Job Seeking at the Professional Women's Club

When you begin your job search, one of the first things to consider is where to network.  It’s important to target organizations that you think can help you the most.  Time is a precious resource and prioritizing is key.  Although it helps to ask your fellow peers in transition, you probably won’t get a good sense of an organization unless you visit it yourself.

I’ve visited any number of networking organizations over the past few years.  One of my favorite is the PWCC (Professional Women’s Club of Chicago, www.pwcc.org.)  The mission of the PWCC is to "promote excellence in professional, personal and business development.”  Jobseekers have a golden opportunity to network with highly successful working professionals as well as those in transition.  Frequently, jobseekers forget that networking with working professionals should be an integral part of their job search.  They can be an invaluable resource and provide jobseekers with job leads and other valuable contacts that will never show up on Monster.com and other well-known job boards.

I remember the first time I attended a PWCC meeting.  I called ahead of time to make sure that men were welcome.  When I arrived, though, I hesitated before walking in and seriously questioned whether I belonged.  It’s not easy being the only man in a group of 100 powerful women.  (Be careful of what you wish for, you may very well get it!)  After a few minutes of indecisiveness, I entered the room and immediately looked for a place to hide.  However, the women of the PWCC don’t give you that luxury.  They are very serious about networking.

PWCC members wasted no time in approaching me, saying a friendly hello, and began engaging with me.  There was no place to run and no place to hide.  I was impressed by their professionalism—well-dressed, well-groomed, friendly smile, and all business.  PWCC members are direct and to the point.  They know what they want and they’re not afraid to go after it.

Every few months, the PWCC will conduct a session entitled ‘What’s Your Request?’ Each member gets to stand up at his or her respective table and tell the other participants how they want to be helped.  Most of us, jobseekers and working professionals alike, are afraid to ask for what we really want.  In fact, often a jobseeker is not conscious of what he or she really wants.  Asking for things is an important muscle that needs to be flexed constantly.  How are you going to get what you want if you don’t ask for it?  My own version of this is:  “You can help me by…”  As any professional salesman will tell you, you have to ask for the order.

Now in its 8^th year, the PWCC continues to serve a community of women involved in a broad range of areas--banking, technology, accounting, law, finance, hospitality, real estate, communications, human resources, executive search,  career coaching, fashion and design, and a variety of other fields.  They host a monthly luncheon and bring in top quality speakers who address both personal and professional issues.  Their roster of speakers reads like a list of ‘Who’s Who Among Chicago Women.’  In October, the PWCC will welcome Robin Robinson, an award-winning journalist who is an anchor for Fox News.  To find out more about this group of high-powered professional women, call:  312-263-1808.
 

David can be contacted at DavidC@TheNationalNetworker.com.
 

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