to 90% of the time.