Employment Book Review

Last Friday I talked about the Knock 'em Dead series.  You can check out that post here.  The Knock 'em Dead series also has a book about Cover Letters.  I highly recommend this book for making sure that your cover letter is up to date, interesting, and appropriate for the job you are applying for.

There are chapters about how to write a cover letter along with a lot of examples to give you ideas.  I have included a link to amazon in case you would like to take a peak inside and look at some customer reviews. Remember, the library has copies if you are interested in checking it out.

Job Club: In the Interview (HR Presentation)

Have you ever been in an interview and felt tongue tied when you were asked about your felony?  If so, you should come to our job club presentation tonight presented by Rebecca Rowland.  She has made a comprehensive packet to give out and the workforce development team will be present to answer any questions you may have!

Job Club starts at 5pm and is held at Catholic Social Services.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

How To Learn New Skills

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In my last post on Monday, click here to read it, I talked about broadening your skills to make yourself more marketable to as many industries as possible.  Today, I found this article online.  The article highlights how you can use any opportunity to learn new things, but you have to be the force behind making it happen.

This all helps to get back to the idea that even if you are currently employed part-time or on the Transitional floor, you can never stop your job hunt or stop learning new skills from your employment.  For instance, you may not like your current job as a cashier of a fast food chain, but could you see yourself as the manager of one?  Are you using the skills that you are learning on the Transitional floor to see what other type of industry jobs are opening up around you?

The job hunt, just like learning a new skill, should a be continual process of searching, expanding, reevaluating, marketing, managing, and networking in order to move forward.  As Jodi Glickman states in her article, "no one cares more about managing your career than you do."

If you would like more information about managing your career you should attend Job Club on May 5th.  I will be giving a presentation entitled, Marketing Yourself to Move Up the Ladder. 

Still need help?  You should contact the Workforce Development team at MPRI, 734.327.9717 x685.  In housing?  Please contact Rebecca Rowland, our Income Stability Liaison, 734.327.9717 x695.

Farm Volunteer Day 4.30

We are pleased to announce that there will be a farm day at Livingstone Community Farms on Saturday, April 30th!  This is a great opportunity to volunteer for the community, enjoy locally produced food, and hang out with great people.  If you are interested in volunteering (open to community members also) please give Amanda Harvanek a call at 734.327.9717 x377.

Hitting the Pavement: The Job Leads List

 Monday is a great time to reevaluate your priorities and your job search. For instance, have you checked out our jobs leads page updated by Emily?

If not, now is a good time to see if there is anything new that could aid you in your search.  If you are struggling with a particular job category, like manufacturing or construction,  maybe now is a good time to broaden your search.  Are there any other skills that you have that can be used in another career like retail or the restaurant industry?  I have included a link to a previous Harvard Business School link about broadening your focus.

If you think that you are interested in translating your current work skills into something new, you should contact the Workforce Development team at 734.327.9717 x685.  (In housing? Please contact Rebecca Rowland 734.327.9717 x695).

Employment Book Review

The weekend is finally here, which means that is good time to get in some good reading.  A book that I would recommend to get started is Knock Em Dead:  The Ultimate Job Search Guide by Yate Martin.  I have included a link to amazon in case you would like to take a peak inside and look at some customer reviews.

I understand that when you are looking for jobs, spending money on books about job searching may not be within your budget.  Thankfully, most communities have a local library that allows people within the library district to rent books free of charge.  If you live in the area Ypsilanti please click here for the Ypsilanti library card application, if you live in the Ann Arbor school district please click here for the Ann Arbor library card application.  Don't forget to provide proof of residence when you turn in your application (a lease, a dte bill, etc.)!

Tip:  I just checked at both libraries and the Knock 'em Dead series are available.

Job Club Thursday: Mock Interview

This evening we will be working on our mock interviewing skills!  Please come prepared to put your best foot forward as we will have guests from the community, as well as staff, helping you get adjusted to the interview process.  This is a great chance to beef up your professional skills so that when you finally do get that "real-life" interview opportunity you are ready to go.

There is no need to RSVP to this event.  Housing clients are required to come.  Community members are welcome.

Working Your Way To the Top

I hope everyone had an eventful Tuesday!  Yesterday, was our push to get people applying for and interviewing at McDonald's for their National Hiring Day.  I read an interesting article this morning about the National Hiring Day on Yahoo News.

