Who We Serve

GCG serves individuals in career transition who may be employed, unemployed, underemployed, self-employed, or military veterans seeking career assistance. GCG also serves the employed, self-employed, solopreneurs, and small business owners with career management tools and resources.

Whenever possible, we focus on the underrepresented, those unique in entering the civilian workforce, and the disadvantaged (including minorities, gender identity populations, veterans, and those impacted by ageism).

Opportunities and Sponsorships

Recognizing that the organization requires funding and not all services can be free, we will:

• offer enhanced services for a membership fee
• partner with experienced qualified subject matter experts for some paid workshops with revenue sharing
• will offer accelerator group boot camps on career topics
• will offer webinars and/or workshops (live) and record them for later use
• will offer instruction and make it available online at a future time
• will offer advertising and sponsorships
• will seek grants and corporate funding to encourage corporate social responsibility

Your “WHY”

• we were awarded 1st place as the Best Networking Group in Montgomery County by Montco Happening in 2020
• we were awarded the SCORE Small Business Award Winner in 2020
• we were listed as #1 on the Business Networking Associations list in the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2020, 2021, and 2022

Our Value Proposition Statement

We empower an inclusive and diverse multigenerational workforce to optimize the evolving workplace and gig economy through awareness and preparation.

Our Vision

We serve the area workforce and create alliances with businesses and nonprofits to empower everyone who wants to earn an income, including:

• workers in transition
• unemployed
• underemployed
• first-time job seekers
• career professionals
• veterans
• The underrepresented
• The disadvantages
• Others who are less resourced
  

as they seek employment, advancement, reinvention, or changes in their career. 

We do this using

• proven education and support methods
• tapping into the best resources available to us
• taking advantage of new technologies and methods as they emerge 
• and continual measurement of our successes and reviews of our ‘lessons learned’

Our Values

• Our core services of non-speaker Career Success Groups are free to all
• We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce
• We acknowledge and respond to the individuality of each person and the unique needs of each organization we serve
• We seek to serve all appropriate geographic areas within the metropolitan area

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Accessibility, & Justice

We embrace DEIBAJ in the workforce and share our policy, as well as our 2020 Instagram post that notes the following: At the Great Careers Group, we stand in solidarity with the Black community. We have zero tolerance for racism, injustice, and discrimination. These systematic problems have been created over generations and need to be acknowledged, addressed, and prevented. Our ongoing commitment is to prove that our support is not performative but intentional. We will be highlighting the diverse voices in our community.

Strategy

We provide support to individuals seeking help with career transition (jobseekers, the underemployed, and entrepreneurs) and career management (self-employed and employed).  

We strive to provide free and affordable resources, professional services, and tools for improving employment marketability and opportunities.

We do this through:

• Career Success Meetings
• Career Education
• Expert Speakers
• Social Events
• Purposeful and structured networking
• Training

We seek to add value without regard to an individual’s financial resources using free resources and volunteers wherever possible. 

Build & Enhance Your Network

It is important to connect with people and engage in networking. 

Join the Great Careers Network(GCG) meetings if you want to network with others who attend our meetings. We are an all-inclusive organization, and our meetings are open to everyone. We support veterans.

Obtain Resources 

Learn better networking techniques. Develop your personal brand. Perfect your elevator speech. Build a more effective resume. Create a one-pager. Move your resume past applicant tracking systems.

Our membership resources can help you navigate through your career transition or career management updates with expert advice and valuable resources.

The volunteers and leaders of the organization curate the best of the best and make them available to you. That saves you numerous hours in researching and wasted efforts.

Leverage Your Network with Members

Join the LinkedIn Group and follow the LinkedIn Company Page. Reaching out to others has never been easier.

Who Are Great Careers Network Members?

Great Careers Network members include those in career transition, employed professionals, and self-employed entrepreneurs, and business owners.

Members work in a variety of industries. 

For Those in Transition

Great Careers Network provides employment information, access to tools to accelerate your job search, support, and guidance. 

For Currently Employed Individuals

Benefits include access to employment opportunities and tools for accelerating a job search and for career management. There also is the opportunity to help companies identify highly qualified candidates and to assist others in their job search.

For the Self-employed and Business Owners

Benefits include potential staff, partnerships or clients, and an ability to help others achieve their career and other life goals.

Attend Career Success Group Meetings 

Great Careers Network have Career Success Groups, which meet weekly online. 

Great Careers Network History 

The Philadelphia Area Great Careers Network (the legal entity name) was established on April 7, 2010, as a meetup group by Eric Kramer and Ford Myers. 

On August 4, 2015, the meetup group was given to Lynne Williams to run with 1722 members and 8 Career Success Groups.

