• by Beverly Weinstein , July 20, 2009

If you're looking for some relief from the job search blues, there are plenty of organizations offering career seminars at an affordable price. They may be just what you need to lift your spirits and gain some solid career advice at the same time.

The prices to attend vary as widely as the organizations offering them and the caliber of the people leading them. Horizon Media did a free job advice session recently as a goodwill gesture. New York Women In Communications (WICI) offered an affordable "Night of the Coaches" open to members as well as non-members. The price was $41 for non-WICI members and as low as $16 for student members.

I thought I'd sample one of these seminars and along with my research assistant, took in four of the 10 WICI sessions. The evening featured 10 coaches and 10 different topics, ranging from Business Networking that Gets Results to Expanding your Freelance Career. The crowd was diverse, ranging from baby boomers to newly minted and recently laid-off millennial communications professionals. Although this is a women's organization, there were a few men in attendance. While all sessions had something to offer, some were richer than others.

Here are some highlights: "Negotiating In a Tough Economy" was led by coach Amanda Duran, founder of Career Transitioning. She offered some great advice and then opened the session up to Q&A, going around the table of 10 to make sure everyone had a chance to participate. The following are some of the key talking points:

• Women underestimate their value when they negotiate for a salary. They leave up to 25% on the table.

• Learn to negotiate better by practicing with a friend or colleague before you talk to the hiring manager about money.

• Make sure to negotiate for title, authority and resources to make ensure you'll be successful in the new job.

• Don't think you should be paid less even if it's a tight economy.

• Never go into a job interview without first researching the company. It will help you demonstrate your value.

• When negotiating for title make sure you know what is standard at the company as well as within the industry.

"Entrepreneurship & Starting Your Own Business," led by Terry Yoffe, managing director of Try Coaching, took a different approach. Yoffee spent the hour giving each member of her group time to talk about the business they wanted to start and encouraged other members of the group to offer advice and comments.

"Stepping Up for Yourself Nicely with Words and Actions" hosted by Daylle Deanna Schwartz, president of Project Self-Empowerment, focused on problems that plague women in the workforce. Schwartz, the author of several books on women and self-empowerment, suggested practical tips for working women on how to be heard and respected at work. Considerable focus was placed on basics before opening up to general discussion:

• The importance of your body language

• Annunciation and speaking slowly to portray an air of confidence

• Speaking with expectation, ie: not "Can we set up a meeting?" but "When are you available for a meeting?"

"Beyond Facebook: Surviving & Thriving in the new Digital Era" was led by Esmée, an interactive content producer, and focused on digital media and specifically on the go-to professional network, LinkedIn. Esmée showed a power point presentation detailing the specific areas of LinkedIn that should be utilized to up the ante on virtual networking, putting the most emphasis on joining Groups; making introductions to connect with new people; and participating in discussions to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

While the topic of social networking is far deeper than Esmée could delve into in the time allotted, it was a great starter course for beginners. For professionals really looking to become social media experts, however, a seminar devoted to the topic might be a more practical option.

This event was just one of the many that are held constantly nationwide. We'll be alerting readers to upcoming events in New York we think will be helpful in the coming weeks. Also, check out http://dearbev.com for more information on the WICI sessions.