A&D Professionals Form Networking Society

The group's next networking events and workshops are scheduled for April 9 and April 14.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 4/6/2009

When Jennifer Graham lost her design job late last December, she decided to use the skills she acquired as a project manager to help others who find themselves in the same boat. "During the last economic crises, many talented A+D professionals left the industry," Graham explains. "This left a 'talent gap'. I didn't want to see history repeat itself."

Turning to the current economic climate, Graham teamed with Stephanie Chiuminatto to co-found LMNOP -- the Leadership, Mentoring, Networking & Opportunity for A&D Professionals. The group started earlier this year with little more than a collection of email addresses from a small number of professional colleagues who were recently laid off and wanted to keep in touch with their industry.

It has now grown into a formalized organization providing training, mentoring opportunities and workshops, including one held on March 27 titled "What to Expect from a Recruiter/The Executive Search." The third in an ongoing series held in showrooms throughout New York, it featured two separate discussions held simultaneously: one geared for professionals in the first 10 years of their career, the other for more experienced designers. Other workshops have included such topics as "The Job Search Checklist" and "Your Personal Professional Brand".

The group has also been hosting networking events for all LMNOP members, which often double as fundraisers in the group's overall objective to morph into a fully-realized non-profit organization. The workshops are kept small, with new members referred by existing ones.

LMNOP is currently developing a website, and also plans to host networking events and workshops on April 9 and April 14.