Job Club is Moving!

The workforce development team would like to announce that Job Club is moving from Thursdays at 5pm to Tuesdays at 9am.  We will be holding our first Job Club at the new time this Tuesday (June 21st) in the large conference room.  We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Leveraging Linked In

Are you Linked In?  If not, and you are looking for a job, you should attend an upcoming event at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living called, Leveraging Linked In.  For more about the ACIL and the courses they offer you should check out this link. 

So, what is Linked In?  Linked In is an online networking site for professionals to get connected to businesses and community members.  It is also a place to share your resume and your job qualifications.

Below is the information for the Linked In class for June 15, 2011:

Leveraging LinkedIn

Hosted by the Center for Independent Living

June 15, 2011 at 10AM - 12PM

Contact Stephanie Stiles at the CIL for additional Information at (734) 971-0277 X 21

Location 3941 Research Park Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

MPRI will be hosting a farm day on Saturday, June 11, 2011.  We would love to have volunteers come out and help us at Livingstones Community Farm, a local favorite for great food!
 
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please give Melissa Kim a call at 734.327.9717*.

*Please come in clothing you don't mind getting dirty.  Lunch will be provided.

Hitting the Pavement: The Job Leads List

On Saturday, the Workforce Development team hosted a small conference entitled, Marketing Yourself to Move Up the Ladder.  Our attendees had the opportunity to meet, mingle, and ask our community panelist important questions about how to land a job in today's market.

If anyone is interested in any of the handouts or materials we used please feel free to give me a call and I will send you them in an email. 

734.327.9717

Looking for the jobs leads list?  Click on our job leads list page!

Marketing Yourself to Move Up the Ladder!

We have the conference coming up this weekend!  We look forward to having everyone who signed up at Catholic Social Services this Saturday from 9:45am to 2pm.  Please remember that lunch will be provided and that outerwear should be business casual.

If you have any questions please call 734.327.9717 x685.

mktgflyer2

Employment Workshops Canceled

Just a friendly reminder that workshops will be canceled on Monday, 6.30.11 for memorial day.  We look forward to seeing you at workshops on Tuesday, 6.31.11. 

June Serving Together

The workforce development team is hard at work planning for our June conference, Marketing Yourself to Move Up the Ladder.  We hope to see all of the participants who signed up for it on June 4th!

Below, I have included the document for the June Serving Together event.  If you have any questions about serving together please contact Robby Berlin at 734.327.9717 x687.

June Serving Together

Suits For Success

 I thought I would leave you this weekend with an article about how our local public defenders are helping our clients get suits so that they can be successful in the workplace!  We were very honored to have so many individuals donate their time and their lightly worn outfits to our organization.  Please take a look at this link if you would like to read the full article.

Also don't forget that our professional conference is happening on June 4th!  We are really excited to have some great presentations and panelist signed up, so we can't wait to see you there.

Hitting the Pavement: The Job Leads List

Good Monday morning!  Over the last few weeks we have talked a lot about tips for making the most of your job search.  One of the topics that we return to over and over are organizational skills.  How well you organize your life will either help or hinder you in the job search.  At MPRI, we even have calendars and planners in the office for those of you who need help with getting planning materials!

Writing everywhere you go in the job search is essential, especially as you find yourself applying for multiple jobs in the community.  You want to know the date, place, manager's name, address/website of the place you applied, and for what position.  At Job Club, we provide job logs with the purpose of helping you keep track of applications, interviews, and positions applied to.

Finally, do not forget about the simple "To-Do" list.  I found this article which gives some tips about the revamping your "To-Do" list.  And remember, in the end a list is only as good as the person who uses it!

If you are looking for our job leads list please be sure to check out this page!

Job Club Tonight: Mock Interview

Today we will be doing Mock Interviews from 5-6pm.  This is a great opportunity to get practice with interviewing and to get personal feedback on how you can land the job!

Come Join Us!

Ypsilanti Pride

Hitting the Pavement: The Job Leads List

At MPRI, our goal as workforce developers is to make sure that we equip our returning citizens to be better prepared for the job market.  We do this through workshops, job club, and one-on-one meetings used to improve résumés and cover letters.  In June, we will be organizing a conference entitled, "Marketing Yourself to Move Up the Ladder."  This workshop is designed to help our clients, who have proven themselves to be dedicated and enterprising workers, make their mark in the professional world.

For our clients, I have attached a PDF file version of our invitation.  Space is limited (we are down to three spots).  Please call Alysa at 734.327.9717 if you are interested in attending.

Marketing Yourself to Move Up the Ladder

For our job leads, please be sure to check our job leads page that is put together every Monday by Emily Smith.

Job Club Tonight: Behind the Scenes

Job club is a wonderful opportunity to network, engage in relevant job development strategies, and to receive free consultations for interviews.  Rebecca, Emily, and I enjoy preparing presentations utilizing some of the most up to date resources available on job placement and job preparation.  Often, this involves a lot of research.  This may, for instance, involve checking out resources online, in books, or through communication with one of our many community partners.

Through surveys and client feedback, we try to tailor our information for those individuals who have a felony criminal background.  We have often noted that information regarding employment for individuals with felony records is scarce, so we continuously strive to think outside of the box when it comes finding great sources of information.

In addition, we love having guest presentations that really encourage our job club participants to think about how they can market themselves in an often turbulent economic climate.  All three of us enjoy the hard work that it takes to make Job Club a valuable contribution to our workforce development strategy.

If you are a community member, and you would like to learn more about job club and how you can help us make our communities safer by creating better acclimated citizens, please contact the workforce development team at 734.327.9717.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Spring is finally here!  We've had some great farming weather, which means that the Livingstone's Community farm is ready to be worked.  The farm is a great way to give back to our community and to meet new people.  Need more convincing?  You should check out this article!

To sign up please contact Amanda Harvanek at 734.327.9717.

Hitting the Pavement: The Job Leads List

A new month means a new chance for great job opportunities.  Emily's job leads are posted on the job leads page.    Please be sure to check and see if any of the opportunities match your qualifications.  Soon, we will share some news about a conference entitled, "Marketing Yourself to Move Up the Ladder."  Stay tuned for more news. 

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

 source

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).