Welcome to Des Moines!

Are you new here in town? Don't miss out on this opportunity to meet new people and find out how amazing the Greater Des Moines area really is. This reception is a great way for you to meet other professionals who have relocated to Des Moines, in addition to learning a little more about the community you now call home. The event is free and all attendees will receive a complementary pass to the YMCA Healthy Living Center at the Mercy Wellness Campus.

Weekend Warriors

How often do you work on weekends? Or at night? Does your boss expect that you are checking and responding to emails?

A new survey reports that up to 1/3 of employees in America regularly get emails from their supervisors on weekends. Another 1/3 reports that they occasionally get these messages. Do you fall into either of these two categories?

Work-life balance is becoming increasingly important to people...especially among the up-and-coming new generation of workers. This means that balance is quickly becoming a larger part of the consideration process in hunting for jobs. It is a question they will be asking you about in the interview process.

How important to you is balance? Is it okay if you boss sends an email on the weekend? Is it okay if you know that he/she does not necessarily expect a response?

We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Caucus and Community Event

Katie Roth will be a featured panelist at a Caucus & Community event on Tuesday, June 28th. Hosted by the Waukee Chamber of Commerce, it will be held at Atlantic Bottling Company in Waukee and will focus on small business. The event is free and open to the public.

This first event in the series was held in March and discussed K-12 Education. The April event focused on Sustainable Development and the last event was a panel speaking about tax and budget. It is a Des Moines Register "Event Pick", which you can see here.

We'd love to see you there!

Details:
June 28th, 8am-9:30am
Atlantic Bottling Company
16200 Hickman Road
Waukee, IA

SEMINAR: How Millennials Are Changing the Workforce

We are proud and excited to announce a seminar hosted by Portico HR called One Tweet At A Time: How Millennials Are Changing the Workforce. Our featured speaker will be the local social media pro Claire Celsi. It is free to attend, and breakfast is provided, but registration is required. See below for all the details!

Women in Business - The Facts

Women have made tremendous strides in business in the last 10 years. Check out this great graphic! (Click to make it bigger)

Guy Kawasaki's Job Search Advice

Guy Kawasaki is well known as a bestselling author and Internet entrepreneur. His creation Alltop is one of the most visited sites by digital influencers today. And his newest book, Enchantment, inspired many people to intentionally work on their relationships in the business world.

He was recently interviewed about what advice he would give to job seekers, and he gives some great tips to follow:

1. Avoid elimination at the cover email/letter stage. It must be customized for the particular company and job you are applying for. Anything else conveys laziness.

2. Make a good first impression at the interview. Have a strong handshake. Dress nice, but not too nice. Make sure it is tailored to the specific company. "It should communicate that you are solid, dependable, and friendly person."

3. You have two jobs at the interview. The first is to convince them that you can do the job. The second is convince them that you are a good fit for the company. Both of these are musts for those who are doing the hiring.

4. Follow up. Send an email (or even a handwritten thank you note) to everybody you met within 24 hours after the interview. This also means you were smart enough to get business cards with their contact information.

Your hope is to "Enchant" your interviewers into hiring you -- hence the name of the book! Go out and get your copy today, you won't regret it!

Future-Proofing Your Career

You can do never do enough to make sure your career doesn't succumb to the future. When new technologies are introduced, especially during the industrial age of a century ago, people lose jobs. There are ways, however, that you can make sure your career is never in danger of being lost to the "the future". This article from Forbes expands on it, but we'll pull some of our favorite points and you can chime in with your thoughts as well!

1. Be Aware

One of best things you can do is simply be aware of the forces that are shaping the job market. Whether it be new technologies or economic trends or shifting employment gaps. Your career can often be determined by how understanding you are of the employment culture around you.

2. Be Digital

This is an absolutely necessity. I hate it to break it to you, but the social world is not going away. Facebook and Twitter (and blogging!) are changing the way that people communicate and interact with each other. It is imperative for you to at least have a presence on these big networks.

3. Be an Expert

The days of being a jack-of-all-trades are no longer as valuable. You want to find your niche, and make yourself THE expert. Do the research, find out the things you're passionate about that aren't being monetized, and find a way to make it work.

4. Be Prepared

We are entering a time of micro-entrepreneurialism. People are branching out on their own and takings risks with small business ideas more than ever. As we said earlier, all you have to do is identify the market that isn't being reach. This doesn't mean to do things unnecessarily, but simply to be prepared should the need arise.

5. Be Connected

Networking has become more important than ever in our new digital world. Should your career happen to hit tough times, have a network behind you to get you back on your feet is an incredible weight off your back. To an employer, a recommendation from a trusted source will be worth more than a random resume every single time.

What do you think? What do you need to "be" in order to make sure your career doesn't go away?

Stay connected with Portico HR on Facebook and Twitter for more tips on how to boost your career!