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Networking events are a common occurrence in today’s business regardless of industry. Some business professionals look forward to these events while others have great anxiety about being forced to talk to a room full of strangers. Here are a few tips to make it a good experience.

Know your purpose. Start by asking yourself a few questions. Why are you attending this event and what do you hope to gain? Do you have a specific goal for the type or number of people you plan to meet? How can this networking meeting help you in your business or career? It is important to remember that the primary purpose of networking should be to build relationships first and business sales second. Having this mindset will help you come across as helpful, friendly and resourceful rather than the pushy sales guy.

Know your audience. Make sure you know who is hosting and something about them (company or person) as well as the purpose of the event. Confirm the dress code – whether business attire or otherwise. READ MORE

These are troubling times for the worker. According to Gallup, only 42% of U.S. adults work full time, which the polling firm defines as Americans 18 or older working more than 30 hours per week.

If you've been laid off recently and want to get right back on the job track, you're going to need a plan.

We'll get to that job search blueprint in a moment. The first move to make, experts say, is to not blame your previous employer for your predicament, and to keep things positive.

"People lose their jobs for many reasons," says Kathy Harris, a managing partner at Harris Allied, a New York City executive recruiting firm. "Maybe their company has decided to outsource or sell a division; it's purely a financial decision; or the nature of the work or business has changed. Even in cases when you're fired for poor performance, it's important to leave that embarrassment at the door and put the past behind you so you can look forward." READ MORE

The Hispanic community is growing at a fast pace. Hispanics are getting embedded into mainstream culture and emerging as a powerhouse of economic influence.

Hispanics are playing an important role in U.S. business success. As of today, they are the second-largest consumer market, and it is estimated that their purchasing power will increase 50 percent by 2015 to $1.5 trillion.

Despite the misconception about this powerful group, Hispanics are the largest immigrant group that exhibits culture sustainability. They even have different product consumption patterns compared to mainstream culture. They are not buying in the same ways as the total market. As a matter of fact, their technology and media use do not mirror the general market due to culture, language, perceptions and ownership dynamics. READ MORE

How do you build genuine business relationships – the kind that will lead to long-term friendships, personal growth, and (just maybe) sales for your company? Mike Muhney, who co-invented ACT!, an early and prominent contact management software system, has thought a lot about that question, which he explored in his book Who’s In Your Orbit?: Beyond Facebook – Creating Relationships That Matter. Here are four tips he shared with me about building authentic business relationships that can pay dividends later.

Notice what’s on the walls. Muhney’s first relationship-building lesson came early in his career, when he was an IBM salesman in northern Indiana. One Friday afternoon, he dropped in on a CEO, who told him, “Mike, I’d like to talk with you, but I’m literally getting ready to... READ MORE

Angela Barba was the first in her immediate family to graduate from high school. And when the time came for her son Robert to follow in her footsteps, she says, she found herself overwhelmed.

"I had no idea how I was going to get him into college," she says.

Angela, who had completed a two-year degree herself, says she wanted her son to be the first in the family to complete a four-year program. But she couldn't really offer any advice or guidance as to what schools to attend or how to apply for scholarships.

"I wish I could say that I helped Robert along with this information," Angela says. "But I had no idea how to even go get it." READ MORE

Through a special arrangement, what follows is an excerpt of an article from WayfinD, a quarterly e-magazine filled with insights, trends and predictions from the retail and foodservice experts at WD Partners.

In the recent shopper study, "Amazon Can't Do That — Consumer Desire and the Store of the Future," a key finding was Hispanic consumers' strong preference for community-driven environments and emotionally satisfying in-store experiences.

As the Hispanic population expands from 17 percent of the country's total in 2012 to a projected 31 percent by 2060, such insights will be crucial for retailers to attract and gain the loyalty of Hispanic shoppers.

Four key ideas to consider... READ MORE

Hispanics are no longer a sub-segment of the economy. They played an important role during the last presidential election and are emerging as a powerhouse of economic influence. Hispanics now have the weight to significantly affect your company’s bottom line — today and well into the future.

