Job Seekers Network Meeting FAQ

All types of job seekers attend and find value from our meetings: professionals from high tech, corporate and sales backgrounds, teachers, etc. Attendees’ experience level can range from entry to C Suite, with a majority falling in the mid-level range. This group is useful for the unemployed, the underemployed, the misemployed, and the unhappily employed.

We take common holidays off and some breaks. We don’t meet Spring Break, Memorial Day, the first three weeks of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the last 2 weeks of December.

JSN averages 80-120 participants depending upon the time of year and the event.

Our Monday meetings and breakout sessions (including Resume, Interviewing, Networking, Elevator Pitch and Branding training) are always FREE. We do have several workshops that have a cost associated with them, but scholarships for these programs are available.

The first time you come, we recommend you arrive at 8:45 am where a coach will meet with you to get to know you and share some additional information.

The following weeks, we recommend arriving a few minutes before 9 am to get a nametag, coffee and find a seat.

The speaker will begin promptly at 9am each week. Out of respect for the guest speaker, who are some of Austin’s best job search and inspirational speakers volunteering their time, we ask that you arrive on time.

This is a two-part process. You will watch our resume training videos, review our templates and resources and implement our suggestions on your own. You will then be eligible for a Resume Review. Follow the instructions on the resume webpage for more specific details on how to submit your resume for review.

We strongly urge you to write your own resume and go through our resume training, but we do have resume writers we can recommend who will charge you a fee to write your resume for you.

Please visit our Workshops page.

Find our schedule here.

Many of our speakers make a living from their job search advice, so they ask us not to share it. Some of the others we’ve made available to you

We would love to hear from you when you get a job and share your success! Fill out the I Got a Job form.

We have a great tradition that when you get a job, you come back and bring donuts or fruit to celebrate and share your “good news’ from the stage. 1-2 dozen are fine.

The leader of the Linked Local Austin Networking group is a JSN coach and many participants are JSN alumni or current job seekers. Find out about their upcoming events here. Other job clubs in Austin can be found on our ATX Networking page.

A JSN partner, the Career Networking Group meets in South Austin on Thursday mornings. Occasionally we will have additional programs at other locations in the greater Austin area. See our calendar for the most current program listings.

They provide most of these services, but JSN addresses these in a more individualized or small group setting with an emphasis on the emotional and spiritual aspects of the job search as well.

Alumni and supporters have shared these differences:

• We place a high value on each individual and try to get to know each person as they come into the program, understand their current status, and help them take their next step.
• We believe that a combination of emotional, physical and spiritual assistance is needed for job seekers to be in the best position to find a job. The loss of a job is rated as a top stressor for an individual after the loss of a loved one, poor health and divorce. Typically, job seekers are also dealing with other stressors. Unemployment hits at the core of a person’s confidence, emotions and faith, leading many to despair and wonder if God is for them. Job Seekers Network provides comprehensive job search help and emotional and spiritual encouragement to get job seekers back to work faster.
• PurposeWorks emphasizes the difference between a job, a career and a calling. About 50% of job seekers are not clear about their next career step, and we are the only  group in Austin with consistent program offerings to address this. A job seeker really can’t network or prepare a resume effectively without knowing what their job target will be. Many times, this is the most thought provoking and difficult part of the job search.. We firmly believe that people who are pursuing God’s calling in all areas of their lives and seeking work that is in alignment with their gifting and their life goals will be more fulfilled and better able to adapt to changes in the work environment.
• PurposeWorks uses talented/experienced volunteer coaches to train job seekers at the Monday morning events. These coaches are typically very knowledgeable in their field of expertise. Our coaches include a professional resume / Linked In writer, business owners, HR professionals, retired executives and more. The coaches are committed to helping job seekers and purpose seekers and are the reason why PurposeWorks is able to offer exceptional professional training at low or no cost.
• PurposeWorks is a Christian ministry affiliated with the church. We believe that life transformation is found in Jesus Christ and that the Bible and prayer are relevant to a job seeker’s job search and life. We anticipate God will supernaturally impact all areas of a job seeker’s life.

The unemployment rate only includes those that "do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks, and are currently available for work.” It does NOT include the “discouraged worker”, who is depressed or discouraged and not looking for a job within the last four weeks. The unemployment rate does not include the underemployed person who is working a few hours or part-time or at a lower level job than they are qualified for.