Help a friend get a job---or yourself.

Help a friend (or yourself) get a job fast at the Career Reboot Camp in San Rafael, CA on October 26 - 27. More than 30 of the nation's top career experts will help job-seekers get up to speed with the latest tools, resources and guidance.

Find out how to use social media---Linkedin, Facebook, Plaxo, Twitter and others---to find a job.

Learn the secrets to effective networking---the source of 85% of all jobs.

Find out how to update your resume to meet the requirements of the "new world of work."

Get direction on how to create a powerful "personal brand."

Discover what it takes to make a powerful impression during your interview---the pivotal step in the hiring process.

Get tips on finding the "hidden" jobs---a key source for job leads when posted jobs are inundated with resumes.

And much, much more.

Be proactive about your job search. The longer you are out of work the harder it will be to find a job. The Career Reboot Camp is an investment in your career---and future.

The cost is just $249 (tax deductible) and $199 for students and non-profit members and includes breakfasts, parking, wine/cheese reception, entertainment by Grammy-nominated musician---and member of Carlos Santana band---Freddie Ravel.

If the Career Reboot Camp shaves just one day off your job search it will have paid for itself.

Go to www.CareerRebootCamp.com to register now.

A non-profit 501C-3 under the auspices of MarinLink.

The Career ReBoot Camp will be the largest event of its kind in America.

With nearly three dozen top career experts covering virtually every area of job-searching and career management, the Career ReBoot Camp will be the largest event of its kind in America.

Our lineup of experts will help hundreds of job-seekers get back to work faster. And, for those people who realize that the world of work will never be the same, the Career ReBoot Camp is an excellent crash course in the new tools and resources needed to manage a career succcessfully.

At just $249 (tax deductible) the Career ReBoot Camp is one of the best investments anyone can make in their future.

The admission price includes a headshot photo for use with online profiles, new style resumes, and blog posts.

Also, everyone will receive a video of themselves in a mock interview. Few people ever do this but it can be a highly instructive experience that will help assure success in this most important step in the hiring process.

To reserve a space, go to www.CareerReBootCamp.com

Master Career Strategist Ron Nash will speak at The Career ReBoot Camp.

We are proud to have Ron Nash, master career strategist, experienced executive recruiter, popular speaker, NLP strategist and author of "How to Find Your Dream Job---Even in a Recession" as one of the featured speakers at The Career ReBoot Camp 2-day event this October 26 - 27 in San Rafael, CA.

Attendees at The Career ReBoot Camp will receive a free ebook copy of his book.

Ron joins an A-Team lineup of career experts who will share their knowledge to help you find a job faster and manage your career better.

Space is limited at the event so register now. Go to www.CareerReBootCamp.com now to get the special Early Bird price.

Career ReBoot Camp adds musician Freddy Ravel to event.

The Career ReBoot Camp will feature Grammy-nominated Latin jazz musician Freddie Ravel presenting his award-winning program "Tune Up to Success." Ravel's program will be the culmination of the first day of the 2-day event. A limited number of tickets are available to non-event participants for $45.

Freddie Ravel has worked with everyone from teens to dozens of Fortune 500 companies to show how music can be a multi-tasking "power tool" that helps empower personal and professional lives.

Ravel has worked as a Producer, Composer, and Live Performer with many of the great names in music, including Sergio Mendes, Al Jarreau, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, George Benson, Prince, and Earth Wind & Fire. Freddie recently was asked to be the lead keyboardist in Carlos Santana's band.

Find out more by visiting our website www.CareerReBootCamp.com.

Post-graduate Traumatic Syndrome

After a review of popular job websites devoted to the graduating student, and after reading hilarious lists of Twitter blunders and job interview fiascos, I'm convinced that recent college grads are in for a real shock when they head out into the hard, cold, cruel world of work.

Most are woefully unprepared. I know there are some incredibly good Career Centers at some schools. But I'm also aware that many are seriously behind the times when it comes to keeping up with the rapidly changing style of job-hunting and career management.

A person's career is one of the three things in life that must be chosen wisely and managed well (along with your health and marriage). If you get these right, you will likely be a happy person.

