During that time I was also looking for another job. I decided to do my job search online. I figured I would have success based on the sheer number of sites that would be available to me to search. I joined HR career sites, joined regular job sites and even put my resume online. I found the "perfect" job alright, but almost none of them were in my state. Sure, I selected "California" in my search criteria, but those jobs that were in my state did not match my specifications. I found out quickly that quantity does

not mean quality.

I was dumbfounded….and then disappointed that there was nowhere for me to turn for help with my HR questions and nowhere that had resources and job search tools specifically for California HR job seekers.

At that moment I decided that I would not be in this situation again. So, I began to work on building my own personal network.

I began listing out my needs as an HR professional and researching the needs of other HR professionals. I began reading books and building networks. I attended workshops and seminars. I joined the California chamber and my local chamber. I tested HR help systems. I kept what worked and discarded what didn’t. I finally developed a personal, custom network of professionals in California who worked in my sector of the industry. As a result, I always had the answers I needed and I increased my skills in the field and became a real expert.

I decided to use what I had done on a personal level to build a statewide network of HR professionals in order to help others like me. Using a proven system of techniques and information I learned over the years, I built a California specific network that can be customized based on region, industry sector (public or private) and HR specialty (i.e. benefits, compensation, etc.), to name a few areas.

I realized there was still the problem of finding the perfect HR job in California that met my specifications and I wanted to help others that had been in my situation.