As we've all recognized in recent years, it's hard to stand out in a crowded job marketplace. While skills and talents are obviously a critical part of the success equation, it's equally important for professionals to learn how to brand, differentiate, and promote themselves in a way that will keep them "top of mind" with potential recruiters and hiring managers.

On that note, I'm excited to announce a special two-hour evening networking event I'll be holding on Wed, 6/21, where we'll be spending an initial hour engaging in some entertaining icebreakers and networking activities, after which we'll be joined by personal branding guru Mel Carson, who will be delivering a presentation packed with tips on how individuals can take their personal branding/marketing efforts to the next level.

For those who haven't heard Mel speak, his mission is to inspire individuals around how to make the most of the explosion of digital media in their self-promotional efforts and successfully use these tools to gain an edge out in today's marketplace. In addition to his current role as Founder of Delightful Communications, his background includes 7 years as a Digital Marketing Evangelist at Microsoft, where he educated customers through the Microsoft Advertising Blog and spoke frequently at conferences, trade shows and other events all over the world. His insights have also appeared in numerous top media outlets such as The Financial Times, Fast Company, The Next Web, Forbes, GQ, Quartz, USA Today, PR Daily and Entrepreneur.com.

All in all, it should be a memorable and uplifting event, so I hope many of you out there will be able to join me for the festivities!

Advanced registration is required and your $20 ticket will cover admission to the event and the food/refreshments I'll have available -- as well as include a copy of Mel's book "Introduction to Personal Branding: 10 Steps to a New Professional You" as a takeaway item to help ensure his insights have staying power!