And yet, these are precisely the areas most people screw up badly.

There should be career counseling from high school onward. It's too important to be left up to chance.

One of the best gifts you can give a student (especially a recent grad) is an admission to our Career ReBoot Camp event this Oct. 26/27 in San Rafael, CA (just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco). It's just $249. But your gift will give the student a wealth of career management and job-hunting support resources. Check it out at www.CareerReBootCamp.com.

Bay Area Company Hiring 100 New Employees.

Amidst all the uber-depressing news of firings, layoffs, and the ubiquitous "downsizing," there are still many companies hiring staff. Really. One company in the Bay Area that plans to hire up to 100 new workers is QuinStreet, a leader in online vertical marketing.

Most of the new jobs will be in marketing and engineering, according to CEO Doug Valenti. Note: Valenti is a former venture capitalist, so this company knows how to raise money.

QuinStreet has been profitable almost from the day they opened in 1999. They even made money during the Dot Bomb days. Revenues this year are projected to be in the neighborhood of $300 million (up from $1.5 million in 2001). Net profit is estimated at 7%.

The company's website is www.QuinStreet.com.

QuinStreet is located in Foster City, a few miles south of San Francisco.

When you're looking for a job, you're also looking for a company. In a tight job market, like the one we're currently experiencing, it can be tempting to take any job offered. Try to resist the impulse to see only the job and envision your long-term viability at the company too.

How are the unemployed spending their time?

A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com, the largest job search site in the country, found that the recently unemployed are spending their time in a variety of ways---mostly productive.

1 in 7 Exercise more

1 in 5 Cutting back on expenses

1 in 7 Are living on savings

1 in 10 Are taking time to relax

1 in 14 Are going back to school

1 in 25 Are starting a business

1 in 17 Sold stuff they own

1 in 25 Are living on credit cards

The average time it takes to find a new job now is 25.1 weeks. What you do during this half year can determine your future.

If you're out of work and want (and need) a new job, your current full-time job is conducting a professional job search.

Most unemployed are woefully unprepared to look for a job in the new world of job-hunting.

Find out what you need to do to get back to work fast at http://www.careerrebootcamp.com/

What Social Networking Sites Do The Pros Use?

Jobvite recently conducted a survey of HR and recruiting professionals to see which social networking sites they use. The results?

95% LinkedIn

59% Facebook

42% Twitter

11% My Space

10% Ning

In recent years LinkedIn has charged ahead of the social networking pack. If you don't already use this site to network professionally, you should.

Waiting until you lose your job (which seems almost inevitable these days) is a BIG mistake. Building an online network is a lot like building one offline, it takes time and dedication. There's a lot of value placed on "you pat my back and I'll pat yours" style participation. Just like in real life.

Harvey Mackay, author of Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty, said it best ten years ago. He said, "If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met over a lifetime, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts."

Computer use has closeted a huge portion of the population from others. But the surge in social networking and offline "Meetups" is getting everyone out of the cubicle and away from the computer screen to, well, mingle and meet in person.

THE SURPRISE IN SOCIAL NETWORKING.

Perhaps the big surprise is how much personal social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are scrutinized by hiring executives. It's important to manage your online presence on these sites as much as it is on a professional site like LinkedIn, Plaxo, or Ryze.

And since you're known by the company you keep, be careful about who you allow into your Facebook network. If your nephew likes to party hearty and then posts photos of his drunken escapades, it doesn't reflect well on you.

Ning is another surprise. It's not well know yet among most job-hunters. Yet fully 1 in 10 HR execs and recruiters looked at candidates on Ning.

KEEP IT SIMPLE. KEEP IT CONSISTENT.

Make sure that your profile and online presence are synced up across sites. A discrepancy between one or more can be a red flag. Also, don't sign up for every social networking site offered. You'll spend all your time maintaining them and none on anything else.

At some point you just have to draw a line in the sand. The prevailing advice is to do LinkedIn, Facebook and one other site that you feel particularly drawn to for personal or professional reasons. Keep it simple---always good advice.

