AAM: Career Cafe

Reach Peak Performance at all Stages in Your Career

AAM CAREER CAFÉ™
“An open space where conversation and creative thinking percolate!”

•    Design Your Career Strategy
•    Hone Your Communication Skills
•    Nurture Your Network
•    Align Your Mind, Body and Spirit

Design Your Career Strategy

AAM Mentoring Online: Personal Value and Benefits
Monday, April 28
2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Randy Emelo, a thought-leader in the mentoring field, will speak to the current state of mentoring in the field and progression towards web-assisted processes, including the newly inaugurated AAM Mentoring Online, a new web-assisted mentoring program developed in response to member requests and the needs of the field. In addition, Randy will discuss recent research conducted regarding the impact of mentoring on employee engagement, productivity and retention.

jobHQ
Monday April 28 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday April 29 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 30 8 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
For job seekers and employers
Visit jobHQ to view hundreds of listings of current openings and apply for jobs online. For employers, this is an ideal place to search online resumes for that perfect candidate and set up on-site interviews–all at your fingertips.

On-Site Interviews
Interested in interviewing candidates face to face at the 2008 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo? Stop by the jobHQ Help Desk between 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday or Tuesday, April 28-29 or 8 a.m.–3 p.m. or Wednesday, April 30 to provide your contact information and availability.

Resume Writing Workshops
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday April 28–30
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Your resume is one of the most important communication tools you own—make the most of it by learning tips and strategies to writing a winning resume from experienced colleagues in the field. Bring your resume along and gain even more valuable perspective through “resume swap” peer review at the end of each workshop.

“A Day in the Life” Reality Series
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28 – 30
9:15 – 10:30 a.m. and 2 – 3:15 p.m.
Curious about curators? Excited about educators? Dreaming of being a director? Ready to be a registrar? Get an intimate glimpse of various aspects of museum work and the real scoop of a “day in the life” through this series of face-to-face discussions with practitioners in the field.

Hone Your Communication Skills

“Personal Branding” Workshops
Monday and Tuesday April 28 – 29
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
Improve your professional marketability in one or more of these free, small group workshops, designed to provide you with practical tips on how to:
•    Interview for that next great job
•    Project a positive image
•    Deliver a powerful presentation
•    Create a portfolio with high impact

Public Speaking Workshops
Monday and Tuesday, April 28 – 29
8 – 9 a.m.
This workshop, led by members of the International Museum Theater Alliance (IMTAL), is for anyone who speaks in front of people and would like to be a more effective communicator. The presentation will be followed by questions-and-answers to address specific concerns. Come away with a “Speakers Toolbox” of techniques and tips to help overcome some common pitfalls of public speaking.

Advocacy Workshop: Anyone Can Lobby!
Monday and Tuesday, April 28 and 29
3:30–5 p.m.
Here’s your chance to practice your advocacy skills. In this interactive exercise, individuals and groups will meet with their “legislators”–played by AAM staff–to lobby on issues of the day. We’ll provide the paper and a few tips, all you have to do is show up. Practice makes perfect!

Nurture Your Network

Networking Lounge
Monday and Tuesday, April 28, 29 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday April 30 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Drop by the Networking Lounge to chat or chill with colleagues old and new. Catch up on the latest literature on management, leadership and life/work balance. Need a place for a one-on-one conversation? Looking for a spot to gather some like-minded people? Conducting an impromptu interview? The Networking Lounge is the place for you!

Marketplace of Ideas
Monday April 28
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
The Marketplace of Ideas is an open-air forum and informal, interactive showcase of concurrent topics and themes representative of and presented for all types of museums and museum-related organizations. The marketplace invites museum professionals and their institutions to:
•    Exchange information and new ideas
•    Learn more about new museum practices
•    Showcase exemplary programs and projects
•    Build relationships within and across disciplines

Mentoring Roundtables
Wednesday April 30
12:15 – 1:45 p.m.
Especially for emerging and mid-career professionals. Join your colleagues and mentors in hot discussions about strategizing your career, overcoming workplace challenges, being a leader at any level, and communicating persuasively. Share experiences and solutions through meaningful dialogue, relationship-building, and peer-to-peer exchange of ideas. Topics announced in final program.

Align Your Mind, Body and Spirit

Creativity Room™
Monday and Tuesday April 28, 29 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 30 8 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The Creativity Room™ is a specially designed creative space to encourage personal and professional development. Discover your boundless resourcefulness!

Created and facilitated by Rhea Blanken, RheaZ LLC, Bethesda, MD.

Idea Lounge
Monday and Tuesday, April 28 – 29
8 – 9 a.m. and 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday April 30
8 – 9 a.m. and 2 – 3 p.m.
Join colleagues in the Idea Lounge for lively hour-long informal discussions on field-wide big issues and hot topics that are shaping the future direction of the profession. Previous Idea Lounge topics have included: making exhibits matter, building a better brand, and leadership for the next generation.

Life Balance “Spa”
Sunday April 27, 2-6 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, April 28 – 30
7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Take a quiet break from the hustle and bustle of the annual meeting and tap into your inner museologist! Enjoy “low sweat” yoga or T’ai Chi in your street clothes. Treat yourself to a chair massage. Or simply relax in our “Stress-free Relaxation Zone.” Life Balance Spa activities sponsored by 1220 Exhibits, Luke Weil & Associates and Qm2: Quality Management to a Higher Power. Please, no cell phones, pagers, laptops or other communication devices allowed.