Pink Slip Party Success!
Posted on 15. Apr, 2009 by Marisa Cogan in Events
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Last night we kicked off our 2009 Pink Slip Parties…and it was a HUGE success. If you are not familiar with the Pink Slip Party concept, it is very simple. We invite both jobseekers and recruiters to a local restaurant or bar (last night’s event was held at the Great American Pub in Conshohocken, PA) so that they have an opportunity to come together in a casual environment and discuss what is on everyone’s minds these days – JOBS! You might think of a Pink Slip Party as the combination of a job fair, networking event and happy hour all rolled into one. Both jobseekers and recruiters are given a glow bracelet to identify them as either a jobseeker or recruiter and which industry they fall into (finance, IT, sales, healthcare, etc.)
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We maxed out our room space with over 200 jobseekers and about 60-70 recruiters & HR professionals at this particular event, and it was evident by the constant exchange of business cards & resumes, that most people took full advantage of their time last night. Events like this provide a great outlet for jobseekers that have been pink slipped and have had a hard time securing employment. Plus, it provides them with an environment that is a little less stressful than a job fair and certainly more relaxed than a formal interview. The ratio of jobseekers to recruiters was not bad either, 3:1.
We took a lot of photos so that we could share them with you. Mike Strug from NBC10 arrived at the tail end of our event and did a news story and the Montgomery Newspapers took a few shots as well. We would like to send out a special Thank You to our sponsors of the event: Accounting Principals, Intergrity Career Transitions & Xsell Resources. We are currently planning more Pink Slip Parties for the coming months, including one on April 21st in Edison, NJ.
If you stopped by last night, we’d love to hear your thoughts? Any recommendations for improvements?
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7 Responses to “Pink Slip Party Success!”
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E Dunkel
07. May, 2009
- Next time, please have the recruiters wear a name tag or something that indicates the areas in which they place candidates. I waited for a while to talk to recruiters, only to find out they made placements in a completely different field than my own.
- Please have non-agency recruiters identified as such. I stood to talk with one recruiter (pink necklace), only to find out she was an AVON representative. I was there to find a job, not become an AVON rep.
- Please have the recruiters bring enough cards, and cards with their contact information on them. I met with one recruiter who had cards but no phone or email address (just a general company card).
- Please have any job search vendors identified as such. I overheard that one woman with a pink necklace was a resume writer, but would have no way to know that otherwise.
- The food was awesome.
Amanda
07. May, 2009
It seemed to me that the ratio of job-seekers to recruiters was much more discrepant than reported, but perhaps that was because I attended the tail end of the event.
I understand that the wrist bracelets had an element of subtlety as well as being bright, but it was somewhat difficult to identify exactly where one should head to find certain categories of people, because there was no way to identify anyone from across the room or even ten feet away. The waist-height of the bracelets made it easy for other people to block them. Perhaps a different way to identify people might help.
Other than that, it was set up well and had a fun but professional air.
Samantha Pepe
07. May, 2009
I felt that the pink slip party was not all that great. You could not identify the recruiters because they were only wearing a pink necklace. They should wear pink, but also the corresponding color of jobseekers they are looking for. Also, not all were very approachable. There were a number of instances when I would be waiting to speak with someone, if they were engaged in another conversation I did not want to interrupt. They clearly saw I was waiting, and when they were finished with the person they were already speaking with, they would just walk away and disreguard the fact that anyone else was standing there.
Faye Pellicciaro
07. May, 2009
Well…I ended up on the Channel 10 news as a result of staying to the end of the Pink Slip Party. It gave me an opportunity to re-connect with some people that I had met at previous outplacement seminars and networking events as well as make new contacts. One of which was the Integrity Career Transitions.
Yesterday I attended the Delaware Job Hunters Education and Networking Event sponsored by the Integrity Group of Companies. Over 600 people were in attendance for the event.