Unemployment insurance runs out for 49%

For 49% of the unemployed who have been receiving unemployment insurance compensation, their benefits have run out.

If you don't have a plan to get back to work---and the tools, resources, and guidance needed to find a job in the new world of work---get thee to The Career ReBoot Camp. Two days of actionable information and tools to find a job fast. Cost is just $249 and includes headshot photos taken by professional photographers, a videotaped mock interview and evaluation, resume design guidance, social network sites, expert guest speakers and more than a dozen seminars on every aspect of job-hunting.

Each participant receives a 2 gig flash drive with their photos, video and workshop materials.

Call 415-516-9343 for more information or to reserve a spot.

3 Personal "Branding" Tips

Personal "branding" is all the Web 2.0 rage these days by people trying to establish a presence that stands out. There are any number of books, websites, and blogs devoted to the subject.

Laura Ries, co-author with Jack Trout of several excellent books such as The 11 Immutable Laws of Marketing, recently posted her top three "branding" tips.

1. Be yourself

2. Focus

3. Own a word

This seems like a lightweight definition of a personal "brand." More like branding a product---including a slogan (word).

I thought back on the personalities from history who could be said to have "branded" themselves during their lifetime (whether that's what they realized they were doing or not). Several come to mind.

President John F. Kennedy had a definable "brand" image. Young, vigorous, patrician, smart, stylish. He was careful to build his image while he was alive. Even after revelations about his private life were unearthed after his death, his image was strong enough to remain largely intact.

Kennedy's focus on building his image was highly controlled. He hired a photographer who trailed after him taking thousands of photos of his private and public life. These were carefully culled so that only the photos that presented the most flattering image were ever seen by the public.

He "wrote" a book, Profiles of Courage. The book was mostly ghost-written and the Pulitzer Prize he won was a masterful work of influence by his father and friends. Writing a book is often a springboard to a larger audience and also allows the writer to control and define his image. I'm sure it's why Barack Obama and John McCain both wrote books.

Kennedy's private dalliances with women other than his wife were also carefully managed and hidden---as were his significant health problems. Of course, today we'd have any number of tabloid journalists and bloggers examining every detail of Kennedy's private life. But things were different then.

Instead, the public saw images of Kennedy playing with his children, sailing with his wife and friends, and playing touch football (Kennedy rarely actually particpated in sports). A "bad" photo of Kennedy has never been seen (except those of his death).

Even after his death, the Kennedy image remained focused. John John saluting his dead father during the funeral. Kennedy's appearance on a coin. The naming of Kennedy Center.

How much of his image was based in truth is another matter. But you could make a case that this was the real Kennedy---a master imagemaker and manipulator.

The word that Kennedy owned was Camelot, not that he really owned it while he was alive. Kennedy owned many words, often the re-phrasing of other great men's words. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" is perhaps his most famous word(s).

Whether Kennedy would fit the Web 2.0 definition of "branding" or not, he was a brand.

Famous personalities---especially actors and politicians---have always realized the importancxe of protecting and grooming their "brand." Think of Humphrey Bogart, Marlena Dietrich, FDR, William F. Buckley, and Ernest Heminway. Especially Hemingway.

A personal "brand" is more than being yourself, focusing, and owning a word. Maybe that's adequate for some semblence of online presence but it doesn't quite go far enough. A "brand" is a style. It's having or developing personal charisma. It's a signature look or personality trait. It's a way of living that's different and unique.

Dorothy Parker had style, wit, and a flamboyant personality. Donald Trump has a unique style. Barack Obama has it too.

Frankly, 99.9% of people can't pull it off. That's why a 1, 2, 3 list of what it takes to develop a personal brand seems so inadequate. To be a great brand you must be much more than just being yourself, focusing and owning a word. You must have definable authenticity, recognizeable uniqueness, and an enviable personal style---all your life. And you must create something that is uniquely yours, a legacy of work that also defines you.

It's what makes Picasso, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, and Frank Sinatra the iconic figures they are and always will be.

