PUT THAT NEW IPHONE, IPOD TOUCH OR IPAD TO WORK FOR YOU-NETWORKING THAT IS!
Download the new FREE ProNet Charlotte App from the ProNet home page or Apple App Store and get connected today!
Use the ProNet Charlotte App to:
✓See When events are happening and where ✓ Get quick links to register for events ✓ See where other ProNet member are near you ✓ Connect with other ProNet members with the iPhone App.
The app will run on iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads (in 2x mode). The user has to have at LEAST iOS 4.2 installed on their device.
Updated: January
28, 2012
Continuous Improvement Survey for the Job Seeker's Needs
Please take some time to
respond to the survey mentioned in this note. It will help Charlotte Job
Transition Leaders understand what current needs of the job seeking
community are and make improvements where necessary. We want to do the
best job to support you in transition. Thanks!
Your Feedback is Requested to Help Put Charlotte Back to Work!
Please take 5 Minutes to Complete the “Charlotte In Transition Support” Survey
My name is Rich Sauser, founder of The Public You (an organization which
provides training on social media and helps people in transition learn
how to leverage social media in the job search). I am working on behalf
of the 35+ job support groups in the greater Charlotte area to explore
ways to improve the services offered to job seekers.
With the North Carolina unemployment rate of 9.9% remaining above the
national rate of 8.5% (and with the 2012 job growth rate in the
Charlotte area estimated at 2%), these job support groups provide
vitally important services to professionals in transition. Please visit
the “Charlotte In Transition” website at www.cits.groupsite.com for a
complete list of the area’s job support groups.
The leaders of the Charlotte area job support groups are committed to
tailoring, and enhancing, the services they offer. In response, I am
requesting 5 minutes of your time to take a brief, confidential survey
that will help us accomplish this mission. Please complete the survey
between Saturday, January 28th and Friday, February 10th. You can
access the survey at http://tiny.cc/CITS-Survey (I’m happy to provide an executive summary of the results upon request).
Groupon, the online business that helped spark the
daily deal coupon craze, is considering opening an office in Charlotte and will
hold a job fair in March to assess applicants.
The job fair is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
March 1 and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 2 at the Ballantyne Hotel. A Groupon
executive said Tuesday that the company wants to take stock of the area and job
applicants before making a decision.
"First we need to see the market, see who's
there," said Bernd Hess.
The company will be looking to hire people in
Charlotte and across North Carolina, Hess said. He also said the company will
be hiring for its headquarters in Chicago.
Groupon hasn't reached a decision on whether it
will open an office in Charlotte, Hess said.
"Charlotte is high on our list of cities we
would like to expand to as we're looking for top talent," said Hess.
"As recruiting events are going on in other locations we are not making
any decision until later in (the first quarter)."
The company currently employs about 10,000 people
in the U.S. and regional offices abroad. A Charlotte office could mean 100 to
150 hires.
Hess said the company is looking to fill positions
such as account executives, sales and merchant managers.
The Chicago-based company helped create an online
coupon-based business model, where companies sell steep, one-time discounts
through Groupon's subscribers in an attempt to lure customers.
Since it was founded in 2008, Groupon has faced
growing competition from a host of other websites, ranging from Living Social
to DealSaver, the Observer's entry into the online deal market.
Critics have questioned the long-term viability of
the business model for daily deal sites. Moreover, Groupon faced questions
about its accounting practices when it filed papers to go public.
Groupon, though, says its accounting practices are
sound and its subscriber base has grown from 152,000 in 2009 to more than 142
million last year, and it offers more than 1,000 deals a day to them.
Groupon made a splash last year with its initial
public offering of stock, which valued the company at $12.7 billion. Groupon's
stock, which trades under the symbol GRPN, closed at $20.60 a share Tuesday,
down 16 cents and just above the $20 initial offering price.