I find these types of events to be very helpful not only for networking with other people and companies but especially to help build the morale of those of us who are displaced workers.
A recent development in my life was to register for online college courses to finish up my bachelors degree. It started with entering an essay contest to win a scholarship through Project Working Moms (and Dads) and then the ball started rolling. I never thought I would be so excited about receiving books in the mail for my college education. I am starting my first class this Tuesday May 12.
Dreams do come true. It involves timing. Being at the right place at the right time and meeting the right people to support you along the way. That’s what the Pink Slip Party did for me…helped to revive one of my dreams to finish my college education.
Please keep the Pink Slip Parties going. It would be fun to have a “Pink Slip Party” membership or club as another means for people to connect with each other while looking for a new job. Looking for work in this economy is very challenging and we need all the help we can get to keep the momentum going.
Marisa Cogan
07. May, 2009
Hello all!
Thank you for your honest feedback regarding our Pink Slip Party. We have put together these events with one purpose in mind, to help people get back to work in these difficult times. With our first two events behind us, we are working on making our future events even better and will take all of your comments into consideration and implement changes so that we can better assist both recruiters and jobseekers.
We designed these events to be a happy hour-type event whereby you could network with recruiters and commiserate with fellow jobseekers (who understand your situation). These parties are more of a free-form employment event and not as structured as you would find at a job fair (although we do host job fairs as well). We understand your need to know exactly which candidates recruiters are looking for, and we will address that issue. Remember too, that although you may end up speaking to someone who is not a recruiter for your industry, he or she may know someone who is! It’s all about the networking at these types of events and the more people you speak to, the better your chance of finding your next job.
We know that these are difficult times for many Americans. In this economy, you must market yourself in as many ways possible to get a job, and we hope that our Pink Slip Parties provide you with another opportunity to get back into the workforce.
Thank you and good luck with your search,
- Marisa
Megan Cavanaugh
08. May, 2009
-I was a little disappointed by the lack of recruiters, and all those who were wearing pink necklaces weren’t recruiters, but career coaches and resume builders. Though those services are extremely helpful, I was there to speak with people about employment.
-I thought the necklaces were a neat idea. If they were worn around the neck, it was helpful to see the glow from across the room. But for those who placed them on their wrist or belt loop defeated the purpose and therefore made it hard to see who the recruiters were.
-Next time, I would suggest having all recruiters at a table outlining the wall. That way, we are not a bunch of cattle searching aimlessly looking for pink necklaces and bumping into one another.
-Next time, I would also suggest that each recruiter have a lable/poster/sign on their table or high on the wall that states the type of jobs they are hiring for. That way, when we look across the room, we know what direction to go in and not waste time standing in line for a recruiter that doens’t specialize in our field.
-All participants were given colored necklaces to identify what field we were interested in, but since the recuriters weren’t seek us, we were seaking them, the color coding backfired. Maybe they should have had the color necklaces???
-I like the cocktail theme, the set up, and the food. However, it’s hard to talk to a recruiter that has a beer in his hand and resume’s in another and no free hand to shake, hand a resume to or receive a business card from.
-The concept of Pink Slips is great, but the organization needs to be tweeked a little. I was impressed and thankful for the opportunity to go there, but didn’t receive much from it.
Bob Waldo
10. May, 2009
I’ve had a longstanding professional relationship with JobCircle.com, and when I heard about the Conshohocken Pink Slip Party, I knew it was a must-attend event. Recently laid-off myself, I knew the event could be leveraged in two ways.
First and foremost, I could make contact with potential employers and have the opportunity to meet face to face with employment representatives from those companies. Secondly, it was an opportunity to reach out to the community at large and offer candidates some Pro-Bono advice on how to navigate the turbulent waters of this difficult job market.
I accomplished both goals while attending and made numerous contacts that have enriched my network, and resulted in a win-win situation for myself, and the other attendees I met that evening.
Kudos to the JobCircle crew for putting on yet another class event.
Bob