Here's the planned agenda:

• Pre-meeting chit-chat and wait time for late arrivals. Housekeeping and announcements – 10 minutes or so.
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• 20 Second Commercials – everyone gives his / her pitch. I’ll enforce the time. Get to the point and don’t ramble. 15-20 minutes or so depending on # of participants.
• Any specific questions or items to share?
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• I want to use the rest of the time to address each job seeker’s needs (ten to fifteen minutes per person on average). Apologies to the veterans, but I will devote this time to those who need it most. I’ll prioritize to new members and those with long-term job searches.
  • A general comment: I have noted that most people have not sufficiently done their individual assessment and cannot articulate their value proposition well. Also, many think they are networking effectively, but are not.
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  • We work on “skills for life:” personal branding, presentation, self-marketing.
  • For those of you who have never been to a Princeton or Monmouth/Ocean meeting, we focus on one individual at a time and start by asking, “What’s going on?” and “How can we help you?”
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  • We all learn from each other and this format gives our veterans a chance to help those who are in transition. You get input from everyone.
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  • We drill down with feedback that is both constructive, well-intentioned, and tough. One of my veterans has described this as “the discussion you don’t want to have but need too.”
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  • Be prepared; our questions can be direct. There is a proven method to our madness. I guarantee we will help guide you through a better and shorter job-search, and you will be more ready for interviews.
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  • I figure we can address 4-5 people given our time constraints.