In December 2015, Lynne Williams consulted with a nonprofit attorney from Chester and Delaware County SCORE for advice on how to turn the organization into a nonprofit, and Lynne worked on the plan and ideas throughout 2016.

In January 2017, a Master’s Degree Change Management class at Immaculata University led by Sam Talucci, DMan, PCC, took Lynne Williams on as a client to help transform the sole proprietorship and meetup group into a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit. Students from Vanguard, Comcast, CHOP, and other organizations worked on various components, including bylaws, roles and responsibilities of Board members, the organization chart, filing of 1023, offer letters to potential Board members, and coaching an about-to-be Executive Director who had no prior nonprofit experience other than as a volunteer.

The IRS approved the 501(c)3 status of the organization on April 18, 2017, and the first Board of Directors meeting occurred on June 11, 2017, with six board members and Lynne as Executive Director.

In April of 2019, the Nonprofit Consultants Network Philly merged with the organization to become the rebranded Nonprofit Career Network chapter.

By April 2020, the Philadelphia Area Great Careers Network Meetup membership had grown to almost 4500 members. The Board of Directors of the Business Executives Networking Group (BENG), a 501(c)4 nonprofit, a national organization of mid to senior-level management, proposed a merger with the Great Careers Network with its own members and alumni of 1800 and active chapters in multiple states and the merger announcement took place on May 1, 2020, increasing the Board of Directors. 

What Should I Bring to a Great Careers Network’ in-person meeting?

• Copies of your One-Pager to share, if desired (see FAQ page for example)
• Table-tent card with your name on it (comes as part of the Bronze membership)
• A name tag to wear (comes as part of the Bronze membership)
• 3 to 4 copies of your resume or CV 
• If you represent a business, bring business cards and/or brochures

What is offered through the Great Careers Group?

Career Success Groups without speakers are networking meetings. They offer you the opportunity to get dressed and ready to stay in a routine as if you were going to work with other professionals. You practice your elevator pitch and get feedback, share accountability in what you did in your job search last week, what you will do in your job search this week, share networking contacts with other attendees, find a potential job search accountability partner, and learn about upcoming events. 

Speaker Meetings are networking meetings where you get to introduce yourself and state what you are looking for and what your target companies are in addition to learning from a career expert on a topic of interest. The topic could be related to career transition for jobseekers or career management for employed or self-employed individuals. 

Hands-on workshops and seminars on career education topics are available for working adults who have a desire to learn as a life-long learner. Topics are presented by subject matter experts related to career transition for job seekers and career management for employed or self-employed, solopreneurs, or small business owners. 

Interview Techniques seminar and follow-up one-on-one mock interviews provided by one of our most esteemed and most appreciated volunteers, Leslie Segarnick, otherwise known as The Interview Surgeon. 

Socials are organized to bring members and guests together for informal networking, and we sometimes have a silent auction as a fundraiser to support the organization. 

Job Search Accelerators for focused classroom instruction on four career essentials – resume. LinkedIn, Elevator Pitch, and Networking. These workshops are provided by themselves or during a full day, typically on a Saturday. Many employees are downsized and do not get outplacement services and need small group pricing with some individualization to help them get their career documents optimized.

Veterans Career Success Groups provide veterans with intense workshops that are strictly limited to veteran attendees for support with their transferable skills and preparation of their career documents.

Veterans Career Information Panels provide veterans and military spouses the opportunity to attend a small career fair, learn from veterans who successfully made a career transition to corporate positions or entrepreneurship. These were hosted by Penn State University Great Valley in Malvern in the past with additional volunteer support from the Alumni Association and My Career Transitions.

How Can I Best Take Advantage of the Career Success Group Opportunities?

• Become a Student, Professional, or BENG Member
• Register on the events page
• RSVP on the meetup

How Can I Volunteer to Help Within the Organization?

Paying it forward is the foundation of the Great Careers Network’ success. Whether you view it as good karma, payback for the benefits you have received, or just want to be part of the greater good, we welcome you to take a more active role.

Fill out the form at http://bit.ly/PAGCGVolunteer On LinkedIn, you should have a “-present” job to find a job so you may volunteer for our organization to fill in that gap. 

How Can I Open a New Career Success Group in My Area?

Please contact [email protected] 

Our “WHY”

Everyone deserves an opportunity to earn an income.

Great Careers Network Mission

To provide professional development through career education, resources, support services, and networking connections to individuals, including veterans.

The Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group (PAGCG) is a 501(c)3 volunteer-run nonprofit organization based in the Greater Philadelphia area running up to 600 online events annually.