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As midsummer approaches, I find myself eagerly anticipating the HR Florida Conference & Expo in August.  I am looking forward to the networking and sessions, especially Keith Ferrazzi’s “Relationships for Group Success”.  I am reading his newest book, “Who’s Got Your Back?” in order to better prepare for his session.

Last fall, Keith Ferrazzi was a keynote speaker at the national College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) conference in St. Louis. I was presenting a concurrent session that morning and almost skipped the keynote to do a last minute run through of my presentation.  I was glad I stayed and listened. 

Keith, who is also the author of “Never Eat Alone,” told his story of going from being the son of a steelworker and a cleaning lady to earning a scholarship at Yale, receiving his MBA from Harvard, and becoming the youngest partner in Deloitte Consulting’s history. All of these accomplishments were the result of his ability to connect with others.  He stressed the true value of networking is not exchanging business cards, but building actual relationships.  It is our individual stories and our passions that give us the tools to connect with others. Conference attendees were encouraged to step out of our comfort zones and introduce ourselves to one another by sharing what was important to us, that passion that defines who we are. We were challenged to do that throughout the remainder of the conference.

The concepts were simple and I took the challenge seriously.  I left the session and hurried to the room assigned to my presentation, knowing I could no longer present it in the way it had been practiced. How could I better tell the story behind the presentation?  Where was my passion for Human Resources?  I had 15 minutes to revise a presentation that had come together over several months. 

As the room filled and it was time to start, I took a deep breath and introduced myself – not as a title on an organizational chart, but as a Human Resource professional whose passion is to make a difference in the world. The PowerPoint presentation became the vehicle to help tell a story.  The presentation became more personal and the interaction with the 40 people in the room became frequent and genuine. I realized later it was the best presentation I had ever given.

Most people view conferences as a good way to retreat from their day-to-day world, make new friends and earn continuing education credits.  A good conference can be so much more; what you learn and the connections you make can make a difference.  It’s not too late to register for HR Florida! Go with an open mind and a willingness to explore new ideas!  I guarantee you will hear something that lights a fire or kindles a passion, allowing you to return to your day-to-day world empowered with new gifts and a fresh commitment to HR.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something to make this HR thing easier to do? Maybe if there was some sort of way to meet other professionals and share ideas and trade best practice tips, then we all would feel less like we’re treading water and more like we’re making a difference. Wait a minute, there is a way to do that, and it’s your local SHRM chapter!

Everyone should be involved with a local chapter. It wasn’t until I started taking HR seriously and began attending local meetings that my career started to flourish (and no, I don’t think it’s a coincidence!). Every possible demographic of HR professionals-from entry level to experienced veteran-has something that they can gain from a membership with a nearby SHRM chapter (Find a local SHRM chapter here).

Volunteer Opportunities

In recent weeks, this is the activity that has caught my eye more and more. There are dozens of ways to get involved with a local chapter through volunteering, from planning events and helping with new member orientation to interacting with HR students and stuffing packets before an event. Email someone from your chapter to find out who to contact in your area of interest. They will be more than happy to speak with you!

Career Networking

HR people need jobs, too. And, in a unique twist, human resources is one of the tougher fields to break into. It’s the whole “you need experience to have a job, but you need a job to get experience” conundrum. However, in your local SHRM organization, there are people actively searching for highly-talented individuals. You never know who you’ll sit next to at an event or who will be working with you in a volunteer committee, and just a single contact could help you to land the HR position of your dreams.

Knowledge Sharing

Years ago, HR was a vague collection of thoughts and ideas. Today, it’s becoming more technological and strategic. It’s hard to keep up with every new topic that comes around, and you only have so much time to dedicate to any one subject. Did you realize that everyone else is in that same position? They are all trying to accomplish the same things with the same limitations. What if you took the networking contacts that you’ve made and used them to learn about EAPs, FSAs, or Twitter? Maybe someone has a vendor they would (or wouldn’t) suggest using? Knowledge is power, and sharing that knowledge makes all of us more powerful.

In conclusion, it’s very easy to see why people join, and I’ve only scratched the surface on how it can benefit you. I really didn’t even delve into the other side of the equation (i.e. how your participation helps the chapter). The experiences and potential benefits of joining your local chapter far exceed those of nearly any other tool available to HR professionals. Check out your local chapter and get plugged in. You’ll be glad you did.

Desk job…oh how I miss you!  It has been six months since I left my job as COO for a successful software development firm.  Why you ask?  Let’s just say it is a long story that results in 90% of my workforce leaving, including myself and our CEO!

I knew leaving was a big risk but one necessary if I wanted the professional reputation that I have built for myself to remain intact.  What I didn’t realize was how hard unemployment would hit Florida’s capital city.

To give you a little idea of what has been going on in Tallahassee let me discuss Big Bend SHRM.  2008 was a big growth year for us.  As of December 31, 2008 our membership totaled 247 people, an increase of 79% over the previous year.  For the first time in our Chapter’s history we had reached 200 members.  With the economic crisis taking its toll we planned to see our numbers drop in 2009, which we have.   We knew that companies would begin reworking budgets and cutting expenses.  What we found was that a majority of our members who did not renew moved out of the area (most out of Florida all together) because they or their significant other was laid off.

With that said, the past six months have been rough.  Not too many human resource jobs in the City of Tallahassee.  Not giving up on the job hunt I quickly realized I had to expand my search, which is now covering most of Florida as well as Cincinnati, Boston and Atlanta.  I am optimistic that I will find something soon.

Now for the craziness that is my life.  At the end of May I made a drastic decision after crunching my budget and moved all of my things out of my apartment and into a storage bin.  A few days later I packed up my Civic with clothes and my dog Scout and embarked on the long voyage up to upstate NY.  I made it in 20 hours and an overnight in Harrisonburg, VA.  The following day my nephew Weslee was born to my sister – 9 lbs 4 oz, one big boy!  As my sister gets everything situated at home I am taking her place working for the family business – a discount wines and liquors emporium. 

My life for the past few weeks has been nothing but lifting boxes, restocking shelves, pricing, organizing and dreaded customer service.   I am completely and utterly exhausted.  My feet hurt, my back aches and I sneeze constantly from dust.  I went to business school so I didn’t have to do manual labor like most of my family!  Manual labor is NOT for me!

Of course I am exaggerating about how much I loathe manual labor (or am I?).  It is a blessing to be able to come back to NY and spend time with my family every day – especially my niece and nephew.  What I do realize from this experience is how much I miss sitting behind a desk processing forms and dealing with employee’s problems.  You may think I’m crazy but I did go to college to study human resources and it is actually what I am practicing.  The moral of my story:  don’t take your desk job for granted!