STAYING CURRENT IN THE MARKETPLACE

We all have our sources for news that we turn to every day, and whether it's TV, radio, Internet, or print it's time to dig in and maximize your job search efforts. It's important to know
� what breaking news stories you can be sharing in an interview or at a networking event
� who is being honored with an award or featured article
� which firms are innovating and leading a trend
� which individuals and companies are on the move with new hires and promotions
� who is on your top 10 target companies you want to work for in your next position
� where the best networking events are happening

In the Twin Cities area, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal www.mspbj.com is a great resource for what's happening in our market. Start following them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and their @MSPBJnews Twitter handle for important updates.

Knowledge is power, and by staying current you will be ahead of your game. You will stand out in networking opportunities and during job interviews.

To jump start your research, here is a list of upcoming networking events as well as some business headlines highlighted by OI Global Partners. Also check my website calendar for more ECI networking events and local happenings.

Local Seminars by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

Power User Seminar: You Can Get Hired
Tuesday, March 24th
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/event/128631

BizWomen Mentoring Monday
Monday, March 30th
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/event/114011

Speaking of Business - Be Heard. Be Recognized. Influence Others.
Thursday, April 2nd
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/calendar/451391

Some Top Business Headlines Highlighted by OI Global Partners:

Foxtons & profits up
London estate agency Foxtons has reported an 8.2% rise in pre-tax profits to �42.1m after a strong first six months. Chief Executive, Nic Budden said that transactions reached their highest levels since 2008. However, the second half of the year saw a sharp downturn "particularly in central London", where the firm has the majority of its 52 branches. The agency has predicted that sales volumes would be unlikely to rise again until after the general election.

Prada & shoe manufacturer on strike
A shoemaker factory in south east China that makes shoes for designers such as Prada and Michael Kors has seen 5,000 of its factory workers go on strike. The row is over housing funds with one worker claiming that she has not received the money in the eight years she has worked there. Strikes in China doubled last year from 2013 with 40,000 employees that supplied Adidas and Nike demanding social insurance payments.

Apple & The Watch
Apple's smartwatches are due to go on sale on 24th April. Apple's website lists 38 models, in two sizes, ranging in price from $349 to $17,000 (�299 to �13,500 in the UK). The price differential primarily comes down to the materials used to make the watch rather than any difference in specification with gold-cased versions being the most expensive. Batteries should last up to 18 hours, taking only 2.5 hours to fully charge from empty and thousands of new apps have already been developed for the Watch. Functionality demonstrated by Apple included making touchless payments, the ability to open compatible hotel room doors, checking the name of a song via the app Shazam and opening an internet-connected garage door remotely. Exciting!