With more than 55 million Hispanics living in the U.S., they are the second-largest consumer group in the U.S. So, one direction or another, this growing community will impact your company.
How can you implement the right strategy to connect with Hispanics? Establish a more effective level of investment, commitment and cultural engagement. READ MORE

MODERATOR

Alfonso Gutierrez, Lead Anchor, Telemundo Chicago

Alfonso Gutierrez is the lead anchor for the daily news broadcast at 5pm and 10pm on Telemundo Chicago.

Alfonso began his career in journalism as a producer for a radio station WHFR (89.3FM) in Detroit Mi. This show was the first of its kind as it was the only Spanish music variety show at the time in the surrounding area of Detroit, MI.

Alfonso graduated from Henry Ford University in Michigan. Upon graduation Alfonso moved to Chicago and continued his studies at Columbia College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Movie and Video Production. While at Colombia, he interned with the Creative Services Department at Telemundo Chicago. Upon graduation he joined Telemundo KDEN, Denver, Colorado, news team, as a news reporter and anchor of morning news breaks.

Alfonso has been nominated for numerous Emmys and in 2010 won an Emmy for exceptional accomplishments within the news,” a news special”. In 2012 Alfonso repeated his efforts and garnered a second Emmy for “Outstanding Achievement for News Specialty Report/Series”. Alfonso has also been the host for 2 years for the Hispanic College Quiz airing on NBC.

Alfonso is a native of Jalisco, Mexico, in his free time he enjoys black and white photography, bike riding and exercising.

Discussion Panelists

Arabel Alva Rosales, President, AAR & Associates LTD, Co-Founder & Principal, Latino Fashion Week

Arabel Alva Rosales is President and CEO of AAR & Assocs., Ltd., a corporation with more than a decade under its belt. We're a full technology firm specializing in developing technology infrastructure, proprietary software installation and management. Arabel is also Co-Founder and Principal of Latino Fashion Week, the only full week and tour dedicated to Latino Fashion in the country. “This endeavor has allowed me to use my business acumen, my wide variety of contacts, and my creative side to its fullest,” says Arabel. Currently, I hold the position as the Chairperson of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) and am a board member of Women's Business Development Center (WBDC).

Arabel Alva Rosales is an entrepreneur that has been described in Chicago Magazine as a “Renaissance Woman” because of her ability to discuss concerns on Wall Street, global issues and what is happening in our communities. She is also recognized for having a critical eye for art and fashion. Arabel has been honored with over 30 national and local awards and has appeared often in the media, including front cover of various Magazines. Some areas where she has been featured include Latina Style Magazine, Dinero Magazine, Hoy Newspaper, the August, 2004 issue of Chicago Magazine “Latina Style”, as well as Chicago Tribune’s “Handling the Summer with Poise”, and the front cover of Today’s Chicago Woman Magazine’s “Woman’s Hall of Fame” edition. She has also appeared on 60 minutes, CNN, and U.S.A. Today.

She holds an undergraduate degree from Mundelein at Loyola University in Liberal Arts with a major in Business Administration. In May of 2001, she obtained her J.D. from DePaul College of Law, where she has been a recipient of the law school's leadership scholarship award and Mayor Daley's Leadership scholarship. Additionally, she is alumni of Leadership Greater Chicago and completed an Executive Program at Tuck Business School at Dartmouth.

Lizette Arias, Senior Forensic Investigations Manager, Johnson Controls (JCI), Co-Chair, Mujeres de Hace Executive Board

Lizette specializes in financial fraud investigations, anti-corruption reviews and other compliance related matters at Johnson Controls (JCI). She manages the financial forensic program of JCI’s Building Efficiency business unit. Her work directly supports JCI’s Global Compliance function. Prior to joining JCI, Lizette was a Forensic Audit Manager at Emerson Electric and she also held the title of Advisory Investigations Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She was an integral part in the development of the forensic compliance function in Latin America. While at PwC she served as a co-chair and advisor for PwC’s Network of Latino Professionals (NLP).

In her professional career she was awarded an HACE Star Award at HACE’s 25th Anniversary Gala for successfully achieving career milestones and contributing to the growth of the organization. Lizette is also a former recipient of HACE’S student scholarship award.