Naked Nun Photo Internet Lesson

The furor over the nude photos taken years earlier of an Italian woman who now wants to be a nun is an ideal object lesson of why everyone needs to meticulously guard their online presence.

In this case it was the work of an old boyfriend who posted the photos online. However, today our online and offline lives have become blurred. One can easily affect the other. Often with devastating results.

In the old days (back in 1990) it was easy to "reinvent" oneself after a particularly stupid or embarassing episode in life. Just change your name or move to California. Now the Internet follows you everywhere. Forever. Even the tiniest piece of our past can resurface and bite us in the behind.

The 17 million claimed subscribers to AdultFriendFinder, four million on AshleyMadison and millions more on sites devoted to finding others who share our naughtiest sexual predilections often post photos (frequently very explicit). But is this a smart thing to do? Probably not. Someday when you're trying to get that security clearance for a goverment job or the CEO spot at a major corporation or you've decided to become a minister, those photos showing you in a three-way with your neighbor will probably weigh against you. The only jobs available to you may be as a politician or Wall Street banker.

THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE.

Change is happening in our world at an exponential pace. It's important to stay attuned to how these changes affect you. Perhaps the most important change of all is how the Internet has opened up the world for all to see---often including your previously private information. Some of this is willingly shared on sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. But a lot more---from court records to family history---is now available for the world to view. Managing the changes in life has become a new responsibility for all of us---and something new to learn how to do (as if we need another).

MANAGING YOUR CAREER.

As Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro point out in their book Repacking Your Bags, and Richard Bolles, says in his book What Color Is Your Parachute?, these days nearly everyone will be "between" jobs at some point during their career. It doesn't even matter how good you are. As a result, you must be prepared to go job hunting for the rest of your life. "It's up to you to create your future."

YOU PRIVATE LIFE AND CAREER IMPACT EACH OTHER.

It's vital to build a reputation based upon the totality of your life. These days you're judged by "who" you are as much as by your skills and experience. Living a life of honesty and integrity and doing work you care about in support of something meaningful is the only way to create a life that isn't wasted.

Bertrand Russell said, "If you look about you at the men and women whom you can call happy you will see that they all have certain things in common. The most important of these things is an activity which at most times is enjoyable on its own account, and which, in addition, gradually builds up into something that you are glad to see coming into existence." So, it is critical to living a successful life that you learn to manage and direct it based upon core values of honesty, integrity and truth---and choosing life work based upon these values.

LOVE IS EVERYTHING.

Author and career expert Richard Bolles recently said to me, "The things you love control your life." Love should be the basis for everything you do. Love your work. Love your friends and family. Love your neighbor. Love your country. Love yourself. As The Beatles sang, "Love is everything."

THOSE WHO DON'T LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT.

In my book (soon to be published) A Plan For Life: How to get it right in the 9 key areas of life, I provide the best thinking from the best minds in history about how to make smart decisions in each important area of your life---from choosing a career to getting married to staying healthy. If you fail in any of these areas it will negatively affect all the others. If you manage each area intelligently you improve your chances of living successfully in all areas.

Avoid mistakes (like posting naked photos of yourself) in life by learning from advice from the great minds throughout history. Everything we need to succeed is available, if you search it out. These days "learning from our mistakes" may not be the best option. Learning to avoid making mistakes in the first place is the key to a successful life.

GETTING A JOB BY GETTING IT RIGHT IN YOUR CAREER.

Getting it right in your career is what our upcoming 2-day event, The Career ReBoot Camp, is all about. At The Career ReBoot Camp participants get everything they need to become competitive in today's challenging---and changing---job market. Included are:

• A headshot photo taken by a professional photographer.
• A videotaped mock interview with evaluation.
• Image and personal branding tips.
• Seminars on a range of career subjects such as networking and working with recruiters.
• Speeches by career experts including Keynote Speaker Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?
• Social networking companies who can set up an account for you at the event
• Hiring companies.
• Business start-up opportunities.
• The Small Business Development Center (SBA) and local government job assistance.

The Career ReBoot Camp will be held October 26/27 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in San Rafael, California (10 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge). Cost is just $249. Parking is free. Continental breakfast is included. Call 415-516-9343 or email CareerReBootCamp@gmail.com for more information.

