By Kathleen Smith
No matter how much things change, they stay the same. Recruiting is about developing relationships, and not just one type of relationship. Candidate relationship, internal hiring relationships and your colleague relationships for referrals and, heaven forbid, if you have to find another job. [Read more…]
recruitDC Tweetup – Why It's A Must-Attend
By Celinda Appleby
It is safe to share that the concept of the “Three Amigos” was solidified over Bob Evans brunch about a year and a half ago. Mike, Derek and I came up with the brilliant idea to host Tweet-ups for local recruiting tweeps after we bonded over Social Media Sourcing Tips. Lucky for us, the great folks at RecruitDC, loved the idea and have been super supportive. The idea came from a place of wanting to network with likeminded professionals in a relaxed setting. ‘Cause we all know, a glass of wine, can definitely help after a day of power sourcing or to drown the sorrows of a candidates rejection.
We have lots of fun planning these events and they have been timed to coincide with the RecruitDC conferences. But we have also hosted some just for the heck of it, since networking is always a good time. Recently, we added Doug to our group due to his in-depth local DMV bar knowledge (his recruiting experience doesn’t hurt, either). We are now officially, a band of amigos! We invite you to join us May 21st at Tara Temple bar in Arlington, VA.
If you have never been to one of our tweet-ups, you are in for a treat! It is much more socializing than tweeting… so a twitter handle is not required. However, we have lots of love for Twitter and you will find us tweeting throughout the event. These events are open to all local recruiters, sourcers and even HR professionals. You are encouraged to attend, even if you are unable to attend the conference. As in this intimate setting you can mingle with the Conference Speakers, attendees and even RecruitDC board members (Ben, Susan, Pete, Lars and Jim)!
We always have a great time and would love to add new faces to our growing tweet-up fan club! You can RSVP right now — Quatro Amigo Tweetup for the best networking event for Recruiting in the DMV!
If you have not registered for the Spring RecruitDC event, we still have X tickets left. I personally benefit from the seminars and the additional networking opportunities each conference gives me. I have shared before how RecruitDC gave me the ammunition I needed to take my career to the next step.
Don’t miss out on the chance to learn hear two of the amigos present at the conference! Register today -> RecruitDC Spring 2014
Celinda Appleby is the Global Digital Media Program Manager for Hewlett-Packard’s Global Talent Acquisition organization. In this role she leads HP’s talent acquisition digital strategy and also oversees HP Careers social media footprint to position HP has a top employer in the market. Feel free to connect with Celinda on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Upcoming recruitDC Events
Be sure to check in regularly to our Upcoming Events page so that you don’t miss out on the happenings around town before our Spring Event in May 2014!
February 27th – Quatro Amigos & recruitDC Winter Tweetup!
March 27th – Military Hiring Event
Click on the Upcoming Events page for information and registration details!
Why recruitDC ?
By Pete Radloff
It’s the end of 2013, and as is customary with December, it’s a time for us to reflect back on the previous year. 2013 was a great year for me professionally and it was also a tremendous year for recruitDC. But recruitDC took on a new, deeper meaning for me this year.
I’m often asked why I participate in recruitDC and what the benefit is for me. It’s never an easy answer, mostly because there are so many reasons I’m lucky and proud to be associated with such a great organization. It’s great for networking, and learning, as well as getting to meet those people that you “only know through LinkedIn”. Earlier in my career, I always hoped I’d get to a point where I didn’t need to put my resume on a dozen job boards, or have to apply to a number of companies that I didn’t necessarily know too much about. I wanted to reach a point where I’d built up a strong enough network to be able to reach out to some key contacts and get introduced to some amazing opportunities. This year was finally the year that all came to fruition.
