Although the meeting is informal, here’s how we structure it:

1. For the first 15 minutes, get your coffee and talk freely amongst yourselves.
2. At 8:45, John and / or I will make a few announcements. We’ll ask if anyone has something they want to share with the group. Then, everyone will have a chance to say their elevator pitch (no more than 30 seconds, please).
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4. Then we’ll split the group (if necessary) into sub-groups of no more than 8-10 people facilitated by a leader. The group splits will be done on a random basis which facilitates a good mix.
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6. Within each sub-group, everyone will have a chance to talk about his / her issues and how the group can help, job search problems / opportunities, etc. Come prepared – if you want us to critique your resume or networking document, bring enough copies to distribute. Know what you want to achieve in the time we give you. we expect everyone will have the floor for about 5-7 minutes depending on attendance. In order to facilitate the conversation, we often ask people:
   1. What is your competitive advantage?
   2. What do you do differently that marks you out from others?
   3. How do you provide value?
   4. What are you known for? What do you want to be known for in a couple of years’ time?

These are a bit like interview questions, but often I am trying to find the gold in your value proposition that might not be as clear to others as it is to you. (Questions taken from a newsletter article – Jan 21, 2014 – provided by Ken Witt, Raleigh FENG Chapter).

1. Everyone can stay as long as they want, but the leader will make sure everyone has an equal chance to talk based on the 11:00 break.