In ASTD’s Career Development Community of Practice, we’re planning for great content, networking, and career coaching in Dallas! Here are a few sessions of note; for a full list of our offerings, please visit www.astdconference.org, look under the Education Program tab, and select the Career Development track in your session search.

Let’s give a shout out to David Avrin and Shari Yocum, first time speakers at ASTD!

• On Sunday afternoon, May 19, David will be helping us understand “How to Build Your Business by Building Your Brand.” He’s the president of The Visibility Coach. Learn more about David’s session.

• Later in the day on Sunday, May 19, Shari Yocum, managing partner of Tasman Consulting, will provide “Innovative Approaches to Analyzing Informal Networks.” Learn more about Shari’s session.

A number of career development speakers are back by popular demand, including:

• Jim Smith, Jr. will present “No Excuses: No Matter What Life Throws at YOU!,” on May 20 and repeated on May 21. Jim is the president and CEO of JIMPACT Enterprises. Learn more about his session.

• Kevin Cope will help us “See the Big Picture: Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company” on May 21 and 22. Kevin is the president and CEO of Acumen Learning. Learn more about Kevin’s session.

• Dianna Booher will help us with, “Talking to the Top Brass,” the morning of May 22. Diana is the president  and CEO of Booher Consultants. Learn more about Dianna’s session.

And Karen Hough of ImprovEdge will help everyone sharpen their negotiation skills in her Innogizer session on Tuesday afternoon, May 21. Karen will equip you with tactics and methods for success so that you:

• √ Are aware of common negotiation pitfalls.

• √ Learn techniques to improve your, or your learners', negotiation skills.

• √ Master techniques to stay calm during stressful negotiation situations.

In between sessions and the EXPO, I encourage you to visit the Career Resource Center for information about ASTD’s Job Bank, for publications that will help you on your career journey, and to sign up for a 45-minute session with one of our career coaches.

Thank you for engaging with the Career Development Community, and we look forward to meeting you in person in Dallas!

The ASTD 2013 International Conference & Exposition is the premier event for training and development professionals. This year's event will take place in Dallas, Texas, USA from May 19-22, 2013. Learn more about ASTD 2013's keynote speakers, educational sessions, and exposition at www.astdconference.org.