Lizette received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from DePaul University and she is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Public Accountant. She has served as guest speaker for forensic accounting courses at DePaul University and Marquette University.

She is excited about serving as co-chair of the Mujeres de HACE Advisory Board and is enthusiastic to be part of the creation of this forum by which Latinas in management can collectively mentor each other to achieve greatness.

Luz Canino-Baker, President, LNC Coaching, LLC

Luz Canino-Baker is a proven business leader with experiences in the corporate, non-profit, education, and small business sectors. After a successful twenty-eight year banking career. Ms. Canino-Baker took her innovative leadership skills to the non-profit sector. She is an Adjunct Professor at four Universities in Chicago teaching effective leadership, career management, diversity and cultural management for women, and management courses. In 2007, she launched her own business LNC Coaching,LLC a for profit with a social impact business, which offers four core services, Executive/Life/Group/Retreat Coaching, professional development workshops with assessments, consulting, and professional development conferences ( Latinas On The Plaza) that target Latina women. Luz is also the author of the newly released Designing Your Life Plan book, a book that takes the should have/could have life to a will have life.

Ms. Canino-Baker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from DePaul University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business. In 2014, she was awarded Diversity Ambassador of the Year by UCAN Chicago, in 2009 she was recognized as on the Top 100 Under 50 by Diversity MBA Magazine, and in 2007 she was one of the Chicago Business Leader of Color by Chicago United.

Tonantzin Carmona, Deputy Policy Director, City of Chicago, Office of the Mayor

Tonantzin Carmona has spent the last year and half in the Emanuel Administration working on a wide range of policy issues –including immigrant integration policies, as well as sustainability, housing, public health, and small business initiatives—and has played a leading role in the City-County Collaboration helping to streamline services, improve residents’ interactions with government, save taxpayer dollars and increase revenue.

Prior to her work at the Mayor’s Office, she worked with Crimson Leadership Group to create opportunities for underserved communities, and immigrant students and families in Illinois high schools to engage with the college admissions process and leadership development. She also worked at the NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute in a collaborative study between heath scientists and community partners to investigate disparities in maternal and child health among low-income, ethnic-minority and immigrant families.

Tonantzin earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Northwestern University, and she was born and raised in the Little Village/La Villita community.

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As many job seekers have often heard, it's all about who you know. When it comes to finding a job, your industry connections can often prove to be as important as the practical skills and work experience you have, if not more so.

College students, career changers and other newcomers to their chosen field can and should use networking events and job fairs to meet key industry players who could put them on the path to employment. Kevin Roach, a recruiting expert and business professor at Texas A&M University, and Lisa Burton, a career coordinator at the Texas A&M Career Center, offered seven tips for job seekers to make the most of their time at these events. READ MORE

As the numbers clearly indicate, in states such as California, the Hispanic population indexes well above the national average, yet the percentage of Hispanic physicians is also only five percent – as it is across the Unites States as well. It’s because of this demographic shift that Center for Hispanic Leadership (CHL), the preeminent thought-leadership, human capital and business strategy consultancy to the healthcare industry has launched a new service offering to aid hospitals, research institutions, and professional associations connect with U.S. Hispanics. READ MORE

Over the last few years an unusual phenomenon has kept popping up in public opinion surveys: Blacks and Latinos have become much more sanguine about the country's prospects as white folks have become more pessimistic. It's a stark reversal of decades of data in which white folks were almost always more optimistic.

You'd think that the economic landscape — jobs, wages, financial security — might be the biggest indicators of whether people felt optimistic about their country's trajectory. And that stuff certainly plays a big role. For several years in the early aughts, more and more people across all groups were starting to express more worry. READ MORE

State Farm Insurance Co. is trying to help Hispanics expand their businesses.
The property/casualty insurance company unveiled the State Farm Hispanic Small Business Resource Center, which will reside within the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City's office in Downtown.

