Library Career Workshops Aim to Help South County Job Seekers
With competition still fierce in the job market, job seekers probably wished they could summon a “Jedi mind trick” and magically convince employers they are the best person for the job.
That talent is fictional, however, and only works in Star Wars movies. But job seekers can do the next best thing and discover the “force” inside the minds of employers through a series of CareerBuilder Workshops being offered at the County’s Bonita-Sunnyside Library in conjunction with the South County Career Center (SCCC).
Organizers promise “boots on the ground” knowledge direct from local employers as part of the six presentations being offered.
“Competition is very stiff,” said Leo Alarcon, a business services consultant at SCCC. “There are a lot of people going through career transitions or being forced to change career paths because of the recession.”
The workshops begin Monday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. with a resume workshop: “Can your resume pass the 10-second test?”
“Employers are literally overwhelmed with resumes,” said SCC business services consultant Diane Rose. “We want to share some insider tips on resumes.”
One big tip – and this is where the 10-second test comes in – is to not include an objective on your resume any more.
“You should put a summary of your skills and maybe a short bio at the top of your resume,” said Alarcon.
Rose said employers literally look at the top few inches of your resume to make their initial determination.
The second hour of the resume workshop will be one-on-one resume reviews with hiring professionals.
The workshops continue once a month through June covering job search strategies, ten top tips for interviews, an employer showcase, an interactive employer panel and social media for job seekers.
The added element of social media is a new twist for many older job seekers and many people don’t realize it can be a double-edged sword.
Alarcon is the social media guru and has several tips for job seekers.
“The workshop really goes through a lot of do’s and don’ts for LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter,” he said. “LinkedIn is great for building your network, but people need to remember what they post to social media accounts can backfire.”
In other words, don’t post the photos from your weekend hot tub party or the mug shot from that one time you…well, you get the picture.
People need to remember many times employers simply Google prospective employee’s names and see what comes up. Rose encourages people to Google themselves and check what’s online about them before they start applying for jobs.
The Bonita-Sunnyside Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita. For more information on the workshops, you can call Rose at 619-628-0322.
Here is the CareerBuilder Workshop Series schedule. All workshops begin promptly at 10 a.m.
Jan. 14 – Resume Workshop: Can your resume pass the 10-second test?
Feb. 11 – Job Search Strategies: Tap into the hidden job market – gorilla networking
April 8 – Employer Showcase: Hear direct from hiring managers
May 13 – Social Media for Job Seekers: Are you LinkedIn? 80% of all recruiters are!
June 10 – Career Pathways to Success: Top industry professionals in an interactive employer panel