Richard Bolles, author of "What Color Is Your Parachute?" to be keynote speaker at the Career ReBoot Camp.

We are pleased to announce that Richard Bolles, author of the all-time bestselling (10 million) career guide "What Color Is Your Parachute?" and "The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When There Are No Jobs" will be the keynote speaker at The Career ReBoot Camp, October 26, 27 at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael, California.

The Career ReBoot Camp is a 2-day event that provides job-seekers with everything they need to get back to work fast.

Included are a professional headshot photo, a videotaped mock interview, image consultation, and resume evaluation. There will be 15 seminars on career subjects ranging from interviewing to using online job sites. Ten guest speakers, all authors and experts in the career industry, will cover subjects like staying motivated, social media networking and starting a business.

Hiring companies will also be represented.

The Small Business Development Center (SBA) and Marin County officials will be on hand to assist people with information about jobs or starting a new business.

The cost for the two days is just $249 and includes an autographed copy of "The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide" and other items worth more than $200 retail.

The Career ReBoot Camp is limited to 500 participants. To reserve your space, call 415-516-9343 or email your name and telephone number to CareerReBootCamp@gmail.com. Visa, MC, money orders, cashier's check or personal checks accepted.

A "Business Plan" for Life.

It's not your father's career. The world is changing so fast and is so complicated that you need to manage your life and career. You need a "Business Plan" for life.

The current buzz word is "platform." Your platform is a combination of your personal plan for life and your career management. It's who you are---your image or "brand."

A platform needs a focus and direction. What sets you apart from everyone else? What can you offer that makes you unique---or at least in demand?

Create a plan for your career and your life (there's much more about how to do this in my upcoming book "A Plan For Life: How to get it right in the 9 key areas of life."

But here are a few tips you can do right now.

• Find a focus in your career. Whether it's as the best radiologist or social network marketer, be an "expert" in something specific. While there's a place for a good old-fashioned Renaissance Man/Woman with a wide range of skills and experience, you'll be much easier to hire if you offer a specific skill.
• Write articles, give speeches, win awards---in other words, promote the hell out of yourself. This is not the time in history to hide your light under a basket. Get noticed.
• Create, maintain and utilize a large network of friends, business contacts, mentors and (yes) relatives. Most opportunities in life, as well as much of the joy, will come from your social network. Friends and relatives are the number one source of career opportunities. People with rich social networks are happier and even live longer. Your social network will also be your source of sustenance when times are tough. Don't wait. Start now to create your network. As author Harvey Mackay wrote, "Dig your well before you're thirsty."
• Give serious attention to your personal style. Develop an optimistic and energetic persona. People with positive attitudes are happier and more successful in life. Find a "look" that supports your personal style and integrate it into your life. Many of my friends in the film industry do the young, hip "director" look---baseball hat with something like a Fox Studios logo on it, designer tee shirts, jeans or khaki shorts, sandals or Italian loafers, $500 sunglasses. It definitely pegs them as being "in the industry." Another friend has always done variations of the "preppy" look. It works for him and adds to his personal platform identity.

Once you decide on your personal platform and style, keep it consistent. Everything from your home to your car to where you spend your time should reinforce your platform.

My friend Tony Duran, the famous fashion photographer, does this better than almost anyone I have ever known. His home (and its location right under the H in the Hollywood sign), his car (color coordinated to the furnishings in his home), his clothing (down to his unique glasses), his friends, his hangouts---everything fits his personal style perfectly. There isn't a single thing in his life that doesn't support his image. He knows exactly what he wants in life and what image he needs to project to attain it---while remaining true to his own personality.

Your personal platform requires some thought and hard work to make happen. But the payoff in personal and professional success is worth the effort.

Life is about creating yourself.

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Live is about creating yourself."

George Bernard Shaw

Easiest way to "fix" interview mistakes.

Since 93% of all communication is non-verbal, the easiest way to improve a job interview is to improve your attitude.