The article brought up some interesting points about being willing to "work your way to the top," from a job that may not be your ideal, dream job.  I think that this is an important topic given the competition that surrounds the job market today.  When you have been out of work for a while, just getting your foot in the door could be a great place to jump start a career.  On May 5th, at Job Club, I will be discussing strategies for getting ready to make that next step.

In the meantime, I hope that if you interviewed during McDonald's National Hiring Day you will make sure to follow-up in a week or two to see where your application is in the hiring process.  Following up with the places you have applied to is one of the most important steps you can take to make sure that you are job searching with a competitive edge.

Hitting the Pavement: The Job Leads List

We've posted the jobs leads list!  Also, don't forget to fill out your online McDonald's application for tomorrow.  You can read about it here.

Seizing Opportunities

 As the warmer weather keeps rolling in, the student's at local college campuses will soon be rolling out.  This means that a lot of local business will be looking to slow the leak of turnover.  Use this to your advantage.  Check out these places*:


State Street

Ann Arbor Downtown:

Kerrytown:

Things To Remember: 
1) Dress for success
2) Have a copy of your resume, a pen, and a pad handy (you never know if they need someone right away or if they want you to fill out an application in store)
3) Know the busy times of certain industries (i.e. restaurants, shops, etc.)
4) Be friendly and wear a smile
5) Get a manager's name, and ask when you can check back about your application


*If you have location restrictions make sure you are approved to work/be at the above listed sites first.

McDonald's National Hiring Day

I just wanted to send a reminder out that Tuesday, April 19th is National Hiring Day for McDonald's.  If you are interested in participating you must have an application on file.  Please click here for more information on the program and to be taken to an application.

I will be sure to upload a reminder post on the 19th!

Tip of the Day

I thought that today I would share a link from the Harvard Business Review about showing people your good work.  I think that sometimes when we are in the midst of a job hunt we forget that we need to keep showcasing the skills we have now.  A good way to do that is to volunteer.  Volunteering with an organization that has a mission similar to your own is a good way to form networks and to show people your work ethic.  If you are looking for ways to get active in the community please contact our pro-social activities coordinator Amanda Harvanek at 734.327.9717.

Also, don't forget to check out our job leads page.  Here is the link.  Emily Smith updates the page every Monday!

MOVIE NIGHT: The Fighter

 

Amanda Harvanek will be hosting another movie night!  The movie, The Fighter, starts at 5:30pm.  You can click here to read a review or summary of the movie.  We look forward to seeing you there.  And don't forget that we will have pizza and pop!

To RSVP, please call 734.327.9717 x377.

Making Your Own Job Leads

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I hope you found your weekend to be refreshing and full of job leads.  If not, I hope this post will help you find a job search direction. 

Every Wednesday I lead the Internet workshops for MPRI at the Michigan Works on Harriet Street, and every Wednesday I ask the same question, "how does the Internet affect your job search?"  The answer of course is, "a lot."  If you are someone who still has trouble understanding basic Internet skills I encourage you to sign up for free computer help with the Ann Arbor Public Library. 

If you understand the basics, but are having trouble finding the right job seeking websites then read on.

Finding a job is a full time job.  Your Internet search, despite the speed of being online, will require you to do some researching of job search websites and of the companies you find. 

The first thing that I encourage you to do is to FIND A DIRECTION.  Try to discover an industry that you feel the most qualified in applying for.

After you have found a direction you should Aggressively Check the Websites that we have linked to on our front page.  Those sites include, but are not limited to, Craigslist, Indeed, and The Michigan Talent Bank.  This may mean that you check some or all of these sites at least three times a week if not more as they are constantly being updated.  Also, don't forget to check your classified's which are now online for free!

Once you have found some job leads and responded to them online Don't Forget To Call Back those companies to find out what the status of your application is.  You never know if an employer is looking for someone with initiative...be that person.

For a list of previous job leads list please visit the job leads page.

Weekend Wrap Up

 

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It is the weekend, yet again, which means that now is the perfect time to plan your job search for next week.  In workshops, we often talk about the importance of setting goals to help you keep focused on the future and your job hunt.

Here is a great article I found called, Top Ten Reasons Why Ants Are Better Goal Setters Than You.  So click the link to find out how you can learn some things from ants.

If you are at the point in your job search where you feel yourself beginning to lose the resolve that you once had to "make it," you should check out this article called, Impossible Is Just A State of Mind.

And remember, now is the time to make the most of the weekend!