ProLango Career Mixer Powered by NWjobs.com

I read about ProLango Career Mixers in last Sunday’s Seattle Times. The description follows:

ProLango Career Mixer Powered by NWjobs.com cultivates relationships between job seekers and hiring companies. We discourage handing out resumes or elevator pitches and instead advocate building strong sustainable relationships.

Both companies and candidates have benefited from building relationships at these mixers and many have found employment by attending these events.

It was going to be at the Hard Rock Café in downtown Seattle, Monday night from 6:30pm to 9:00pm – a gathering of job seekers, employers and people who have jobs but want to expand their work-related network. People with drinks in their hands casually “mixing” with others. Different from a job fair in that there would be no tables with employers handing out trinkets or candy and accepting resumes. Plus, there was a Career Transition Consultant scheduled to give a presentation about “How to find a job before the holidays.”

I’m still looking for a job and I’m using resources such as WorkSource Washington workshops, online software tutorials and assessment tests, temporary employment agency information/feedback, and I’ve gone to one job fair…so I thought, why not go to a mixer and see what that’s all about? And why not bring Mike? The ad said to bring your friends! And Mike’s my friend. We both signed up online and printed our tickets at home. The mixer was free, but we needed to have a ticket to get in.

So Monday night Mike and I got dressed in our best "business casual" and went downtown. There was a fairly long line at the Hard Rock Café and it was a little chilly. Soon enough a woman got in line right behind us and we struck up a conversation. Unfortunately (for Mike and me), the conversation quickly turned into a sales pitch from the woman. She sells pre-paid legal services and I guess she thought we looked like a couple that needs legal help. NOT! We have our wills and our power of attorney docs…we’re all set…but she gave it her darndest. As the line moved inside, we were shuffled upstairs, tickets were taken, and nametags were stuck on our jackets. But we noticed the pre-paid legal services woman was pulled aside. She didn’t have a ticket and I don’t think she was allowed to go in…

Once past the ticket table we were ushered into a large open area with a four-sided bar in the center of the room. There was no music (unlike the downstairs section of the Hard Rock Café where music was blaring), but the sound of human chatter was excruciating.

We hit the bar (where I noticed almost all of the bartenders donned a hat of one kind or another. When did bartenders start wearing [weird] hats? I bartended for years and can’t imagine how hot that would make you with a hat on your head. ??) I digress.

We ordered a white wine and a non-alcoholic beer. That came to $14.89. I paid with a $20 and left a $2 tip before almost fainting. For crying out loud, the mixer was for people who don’t have a job = people without a lot of $$. Not to mention that my wine was served in a small, plastic cup. Although after looking around I saw lots of people drinking wine in glass stemware. HMPFF! I was dressed well...what was up with that Hard Rock Café bartender???

I calmed down and had to practically yell out the details of the bar purchase to Mike. It was waaaaaaaaaaay too loud in there to have a decent conversation. Nevertheless, we were there, we had our obligatory adult beverage in hand, and we wanted to make the best of the situation.

We moved about the room which by now was full with people looking at nametags and yelling out greetings to each other. I decided to venture out of my comfort zone with Mike, but I just could not do it. Me, the social butterfly. I couldn’t bring myself to just start talking to anyone. For one thing I knew I’d have a hard time hearing and understanding any conversation. But more than that was that the entire situation seemed so contrived. So fakey. Put me in a bar without an agenda and I think/know I could have several new friends before the night was over.

Within the hour Mike and I left the Hard Rock Café and went home. We were disappointed – I’m not sure if the disappointment originated within ourselves or with the mixer itself. Would I ever try another mixer? Maybe. Maybe not.