Connections

You can't underestimate the power of the Jewish Mother Network. From Pittsburgh, PA to Minneapolis, MN, Adam and I have encountered a couple useful connections already. First, a friend of a friend donated several pieces of furniture to us, which we are very grateful to have. Secondly, we were able to meet with one of the senior members of the city's United Jewish Federation (UJF).

Yesterday, we met for lunch with Brian, who was very friendly and had plenty of advice for us about local synagogues and ways to get involved in the Jewish young professionals' community. I was, of course, particularly interested in finding out more about potential job opportunities (so I can be included in the young professionals) and who knows whom. On Saturday evening, we'll probably attend a Casino Night function, where I will get the chance to be introduced to more people in the area. I'm hoping to meet at least one person who could serve as a job link because I'm not wild about the Las Vegas prom theme. Friends would be nice, too.

Also, I joined LinkedIn. I'm not entirely sure how the LinkedIn etiquette differs from Facebook, so I'm being shy at first. I'm trying to navigate how it could be effective for me to reach out to job contacts: do I "connect" with someone at the company I'm applying to so they can look at my profile? And how am I supposed to look attractive to recruiters/employers as a Pottery Barn Sales Associate without lying? We'll see... for suggestions on how to spruce up my profile or to "connect" with me, go here.