I was laid off in the summer, and as with anyone going through this, panic is usually the first feeling that sets in. That’s often followed by more panic action, lots and lots of action to keep the pipeline flowing and increase the number of opportunities available to you. With the network I had built over the years, through my past jobs and groups like Project SAVE and recruitDC I was able to get some great leads on opportunities, and wound up landing on my feet. (Yes, there is more to it, but grab me for a beer after the next event and we’ll talk)
So when someone who hasn’t heard of recruitDC or is new to the group asks me what the benefits are, here’s what I tell them:
- You’ll learn. A LOT. You’ll get insight and best practices from some of the best folks in the Talent Acquisition field. We’re able to bring in speakers and practitioners from all over the country.
- You can sell it to your boss. It won’t cost you $5000 to attend recruitDC. It’s local, you’ll be back the same day or the next day, and you don’t have to crush your department budget to get some professional development.
- You can start implementing right away. What you learn at recruitDC, you can put into practice right away, and start improving how your organization approaches talent immediately.
- You’ll meet great colleagues. recruitDC gives you plenty of time to mix and mingle, share best practices, and get to know others who can help you along the way in your career.
- You can build your reputation. By attending events, meetups and mini-sessions, you’ll be able to share your expertise that you’ve acquired over the years. Since we’re a grassroots organization, we’re always looking to promote our own local superstars.
- Opportunities to “Pay It Forward”. I was fortunate to have some tremendous talent surrounding me early in my career, and probably one of the best mentors I could have ever asked for. recruitDC provides a nurturing culture for people to seek out those who can help them get to the next level. There’s no substitute for great people looking out for your career.
There’s probably a dozen other reasons that I could share, but we’ve all got holiday cookies to attend to, guard, hoard, enjoy. so if you haven’t been active in recruitDC this year, I strongly encourage you to come on out and spend some time with us in 2014. And grab me to have that beer….I love to geek out on some recruiting talk.
Pete Radloff is a member of the recruitDC Board of Directors, and a recruitment consultant with NPR and exaqueo. You can connect with Pete on LinkedIn and on Twitter
Sourcing, You say? Join Us For a Meetup September 26th – Rockville, MD
Please join us for a morning meetup on Thursday September 26th from 8am – 10:30am in Rockville, MD. Come have some breakfast with your fellow purple squirrel hunters, mingle, and as always – LEARN!
Register today for the event on our Eventbrite site!
A very special thanks to our most gracious host, Aronson, LLC
recruitDC Tweetup – The Wrap-up
By Derek Zeller
Have you seen or maybe attended a RecruitDC conference in the last couple of years? Maybe you have said, “I just don’t have the time” to take a day off to go to a conference. We get that. We are recruiters too. That is why a number of months ago we partnered up with RecruitDC and started Tweet-ups.
RecruitDC is an awesome event filled with some of the biggest names both nationally and locally discussing strategy, sourcing, and recruiting in a conference setting. It is an amazing time to gather information from multiple sources and not need a hotel or plane ticket. However it does take time.
The tweet-ups were designed to be a mini-conference. Its happy hour with a twitter flair. It is about socializing and learning from each other. Trading contact info or learning who and what is going on within the industry. There is no cost or ticket to buy. Just show up grab a drink and start introducing yourself. WE ARE RECRUITERS so we want to talk!
The first one we did was in Virginia the night before the conference this past spring. Due to its success and everyone having a great time we decided to do another one. We had heard from southern Maryland recruiters that they wanted something for them so we focused in that area. WOW – we are glad we did. The turnout was awesome!
We had representation from the whole area too, NOVA, DC, and Baltimore! There were newer recruiters there and more experienced ones sharing knowledge and dropping great stories. The best part of the tweet-ups is they are totally informal. People were in shorts and short sleeves. No name tags or speakers. We were all equals sharing ideas, stories, and at times…candidates! YES we were able to say I know someone that fits that role, what’s your email or twitter handle?
Tweet-ups were designed to be social and help put a name to a face for local recruiting. Then next time you get an invite or see us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Come on over for a chat and hello. We would love to have you!
Derek is a Senior IT Recruiter at Advanced Resources Technologies, Inc., and you can always find him on Twitter at @Derdiver