According to a release, the goal is to see business professionals use the resource center to hold meetings, training and seminars. READ MORE

There are many professionals that attend networking functions out there. Some people attend events for leads, some to get familiar with what kind of events are going on around town, and others attend to connect with their peers and other professionals for business or partnership reasons.

There are actually quite a few networking etiquette rules that are unspoken at networking events, so I thought I’d share a few tips on best etiquette practices during networking events so you can increase your networking power over time.

Minding these tips will allow you to network better, and you’ll quickly become more popular with your peers.

1. Whip out the compliments

Compliment other attendants at events – usually when you are attending a networking event, there is some kind of line for nametags. There are other professionals waiting in line to pay or to get their nametags. When you greet someone and make them feel good publicly, other professionals in line see you. Doing that helps you to project your warmth, inviting nature, and most of the time, it gets you into a professional conversation right away before you even enter the event. READ MORE

Hispanic and Latino shoppers across the United States wield more than $1.2 trillion of buying power annually with projections of $1.5 trillion by 2015, according to Nielsen. That economic power is why Wal-Mart, Home Depot and most major retailers invest in marketing efforts to woo this important demographic.

Experts said consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and other retail suppliers are just starting to scratch the surface with targeted marketing efforts to Hispanics. McKinsey Group reports that retail spending of Hispanic consumers will nearly double over the next 10 years and account for almost one-fifth of total retail spending. READ MORE

I hear from many "older" job seekers these days who are frustrated with today's job search process. They are convinced that their "advanced age" (30, 40, 50, or more) is causing them problems. I think they could be right, but NOT, perhaps, for the reason they think...

Although I do not doubt that age discrimination exists, I know that other things could be negatively impacting these people. It basically comes down to looking -- and being -- out of date, using old-fashioned job search techniques. READ MORE

Innovation is the life blood of any successful business; without it ,companies cease to offer brands, products, services and experiences that delight their customers. Eventually, companies that don’t disrupt themselves with their own innovation get disrupted out of existence by more innovative players. But finding great new ideas and turning them into products and services that customers love is no easy task. Just ask any entrepreneur, top executive, marketer or anybody with the word innovation in their title.

The technology revolution has opened up the world to infinite possibilities of how to make just about any product, service or experience better and more relevant to people. READ MORE

After a year in operation, CNN Latino will close this month the programming aimed at attracting Spanish language and bilingual Hispanics because its inability to meet business expectations, according to Geraldine Moriba, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for CNN Worldwide.

Geraldine Moriba re-affirmed to me that CNN is committed to best serving the Latino community and that the news network is a champion of diversity in the workplace.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is, undoubtedly, disappointed and concerned about the decision. This decision comes on the heels of the closure of NBC Latino. READ MORE

Lately, workplace diversity has been generating a lot of buzz. Countless studies have been done over the last couple of years. Every week, the blogosphere generates a ton of thought-provoking discussion about this topic. And it is all happening for good reason: Diversity could be the key to business success.

Today, businesses have greater access to global talent. To attract and retain the best of what the world has to offer, leadership teams need to become more understanding and sensitive on what it means for an employee to feel not only valued and appreciated, but also respected. And when leaders earn their respect, employees will do all that they can to encourage organizational growth. READ MORE

The Hispanic community is growing at a fast pace. They are getting embedded into mainstream culture and emerging as a powerhouse of economic influence.

Hispanics are playing an important role in U.S. business success. As of today, they are the second-largest consumer market, and it is estimated that their purchasing power will increase 50 percent by 2015 to $1.5 trillion.

Despite the misconception about this powerful group, Hispanics are the largest immigrant group that exhibits culture sustainability. They even have different product consumption patterns compared to mainstream culture. READ MORE

Many job seekers are inclined to jump at the first job offer that comes their way. But what if it isn't exactly the type of position you wanted? Should you still take it?

Heather Huhman, a career and workplace expert for the online career site Glassdoor, said that while those who have experienced a long-term job search probably feel as though they should take what they can get, there are other options.

"When you encounter offers you don't completely love, you must ask yourself if you will accept the job offer, attempt to negotiate or wait for a better opportunity to come along," Huhman wrote in a recent blog post. READ MORE