MnIPS Networking Resources

Welcome to the Minnesota Information Professional Society networking resources page. This page was created to provide guidance to any visitors who are in job transition, either looking for a job or looking to improve their job situation. The information provided here fits with our theme for 2002, "Adapting to Change", and with our mission to provide networking help and opportunities to all who are interested.  For information about future MnIPS Networking events, please see the Home page or the Current Events page.

Please feel free to give us feedback regarding this page or suggestions or improvements on information that would be helpful.

MnIPS BuildANetwork Yahoo Group

Looking for new opportunities? Join the MnIPS-BuildANetwork group.

MnIPS maintains a Yahoo group for IT people who are looking to exchange leads. Joining the group is simple (see step-by-step instructions below). Here's the outline of how it works:

• You need to sign up for a free Yahoo member account and then indicate you want to be a member of the MnIPS-BuildANetwork group. You will need an e-mail address somewhere, but you can sign up for a free one from Yahoo. After a slight delay (a day or two), the BuildANetwork group moderator will authorize you as a member.
• Once you are authorized, you can indicate how you want to get messages from BuildANetwork (e-mailed immediately, e-mailed daily, never e-mailed). Whenever anyone posts a message to the group, it will be sent to you according to your selection.
• Of course, BuildANetwork depends on postings from the group members so please post messages when you know of an opportunity or need a contact or suggestions. We only ask that members not try to use the group as a sales tool or a soapbox. If anyone gets too crazy, the moderator will "take appropriate action".
• At any time, you can drop out of BuildANetwork and it will e-mail you no more. Your actual e-mail address is never available as a result of group membership.

Step-by-step instructions to join MnIPS-BuildANetwork:

1. Visit URL http://groups.yahoo.com
2. If you don't already have a Yahoo ID, click on "New Users / Click Here to Register", which will present you with a screen where you can create an ID.   Yahoo will allow you to create a free Yahoo mail account at the same time if you want and will ask for a fairly limited amount of identifying information.  You do need to specify a working e-mail address to get the message to validate your ID, but no credit cards or anything like that.
3. If you already have a Yahoo ID, you need to sign in to Yahoo, if you aren't already.
4. In the Join A Group blank, enter MnIPS-BuildANetwork.  You will get a confirmation display that there is such a group and you should click on it.  You will now see the group opening screen with a button to click if you want to join.  Once you indicate you want to join, you will be asked some questions and will be able to look at messages but not to post.  When you indicate you want to join, there will be a delay of a day or two before the moderator authorizes you.
5. Alternatively, if you have a Yahoo ID, you can visit the URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MnIPS-BuildANetwork

Places to Network

List of Metro Area Job Groups distributed at the 4/16/02 Networking Session:
Metro Area Job Groups.pdf

Job Transition Groups in the Twin Cities, as of February, 2002.   Contributed by Sylvia Wiebe:  Job_transition_groups.pdf

IT and Executive Search Websites, as of February, 2002.   Contributed by Sylvia Wiebe:  IT_websites.pdf

Networking Technique

Networking 101, written for the 9/21/04 presentation and contributed by Joe Perzel:  Pre040921 - Networking 101.pdf

Sample Quick Introductory Speeches from the Smilin' and Dialin' Club distributed at the 4/16/02 Networking Session:  Sample_Commercials.pdf

Detailed Presentation Notes on How to Network distributed at the 4/16/02 Networking Session: Networking skills.pdf

Networking for IT Professionals, a synthesis of experience and MnIPS Networking Sessions written 8/17/02 and contributed by Sylvia Wiebe:  Networking_Jobsearch.pdf

Resume Tips, a description of things to think about when writing your resume written 8/17/02 and contributed by Sylvia Wiebe:  Resume_Tips.pdf

Interviewing Tips, a description of things to think about before attending the interview written 9/26/02 as follow-up to his 6/18/02 and contributed by John Belich: 
PRE020618 - Interviewing_Tips.pdf

How to Prepare for an Interview Handout, written for the 2/18/02 presentation and contributed byClaire Pitera:  Pre030218 - Handout interview guide.html

How to Deal with Transition, written for the 3/18/02 presentation and contributed byJoe Perzel:  Pre030318 - How to Deal with Transition.pdf