A free seminar on preparing a resume and writing a cover letter will be presented Tuesday.

The seminar, "Get Professional: Resume and Cover Letter Boot Camp," will be presented by a former UNC Career Services specialist who will talk about how to present yourself on paper for maximum impact.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. at Caribou Coffee at the corner of Estes Drive and East Franklin Street. Space is limited so RSVP to Kristin@artofpotential.com or 919-360-7957.

Chamber offers business events

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Network 2007 kick-off event will be Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Franklin Hotel at 311 W. Franklin St.

The event will include hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, networking opportunities and an informal panel discussion a representatives of Blue Cross Blue Shield, Smithger and Associates, Cisco Systems and Smith Breeden Associates.

The event is free for Chamber members, but space is limited.

For information or to register for Chamber events, call 967-7075.

Seminar aimed at effective networking

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce and Progress Energy will present a seminar on the intricacies of effective networking on Aug. 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Chamber office.

The event will be a way for community members to educate themselves and their employees about topics vital to the survival of their businesses. The seminar is led by Linda M. Conklin, manager of UNC Alumni Career Services.

To register, go to www.carolinachamber.org/seminars. Cost for Chamber members is $25; non-members, $35.

Furniture store open at Eastgate

Porto, a fine home-furnishings and accessories store, celebrated its grand opening on July 14 at Eastgate Shopping Center.

The store features high-end, handcrafted, heirloom-quality furnishings designed and manufactured by companies that exercise and promote sustainable forestry and sourcing practices, such as South Cone, a world leader in sustainable furniture.

"The Chapel Hill store will feature our 'greenest' selection ever," said Michael Perry, who co-owns Porto with Emily Barrett. "This is also a booming and largely untapped market. Yet it's a market that's extremely open to the concept of protecting the world's resources and reducing its own environmental footprint by caring about where furniture comes from and whether or not responsible forestry practices came into play."

The company has a store in Raleigh's North Hills shopping center.

Porto in Chapel Hill will also include a "learning space" in partnership with South Cone, Perry said, where customers and interior design clients can learn more about environmentally responsible furniture.

The 5,000-square-foot showroom includes a more "urban loft" look than the Raleigh showroom and will have 9-foot-by-9-foot removable panels whose appearance will change with the seasons.