Many job seekers are angry, stressed, resentful or depressed---often with good reason. Strive to overcome these feelings with positive thoughts, a firm handshake, a big smile and an optimistic outlook. It's sure to have more success than the opposite.

GET BACK TO WORK---FAST!

The Career ReBoot Camp

The Career ReBoot Camp is a 2-day event designed to provid you with all the tools, resources and guidance you need to get back to work---fast!

DATE: Fall, 2009

PLACE: Embassy Suites Hotel, San Rafael, CA

TIME: O900 hours (9am) to 1300 hours (7pm)

COST: $299*

*If you sign up before July 31, your cost is just $249.

Call 415-516-9343 or email CareerReBootCamp@gmail.com

EVENT ACTIVITIES:

The Career ReBoot Camp is designed to get you back to work fast. It's not a job fair (although some hiring companies will be on hand). And it's not a "feel good" motivational New Age event. The Career ReBoot Camp provides you with the most up-to-date tools and resources to help make you highly competitive in a very tight job market.

The Career ReBoot Camp includes:

A "headshot" photograph by a professional photographer.

A videotaped mock interview and evaluation.

Guest speakers by experts in the career development industry.

Seminars on key job-hunting subjects like networking, image, and resume design.

Employer companies.

Get set up on all the major social media networking sites.

A professional image consultation.

Business start-up opportunities.

Vision boards.

And much more.

SEMINARS

Career ReBoot Camp seminars cover the entire range of job-hunting topics, presented by authorities in each area.

Included are:

How to create a powerful resume that gets your foot in the door.

Interviewing tips and techniques that land jobs.

Effective networking (the #1 way to land a job).

Creating a managed online presence to widen your networking circle.

How to re-brand yourself for success.

How to dress for success

How to work with recruiters.

What HR Directors look for in the perfect candidate.

Starting your own business (and why this could be the best time ever).

Getting fit to work---nutrition and exercise tips to keep you at your fighting best.

Victim or Victor? How to win the mind game and project charisma and confidence.

How to "manifest" your destiny---and get the perfect job for you.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Some of the world's greatest authorities on job-hunting will reveal their secrets for success. You'll have a chance to ask them any question you have about your job search.

Invited guest speakers include:

Richard Bolles, author of the all-time best-selling career guide "What Color Is Your Parachute?

Dr. Lynn Joseph, author of "The Job Loss Recovery Program."

Ciji Ware, former ABC-TV anchor and author of "Rightsizing Your Life."

Marky Stein, author of "Fearless Interviewing" and "Fearless Resumes."

Jane Strauss, author of "What Would You Do With Your Life If You Had No Fear?"

Anne Brown, author of "From Grad to Great."

And more

We're inviting more than two dozen companies to participate in the Career ReBoot Camp.

Among these are:

Marin Magazine

KOIT Radio

The San Francisco Chronicle

The Marin Independent-Journal

Susan Morris Public Relations

The Goodman Marketing Group

Craigslist

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

CareerBuilder.com

The Men's Wearhouse

The Small Business Development Center (SBA)

Monster.com

SimplyHired.com

Indeed.com

SearchBright Executive Search

Xsura

Avon

Vemma

Shaklee

Apple Computer

The Art Academy

AARP

24-Hour Fitness

Vidal Sassoon

Starbucks

Virgin Airlines

And many others.

TOP 10 REASONS WHY YOU NEED THE CAREER REBOOT CAMP.

1. The worst economy since the Great Depression



2. Highest unemployment in more than 25 years.
   
   
3. Six job hunters for every one job opening.



4. 1 in 4 Baby Boomers say they never plan to quit working.



5. 70% of 2009 college grads will not have a job offer or job when they graduate.



6. 14 million Americans are unemployed.



7. 11 million Americans are under-employed.
   
   
8. $2 trillion in retirement funds were lost in 2008.



9. 1.5 million bankruptcies predicted for 2009.
   
   
10. 2 million more jobs will be lost in 2009.
    

Call now. You need every job-finding weapon in your arsenal to get back to work.

415-516-9343 or email CareerReBootCamp@gmail.com