Learn About Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group
Frequently Asked Questions
It is important to connect with people and engage in networking.
Join the Great Careers Network meetings if you want to network. We are an all inclusive, diverse, and equitable organization and our meetings are open to everyone.
Join Business Executives Networking Group (BENG) meetings if you are in mid to senior-level management or C-suite or in a multi-disciplined role that also includes CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CMOs, CIOs, CHROs, or any other CXO position. Membership requires a review and approval of an application.
See the events calendar under the events tab on our website.
When you attend meetings, ensure you follow up on leads and advice you received. Stay in touch between meetings. Build stronger relationships with those you have met and meet new people to initiate new connections.
Networking Groups: Meet other individuals across all industries and experience levels. These groups are a great opportunity to expand your network, build relationships, and practice presenting yourself.
Career Management Tools and Resources: We provide ongoing workshops and training on an array of topics such as: LinkedIn, Resume, Elevator Pitches, Personal Branding, Cover Letter Writing, Interviewing, Applicant Tracking Systems, Salary Negotiation, and more.
Expert Advice: Partnering with numerous job search industry experts, the organization provides you with access to leaders with decades of experience.
Support: The organization prides itself in not only helping you with your job transition with hard skills and tools, but also the emotional support needed to get through what can be a very difficult time.
As we all know, maintaining your career is an ongoing, lifetime commitment. You never know when you might be out of work or when you might be looking to make a change. If you are a small business or self-employed, you still need to manage your online brand and engage in learning about tools to help you build your business or nonprofit. It’s especially important to stay actively involved with GCG even after you have landed to ensure that you are keeping up-to-date on the latest technology and resources to continue to make strong networking connections.
- Nobody is obligated to help you, but people will want to help when approached in a positive and unselfish way.
- People have the ability and the choice to assist you if you treat them and their contacts with respect and an approach with the attitude of mutual benefit.
- When meeting someone, offer to help them first. Show genuine interest in learning about the other person’s interests, abilities, and needs.
- Building a relationship takes an investment of time. It’s rare that someone is your best friend after meeting you for five minutes. Have reasonable expectations.
- And remember, it’s your responsibility to find your new job – not someone else’s.
There are numerous things that set this organization apart from other groups. First, we are a volunteer-run organization that provides approximately 600 or so events a year. We are operating online on Zoom or Clubhouse.
Our organization supports thousands of individuals with their career goals. We know job searching, changing careers, or managing careers can be overwhelming and we provide you with useful tools, training, and resources to help you build your brand.
Networking is one of the most powerful career success tools available to you. Done well, networking can:
- Help you find a new job, as research notes 70-80% of all new jobs are obtained through networking
- Help you obtain information on targeted companies
- Allow you to help others find jobs
- Build professional relationships
- Identify new business opportunities
Looking for events? Check under the Events tab to find upcoming events.
The Events page and MeetUp calendar provide links for the entire organization.
You must be a Meetup member to RSVP.
Looking to volunteer with us? It’s a great way to build your resume and meet new people. We are always seeking event planners and committee members. Check out our volunteer page to submit an application or apply for a position on the Board of Directors.
We offer many options of Career Success Group networking meetings with no speakers for FREE. However, due to the expense of running the organization, we politely request a minimum of a $15 donation once each year, if your financial circumstances allow. For further value, we also have membership packages which come with added benefits for a small annual fee for $49 for a Bronze membership or for $59 for a BENG membership, for those who qualify as mid to senior level management after submission of application at http://bit.ly/BENGMembership. Please visit our Membership page for more details.
Learn better networking techniques. Develop your personal brand. Perfect your elevator speech. Build a more effective resume. Create a one-pager. Move your resume past applicant tracking systems.
Our membership resources can help you navigate through your career transition or career management updates with expert advice and valuable resources.
The volunteers and leaders of the organization curate the best of the best and make them available to you. That saves you numerous hours in researching and wasted efforts.
A One-Pager is an abbreviated profile that fits comfortably on a single page. It quickly shows others who you are and how they can help you.
Your One-Pager includes your contact information, a brief summary of employment background, and job skills. It also includes a list of target companies or contacts for which you are seeking introductions.
It differs from your resume because it is designed specifically for others to help you, as opposed to a vehicle for an employer to determine your qualifications.
Target companies are the companies you are targeting and to which you are seeking introductions. Your target list will change as you learn of new opportunities available or research companies that match your preferences.
Examples of a well-constructed One-Pager are below. Click on the top right down arrow on Google to download, rather than the top middle down arrow.
It’s easy. Open a Microsoft Word version of your resume or open the sample One-Pager and type your information into that format.
- Under the ‘Work Experience’ section, shorten or omit all the descriptions, leaving the content you want.
- Reduce “Accomplishments” to no more than 3-4 per position.
- Add a new section called ‘Target Companies’ to the bottom of the document.
- Eliminate other sections and copy, as needed, to fit all of this onto one page.
- Resave as a new document.
- See the FAQ above for links to see an example or obtain a template of a One-pager.
In your Google account, click on file make a copy and type in your name on this document.
The organization is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit that provides professional development through education, resources, support services, and networking connections. We serve the unemployed, the underemployed, the self-employed, and the employed as well as the organizations (businesses and nonprofits) that employ them. Our legal corporate entity name is Philadelphia Area Great Careers Network(PAGCG).