South Florida Association of Women in Communications | Debra Cortese

The Art of Networking and Sharing Information

by Percy Cat | Jul 15, 2009 | nature's energy

Attended my second event/presentation hosted by the South Florida Association of Women in Communications tonight. Once again at the Havana Club (make that Miami City Club…everything changes so often here in Miami. maybe other places as well. I liked the name Havana Club, more of the Miami flavor I’ve grown to love – a subject for another post perhaps).
Working solo and from a home studio is part of being a self-employed artist. It is wonderful in almost all respects, except you get a bit fuzzy brained if you don’t get out of the studio and talk to actual humans every so often. Since this is Miami and there are at minimum 3 interesting places to go every night, discernment is critical. My time is very dear to me so I choose to attend events that I feel will not only be interesting and within my budget, but also where I can meet people with similar interests. (#pizzatweetup at Spris on Tuesday fit this criteria as well)

Agenda for tonight’s meeting was a panel discussion on how to diversify your professional offerings to compete in a tough job market. With the highest unemployment rate in decades, the job market is becoming increasingly crowded and competitive, and even the employed worry about job security. The 3 panelists, Jessica Garvar, Community Relations Director, Jobing.com, Rochelle Broder-Singer, RB Editing and Writing, Violet Lowrey, President, A+ Professional Resumes, and moderator, Charlotte Libov, Freelance Author/Public Relations Professional discussed ways to expand and transform your skills and talents to increase your value, switch industries, or transition to freelance or consulting work.
Fabulous networking before the discussions began. I met Life Is Art Directors, James Echols and Annette Peikert, Juan Campos of NY Life Insurance Co., writer, Marvin Glassman, Marylene Gacon an Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant, Shervin Bain a recent PR graduate, and got to chat with several people I follow on Twitter: Blanca @miamishines, Maria @vicequeen and the newly elected President of the SF Women in Communications, Julia Wakefield. All of this was greatly enhanced by the outstanding view of Miami from the 55 floor of the Wachovia building, and of course, the complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Women in Communications get the gold star rating for making guests feel like VIPs!