by Angela Copeland | Feb 10, 2014 | Job Posting
This is going to be a very exciting opportunity for someone! Memphis in May is seeking a Program Coordinator.
Here’s a little information from their website:
Memphis in May International Festival is seeking an experienced volunteer manager with recruitment, training, staffing, personnel and database management experience to coordinate our award winning volunteer program. This is a full-time year round staff position with multiple areas of event and program responsibility at one of America’s leading festival organizations.
To learn more, visit the Memphis in May website here.
To apply, submit resume and salary history no later than ***February 10th*** to mim@memphisinmay.org

by Angela Copeland | Feb 10, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
It’s been a surprising week for folks in Memphis. Like we’ve seen too many times over the past few years, companies are restructuring. When they do, it impacts the personal lives of their employees.
Unfortunately, unlike previous generations, the luxury of having an entire career at one company is rare. Workers no longer stay at the same job for thirty years and then retire with a great pension and excellent healthcare. In fact, staying at one company can often be looked at as a negative thing. More value is often being been placed on breadth, rather than just depth, of knowledge.
This means employees must take charge of their own careers, and their own personal brands. It’s as if each person is their own little company, working to stay competitive and stay in the game.
For those who have not adopted this perspective, layoffs like those seen in Memphis can be especially difficult. You may be a top performer. You may be loyal, and get along with your boss. And, yet you were still impacted by this type of change.
Everything seemed normal. You went into work one day like it was any other. Unexpectedly, you were called into a meeting where you were notified that the company had changed direction, and you no longer had a job.
“What now?” you ask yourself. After all, you haven’t updated your resume in years. You don’t even know where to begin.
For those impacted by recent corporate changes, I recommend the following five steps. (Heck, I recommend these even if you weren’t impacted!)
- Get business cards – Despite not having a job, you need to have business cards. Consider ordering cards that only contain your name, phone number, and e-mail address.
- Perfect your elevator pitch – Practice explaining who you are, what type of job you’re looking for, and your professional background. Get your pitch down to 30 seconds to quickly and concisely introduce yourself.
- Update your resume – Spend time updating your resume with your most recent position and accomplishments. Don’t forget to include numbers, such as the size of budget you managed, or the number of people you led.
- Start networking – Get out there and start meeting new people. If you aren’t sure where to start, follow the networking events listed on my Copeland Coaching blog. When you go to an event, make a goal to exchange business cards with 5 people. It will help you to get started.
- Setup informational interviews – Reach out to those folks you meet, and setup time to talk. These discussions are an opportunity for you to learn about a new industry or a new company in a low pressure environment. It’s also a great way to network!
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to get started. The longer you wait, the harder the process can become. And in most cases, you’ll begin to notice that your old company has been a stressful place to work for a while. Although you feel frustrated now, in time, you may find that starting over was the very best start of all.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” –Dale Carnegie
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

by Angela Copeland | Feb 10, 2014 | Networking
Give 365 is hosting a happy hour at Grove Grill on Wednesday, February 12th from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
To RSVP, visit their invitation here.

by Angela Copeland | Feb 10, 2014 | Job Posting
CBU is looking for a Director of Athletics.
They prefer someone with a bachelors or masters degree and 6+ years of experience.
The Director of Athletics will plan, administer, and direct all athletic programs for men and women at CBU. Additionally the Director of Athletics will be responsible for fostering sportsmanship and ethical conduct; enhance the visibility and reputation of the University; engage faculty, staff, alumni, and strategic partners to grow athletic support; promote school spirit, and adhere to policies of the NCAA, the Gulf South Conference, and Christian Brothers University.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the NCAA website here.

by Angela Copeland | Feb 9, 2014 | Job Posting
Thomas & Betts is looking for a Senior Pricing Manager.
The Senior Pricing Manager is responsible for day to day management of the pricing managers, in two offices, who oversee pricing decisions outside of product management guidelines for all pricing activity within the division. The incumbent collaborates with the appropriate individuals to grow existing business and secure new business at competitive, yet profitable levels meeting price attainment goals and he/she is responsible for management of Pricing Optimization Application.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit their career site here.

