Project Ezrah held a LinkedIn seminar this past Sunday morning at Congregation Rinat Yisrael. This event, open to the entire community, built on previous beginner classes in LinkedIn, with Sunday’s event geared more toward how best to connect with the right people. Participants learned strategies to promote themselves and/or their business and to make themselves relevant in today’s workplace.
The seminar drew participants from a broad spectrum of the community—young people just beginning their careers looking to understand networking, as well as experienced professionals with established careers, such as lawyers or finance professionals, who were there “to brush up on their skills,” said Project Ezrah’s Director of Employment Jeff Mendelson. Mendelson congratulated the attendees at Rinat for “coming out early on a Sunday for something that invests in themselves.”
The two presenters at Sunday’s event are both successful professionals who have used LinkedIn to advance their careers: Peter Globus, manager of business analytics at L’Oreal, and David Sheffey, executive vice president and general counsel of US Grid Company LLC, focusing on strategy and legal matters. Mendelson offered, “Our speakers are generally volunteer Project Ezrah Champions, people who are interested in helping other people in our community, and it really promotes what we do at Project Ezrah—people helping people.” Globus, who has volunteered for Project Ezrah before, agreed, “I’m always happy to help Jeff with Project Ezrah. It’s an important organization doing so much for our community… I try to give what I can, and part of that is giving time to help others learn skills to succeed professionally.”
One attendee, Barry Dattelkramer from West Orange, had this to say about Sunday’s seminar: “The event was extremely helpful to extend my knowledge of LinkedIn during my current job search. In my pursuit of a management position in the banking industry, the seminar provided me with unique tools to enhance my profile, join groups and search for job opportunities. Project Ezrah has placed me on the path to success.”
Participants asked follow-up questions after the event and the vibe was positive. Sheffey commented, “It was a good event. We had good discussions about how LinkedIn can be utilized and optimized in all situations.” Globus shared, “I received positive feedback from attendees verbally and via LinkedIn after the event. Part of the result will really be measured in how successfully the participants can implement what they gained and further their career aspirations.”
Project Ezrah’s future plans include additional seminars on Excel and interview techniques, as well as a job fair. According to Mendelson, “Project Ezrah works with such a broad variety of individuals on all points of the spectrum. The mother going back to work, but also an attorney; from hourly pay to high-level corporate jobs; project-based and full-time job opportunities.” The job fair would benefit both employers and candidates since it is the ultimate face-to-face networking opportunity.
Community members can also join Project Ezrah’s pro bono project, in which people offer their time, talents and expertise to help others in the community. To learn more about the pro bono program and Project Ezrah Champions, go to ezrah.org. For more information, contact [email protected], 201-569-9047.
By Michal Rosenberg
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