Portland HR Management Association

You can be qualified for the role and still struggle to get noticed.

So how do you create more visibility around your job search?

Join PHRMA in person on October 14 for Unstuck: Strategic Next Steps for the Prolonged Job Search with Talent Acquisition leader Blake Thiess.

Blake has spent more than 12 years on the recruiting side of the hiring process. During this HR in 90, he’ll bring that perspective to HR professionals navigating career transitions and longer-than-expected job searches.

We’ll explore ways to stand out beyond the application, activate your professional relationships, stay connected to HR between roles, and create more visibility around what you bring to the table.

Plus, you'll have the opportunity to get away from the job boards and spend time in person with other HR professionals.

October 14 | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
The Standard Auditorium | Downtown Portland
Lunch included

If your current approach isn't getting you where you want to go, come explore what else you can do.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3YmIGcf

Your local PHRMA community is getting together October 8.

Join us for our next round of District Coffee Meet-Ups, happening across all six PHRMA districts.

These casual mornings are all about making it easier to connect with HR professionals right in your area. There's no presentation and no formal agenda. Grab a coffee, join the conversation, and get to know the PHRMA members in your district.

October 8 | 7:30–8:15 AM
Six locations across the Portland metro area
PHRMA members attend at no cost.

Choose your district and save your spot: https://tinyurl.com/3cd78cwr

Save the date for a night dedicated to our PHRMA community.

Our annual Member Appreciation Event is happening October 22 at The People's Court!

This is our chance to bring members and volunteers together, reconnect with familiar faces, make some new connections, and celebrate the community we've built together.

Whether you've been joining us throughout the year or we haven't seen you in a while, we'd love to have you there.

October 22 | 5:00–7:30 PM
The People's Court
PHRMA members attend at no cost.

Save your spot: https://tinyurl.com/3zp599mv

October is a busy month at PHRMA, and we hope we'll see you!

Join us throughout the month for opportunities to connect locally, learn alongside fellow HR professionals, explore some of the challenges facing HR today, and celebrate the PHRMA community at our annual Member Appreciation Event.

We're also recognizing several October observances that invite us to learn, reflect, and consider the experiences represented across our workplaces and communities, including LGBTQ+ History Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, National Coming Out Day, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Check out the graphics for everything happening this October, then visit our calendar to learn more and register.

View upcoming events: https://ow.ly/7Fho50ZTFAi

If you’ve been searching for your next HR role for a while, you probably know the routine.

Update the resume. Check the job boards. Apply. Follow up. Repeat.

But what if your next step isn’t another application?

On October 14, join PHRMA in person for Unstuck: Strategic Next Steps for the Prolonged Job Search with Talent Acquisition leader Blake Thiess.

Blake brings more than 12 years of Talent Acquisition experience and has overseen thousands of hires. During this HR in 90, he’ll bring that recruiter-side perspective to HR professionals navigating their own job searches and career transitions.

We’ll explore ways to stand out, create visibility around your search, activate your professional relationships, and stay connected to HR while you're between roles.

Just as importantly, this is a chance to step away from the job boards, have lunch, and spend time with other HR professionals who understand what it’s like to figure out what comes next.

We're offering a $20 Active Job Search registration rate for HR professionals who are currently out of work and actively searching.

October 14 | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
The Standard Auditorium | Downtown Portland
Lunch included

Give yourself 90 minutes to try a different approach.

Select "In Active Job Search" when registering to access the $20 rate.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3YmIGcf

This is what PHRMA community looks like.

These photos are from last year's Member Appreciation Event, and this October, there are three more opportunities to spend time with the people who make PHRMA what it is.

October 1 | Inclusion Mingle
Join a small group at Woodstock Cafe to learn basic ASL, meet fellow members, and experience a local Deaf-owned business. Just 15 spots are available.

October 8 | District Networks Coffee Meet-Ups
Start your morning with coffee and conversation alongside HR professionals close to home or work. No formal agenda, just a chance to catch up with familiar faces and meet someone new.

October 22 | Member Appreciation Event
Then we're heading back to The People's Court for one of our favorite nights of the year: an evening dedicated to celebrating our members, volunteers, and everything you bring to PHRMA.

And the best part? All three events are available to PHRMA members at no cost.

Which one will we see you at? Or better yet, join us for all three!

https://ow.ly/Xv4550ZPTwq

If you’ve submitted application after application without getting where you want to go, what can you do differently?

Sometimes the next step isn’t applying more. It’s changing your approach.

Join PHRMA in person on October 14 for Unstuck: Strategic Next Steps for the Prolonged Job Search with Talent Acquisition leader Blake Thiess.

With more than 12 years of Talent Acquisition experience and thousands of hires under his belt, Blake knows what the hiring process looks like from the other side.

During this HR in 90, we’ll explore ways to stand out beyond the application, increase visibility around your search, activate your professional relationships, and stay engaged in HR while navigating a career transition.

Whether you’re actively searching, considering a career pivot, or trying to figure out your next move, come spend 90 minutes exploring a different approach.

October 14 | 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
The Standard Auditorium | Downtown Portland
Lunch included

We're offering a $20 Active Job Search registration rate for HR professionals who are currently out of work and actively searching.

Select "In Active Job Search" when registering to access the $20 rate.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3YmIGcf

An employee answers emails after hours. Someone works through lunch. A remote employee logs on early.

When does that time need to be counted and paid?

We're less than a week away from Wage & Hour Compliance: Avoiding Costly Mistakes & Managing Risk, presented by PHRMA Annual Partner Barran Liebman LLP.

Join Chris Morgan for a practical look at overtime, classification, timekeeping, off-the-clock work, required breaks, remote work, and other common compliance challenges.

September 30 | 12:00–1:00 PM | Zoom

PHRMA Members: Complimentary
Non-Members: $50

Register now: https://tinyurl.com/5dz5rrkc

Level Up Before Time Runs Out! 🎮⏳

Player status check: Have you unlocked your spot at the ORSHRM Fall Conference yet?

The countdown clock is ticking, and this year's Level Up experience is packed with opportunities to gain XP in leadership, HR strategy, AI, talent development, and networking.
Think of it like your favorite game:

✅ New skills to unlock
✅ Expert guides to help you advance
✅ Side quests with fellow HR professionals
✅ Power-ups you can take back to your organization
✅ Achievement badges in the form of fresh ideas and connections

Whether you're looking to level up as an HR leader, manager, business partner, or people champion, this is your chance to invest in yourself and your career.

🎯 Don't let the registration timer hit zero.

Register today and join us as we power up the future of HR at .



Game tip: The best players don't wait until the final level to start earning points. 😉

4th Annual ORSHRM Fall Conference- Level Up Join Oregon SHRM for the 4th annual fall conference.

Sometimes you need to talk HR with people who understand exactly where you are in your career.

PHRMA Career Networks bring together professionals at similar career stages to ask questions, compare experiences, share what they've learned, and build stronger connections within the local HR community.

Emerging Leaders is for those building their HR foundation and experience.

Mid-Level is for experienced HR professionals navigating growth, influence, and what comes next.

Executive is a confidential, peer-driven space for senior HR leaders. Participation requires an application.

Three different spaces. Three different conversations. One PHRMA community.

Please note: Executive Network has moved to October 1.

Find the Career Network that fits where you are and register at https://ow.ly/89LH50ZOWcO