Visit http://www. groupon .com/jobs to see job
descriptions and positions at the company. STAFF WRITER LUKAS JOHNSON
CONTRIBUTED
Updated: January
25, 2012
MICROSOFT CAREER INVITATIONAL OPEN HOUSE
Microsoft Services is Hiring in Charlotte! Open House – Saturday, Feb 25, 2012
Microsoft Services is hosting an Open House on Feb 25th locally for talented professionals interested in learning more about our business and exciting career opportunities. This event is geared to introduce participants to hiring managers, possible career paths, and general information on what makes Enterprise Services the place to grow your skills, make an impact, and shape the future of Microsoft solutions. We’re looking for experienced technology professionals with knowledge in the following areas:
· Windows Server Technologies/ WSUS/ SMS/MOM · Lync Communication – Voice Technology · Office Communication Server · MS Exchange · SCOM · .Net Development and Test · SQL Server Development and Admin · Dynamics · ForeFront Security · SharePoint Development and Admin
A focus on the following roles: Premier Field Engineer - provides on-site support to MS Enterprise customers Technical Account Manager – delivers world class Account Management, Best Practices/Business Consulting, Leadership, and Client Education & Training Escalation Engineer – investigate code-level issues, and partners w/ develop teams for solutions Senior Support Engineer – focused on remote support of MS Enterprise customers Software Development Engineer –object-oriented design and development Program Manager – Technical designer leading software development teams Service Delivery Specialist - work closely with the Microsoft Worldwide voice solutions and technical teams in helping customers select and design the appropriate Lync support solutions
This will be a casual event, casual dress, etc. It’s designed to encourage great talent to get to know more about Microsoft Services and consider joining our winning team.
Event Details DATE: Saturday, Feb 25, 2012 TIME: 11:00am – 3:00 pm, includes a short program, Q & A, and snacks and beverages LOCATION: MS Charlotte Office – 8055 Microsoft Way Bldg AP1, Charlotte, NC 28273
Come see what makes Microsoft Services a unique and exciting place to launch your career!
Get a taste of the McColl School over your lunch-break by joining one of our featured faculty members for a mini-class session! Food For Thought is a series of free lunchtime seminars taught by McColl School faculty in both uptown and SouthPark locations. From "Leading Innovation in Your Organization" to "Understanding This Economy," this free series is taught by top McColl School faculty and lunch is provided. Because our vision is to be a "place of ideas" serving the community, we offer these programs to accomplish two things: give attendees something relevant that they can use immediately to improve their businesses, and provide an opportunity to sample the McColl School learning experience.
For those considering a graduate degree in business or organization development, we provide information on our programs and the application process after the session. See below for upcoming Food For Thought sessions and to register.
"How to Pitch a New Business Idea Within YOUR Company" with Chuck Bamford
"Charlotte, N.C. - United States Senator Kay R. Hagan (NC) today toured the Matthews JobLink Career Center and hosted a workforce development roundtable focused on career training and job growth in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.
"Jobs are my number one priority, and these JobLink Career Centers are fantastic resources for people in North Carolina who are unemployed," said Hagan. "Business leaders tell me all the time how impressed they are by North Carolina's talented work force and strong work ethic. We had a very productive discussion today on the need to ensure that our workforce has the skill set to match businesses needs. This goal can be realized with the kind of collective efforts and knowledge that today's panel of dedicated community leaders and experts bring to the table."
"Senator Hagan's workforce roundtable was very effective in connecting businesses looking to hire skilled workers with local workforce development boards and their workforce and education partners and providing real solutions to their talent and training needs," said Centralina Workforce Development Board Director David Hollars.
With the unemployment rate at 10 percent in Mecklenburg County and 10.4 percent across the state, Hagan is working on initiatives that prepare North Carolina's workforce for real job opportunities. The AMERICA Works Act, which Hagan introduced earlier this year, creates an industry-recognized manufacturing credential program at local community colleges to connect skilled workers with job openings.
Hagan was joined by workforce development professionals, academic leaders and representatives from local businesses, including:
· David Hollars, Executive Director, Centralina Workforce Development Board; · Dr. Tony Zeiss, President, Central Piedmont Community College; · Maureen Little, Associate VP Customized Training Program, NC Community College System; · Cheryl Wingate, VP of Talent Acquisition, Time Warner Cable; · Dr. Ellen Sheppard, President, Carolinas College of Health Sciences; · Jeff Frushtick, President & CEO, Leonard Automatics; · Tina Price, VP of Talent Development, Lash Group.
JobLink, which has five locations in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and nearly 100 locations across the state, provides placement and training services that help connect job seekers and employers. During her tour of the center, Hagan met with a job team that gathers weekly to help each other in their job search."
