DANVILLE — Even in one of the most difficult job markets since the Great Depression, many applicants walk into interviews not knowing about many possible pitfalls.

The long-running Job Connections program at Danville Community Presbyterian Church tries to improve the chances of a successful search. Its upcoming 8th Annual Career and Leadership Summit is expected to draw some 2,000 people who will hear from job hunting experts on June 5.

The stories of job search and interview missteps are legion.

A successful executive arrived at a job interview with what appeared to be dried baby spit-up on his suit.

A hiring manager wouldn't hire a perfectly qualified woman for a job because he thought she was obese, even though she was actually just a little overweight.

Executive recruiter Michael Webb recently shared these stories during a Job Connections presentation on combating age discrimination in a job search. The nondenominational organization coaches job-seekers on finding the hidden jobs market.

The group meets at 9 a.m. Saturdays at the church. During the three-hour sessions, job-seekers learn skills like how to present 30-second commercials about themselves when an employer poses the statement, "So tell me a little about yourself," or how to navigate those challenging salary questions during a phone screening. They also get to hear professional presenters like Webb discuss job-related topics.

Attendees —

mostly college-educated, including some with advanced degrees — come from across the Bay Area, from Marin to San Jose, for the free program, said Jane McKahan-Jones, the group's spokeswoman. Attendance is typically 150 to 300 people, and the group sees about 35 new people with each meeting. Job Connections counts more than 3,500 members, she said.

Webb said that age discrimination exists but it is rarer than people think. He challenged the audience to take responsibility instead of blaming age for not getting a job.

"We have to own the reflections on us — our skill sets, our education," Webb said. "We have to be conscious about how people view us." That could mean losing weight or trading in your disco-era suit for a more updated look, he said.\

It may also mean cleaning the baby spit from your suit before an interview.

Job Connections also emphasizes the importance of networking.

Having a strategic plan and getting it in front of the right people is the major task, said Dean Tracy, a career coach and recruiter who helped start Job Connections eight years ago.

"They have to get out of the house and network," Tracy said. "They have to understand that people will actually get them their next jobs," not big job boards like Monster.com and other online resources.

A recent study by the IMPACT Group that tracked 720 job candidates found that networking is the second most effective method to land a job opportunity, with a 34 percent success rate. The most effective method — it worked for 46 percent of study participants — was direct application to the employer. For those earning above $100,000, networking is the most successful strategy in uncovering opportunities, the study showed.

Walnut Creek resident Leanna Bruschini, a compensation professional who has been unemployed for 15 months, became involved with Job Connections last summer and also works at its registration desk.

"I get a lot of inspiration," she said. "Job searching can be frustrating."

Bruschini said she is excited about the four new leads that she found at the Jobs Connections meeting.

"Someone comes in with a green dot (this mark on a name badge means the person has landed a job) and I find they are working at one of my target companies. And then they offer to forward my resume to the hiring manager," she cheerfully explained.

Pleasanton resident Rik Kretzinger, who lost his corporate recruiting job last summer, belongs to one of the many Job Connections Success Teams, groups of six to eight people who meet weekly to focus on a particular area such as human resources or finance.

"You get the most value in getting involved in the small groups because they hold you accountable for what you are going to do the next week," said Kretzinger. At least half of his team has landed jobs.

The Career and Leadership Summit will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 5 at Community Presbyterian Church. The free event will include nationally known career speakers Patrick Lencioni and Amilya Antonetti.

Lencioni has written eight books, including "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team." He will speak on "Finding Fulfillment in Work." Antonetti, head of AMA Enterprises, will speak on overcoming adversity. Parker Barrile, director of product management at LinkedIn, will talk about how to use the professional networking site during job searches.

The free event is open to the public. Registration is required at www.jobconnections.org.

Those interested in corporate sponsorships or volunteering can contact Dean Tracy at 925-552-7972.