New Orleans to be 'Network Heaven'

Member Career Needs Addressed

By JEANNE S.F. PHELPS
Chair, Convention Career Committee

Career Transition Seminar

Sunday,
April 16, 2000

8:30 a.m.

Preview Jobs

Before you come to the meeting ...

AAPG, DPA and the SIPES Foundation have put together a varied program to address career-related needs for members attending the annual meeting in New Orleans.

Leading the way is a repeat offering of last year's popular seminar, "How to Be An Independent," which will be offered free of charge at the New Orleans Convention Center Rooms 275, 276, 277 at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, April 16.

The seminar's theme is "career options open to a geologist who is leaving the employ of a large company, and the mechanics of setting up your own business."

We are not giving case histories of success stories -- this is a "hands on," what-to-do program. Several non-AAPG speakers who are experts in their respective fields have been invited to participate.

Seating is first-come, first-served.

The program and speakers will be:

Deborah Sacrey and Skip Hobbs were instrumental in putting together the speakers for this seminar, as well as in arranging for SIPES Foundation and DPA financial support.

This money, when combined with AAPG funding, makes it possible for this seminar to be offered free to all members.

In addition to attending the seminar, bring your business cards and your comfortable shoes! You are in network heaven.

• Stop by booth 2815 to visit the Employment Booth. This is the place to see what is available in today's job market and kick off some serious networking. Also, be sure to pick up a copy of "Using the Convention as a Career Self-Management Tool," a checklist you can use to make sure you get the most out of the convention.

• The convention Career Committee is trying something new this year -- the resume and job listings is going digital this year! All job openings, information on prospective employers, job interview schedules and resumés will be available for review on computers that will be set up at the booth. We'll be using the power of the Internet to capture people's resumés, as well as a place for employers to list job vacancies.
  
  We have chosen America's Job Bank (AJB) Web site as the clearinghouse for all resumés associated with the New Orleans' meeting. AJB is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor and the state-operated public Employment Service. There is no charge to either employers who list their job vacancies or to jobseekers that use AJB to locate employment. Funding is provided through unemployment insurance taxes paid by employers.
  
  To find out more about AJB you can log directly into http://www.ajb.dni.us/.
  
  Note to jobseekers: Resumé searches are based on the title and the location. The 'key word' search is based on your title of the job you picked. If you want employers to know you'll be at the AAPG meeting put AAPG 2000 winthin your resume. Once the meeting is over you may go back and edit this out.
  
  Note to employers: If you want to find the resumé of those attending the meeting, please put AAPG 2000 in the title area of the bank. This should result in those who will be at the meeting and you may be able to arrange interviews while in New Orleans.
  
• At the AAPG 2000 convention employment page on the Web site, there will be additional information, helpful hints and directions.
• Companies will be encouraged to place their job vacancies at the AJB Web site, or to send a digital copy for viewing at the booth computer. Any job openings, information on prospective employers, job interview schedules and résumés will be available for review at the booth. If your company is looking to hire geoscientists, this is a great way to reach an experienced and seasoned group of experts.
• To post a job ad or arrange for interview time please contact Jeanne S.F. Phelps at pgeoserv@aol.com. Interview space will be on a first-come basis.
• Finally -- those in New Orleans can have a chance to help AAPG have the best impact on your career. AAPG is hosting a roundtable discussion to find out from its members how AAPG can best help them with their careers. This meeting is scheduled at 8:30-11 a.m. Tuesday, April 18. The format will be based upon the classic SWOT analyses. We will identify as a group the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that AAPG must address to help all its members with their careers.

All interested members are invited to participate. Please check signs at convention for room numbers.

See you there.