by Angela Copeland | Feb 9, 2014 | Advice, Media
Unfortunately, Memphis continued to experience the harsh realities of restructuring, cutbacks, and layoffs this week. Workers found themselves caught off guard, and forced to start over again.
Lauren Squires from WMC-TV interviewed me and Kevin Cochran yesterday on the topic of where to start when you’re starting over.
Watch the interview below to learn more. If you are an employer that is interested to talk with Kevin Cochran, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
by Angela Copeland | Feb 8, 2014 | Job Posting
Hilton is looking for a Coordinator of Brand Culture in Memphis.
The Coordinator for Brand Culture and Education will support the BCIC team; assisting in the deployment of strategies and initiatives across the department. The Hampton brand hosts workshops and events across the country and the coordinator will ensure our interactions with participants are Friendly, Authentic, Caring and Thoughtful.
The Coordinator for Brand Culture and Education will monitor registrations for regional workshops in events, maintain waiting lists, assist in booking meeting space, arrange appropriate catering, and connect with workshop participants throughout the process. The Team Member will assist in logistics and planning for Ambassador U, including managing the application process, assisting in coordination of event production, and coordinating on-going learning. The Coordinator will partner with the Senior Manager, Culture and Education to ensure a world-class experience for our participants. The Team Member will be responsible for the maintaining of branded inventory used to support our culture movement, including awards from Senior Leadership such as Hamptonality Award and Wow Award. Additionally, the Brand Culture department unleashes Hamptonality in unexpected ways to hotels who are recognized for living the Hampton values. The coordinator will develop a process to ensure that recognition occurs in a Friendly, Authentic, Caring, and thoughtful way. The Team Member will also assist the department with coordination and integration of project plans across disciplines, to ensure an aligned, one-voice experience for our customer. Additionally, this individual will create, update, and maintain branded presentation decks for key departmental objectives.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Hilton website here.

by Angela Copeland | Feb 7, 2014 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Starting Over: When Corporate Goes Kaput.” It provides guidance on where to start when you’re starting over. I was inspired to write this column when I heard about the recent layoff at another large employer in Memphis this week. If you know someone who’s been impacted, please consider sharing this column with them.
For many employees in the Memphis area, the story is all too familiar. You wake up one day and go to work, just like it was any other. You wear the same clothes, drive the same route, and eat at the same place for lunch. Things seem fine at first, but something starts to feel a little out of whack.
You’re taken into a large room with your entire department or a small room with just your team. Then and there, you learn that the company has decided to take a new direction. And, the worst part – your job has been eliminated.
To read the entire article, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.
by Angela Copeland | Feb 7, 2014 | Job Posting
This job just sounds fun. Smucker’s (yes, the jelly company) is looking for a Maintenance Leader in Memphis.
They’re looking for someone with an engineering degree in electrical or mechanical, and 3 years of experience.
Here are more details from their posting:
- Lead PM activity for the site
- Lead initiative/capital projects as required
- Own HSE key element(s)
- Validate improvements/corrective actions that will deliver the desired benefits
- Implement the improvements/corrective actions in the supply chain
- Develop technical mastery of the core production processes. Execute processing improvements while interfacing with department managers and technicians to deliver effective initiatives including:
- Learn all key safety items related to plant operations
- Learn inputs, outputs, and transformations of the process
- Learn how each basic component operates and its application in the process
- Learn quality parameters/specifications and how to measure quality issues
- Complete new manager technical qualification
- Identify key process parameters and their impact on the process
- Learn process parameters (pressure, flow, temperature, speed/rate, timing)
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Smucker’s career site here.

by Angela Copeland | Feb 7, 2014 | Networking
The Make Memphis kickoff event will be held Saturday, February 8th.
Here are details from the event website:
It’s time to put your energy into action. The Make Memphis kick-off party will involve your ideas and free beer, some 90-second project pitches, and the opportunity to meet other members and get involved.
We love big goals, but this event will be all about generating smaller projects that we can complete in the near term. It’s important for this event that we focus on neighborhood level, place making projects. The success stories we build here will give us the organization, attention and energy to tackle larger projects this summer.
How This Works:
Ideas — Give us your best idea for a project that would quickly improve a Memphis Neighborhood. No matter how small there is always something that can improve a neighborhood. In exchange for your idea we’ll give you a cup to fill with High Cotton beer.
Some possible project ideas include:
- I want to convert a vacant lot downtown into a bocce ball court.
- I want to fix the neighborhood playground equipment.
- I want to build a scoop the poop station at a neighborhood dog park.
- I want better crosswalks in my neighborhood.
- I want a community garden in my neighborhood.
- I want bike rack and bike repair station in my neighborhood.
- I want to clean up an interstate interchange.
Pitch — If you have an idea that is far enough along that you want to pitch to the group, you’ll can sign up to do so. You will be given 90 seconds to tell us about your idea for your project. We only have time for a small number of pitches so get there early if you want to pitch.
Open Source — You will be given a chance to get feedback on our idea, build a “Track Team” to help with fundraising and project implementation, or collaborate and help others with their ideas.
Whether you choose to pitch or not, the event will be a lot of fun and a great way to get involved in a project or two. There will also be opportunity to share your contact info and interests so that we can keep you up to date on general Make Memphis initiatives and those specific to you.
To learn more, or to get your ticket online, visit the Eventbrite invitation here.

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