MyJobHunt

Tips for Job Searching During Holiday Season: Part 1.

The holiday season offers time for thoughts about family and future as we celebrate festive occasions or begin a new year. For those unemployed and concerned about company downsizing, the season can also be filled with great uncertainty.

Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance can be a resource even in this tough economy.

It’s important to us that career candidates know Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance is available to assist them in continuing their job search efforts year round.  Centers in Tampa, Brandon and Plant City provide a full range of career planning services for professional and entry level career candidates, including career guidance, job leads and training resources.

The following are some guidelines to help job candidates in their search activities.

- Some businesses hire part-time to fill positions created by holiday vacations or to meet year-end demand from customers. Part-time work is better than no work at all. Part-time work adds to your unemployment credits, or counts toward your unemployment benefits bank, and is an excellent way to show your talents to a prospective employer. Because of the complexity of hiring full-time personnel, some companies hire part-time employees to evaluate how a person fits in and meets their expectations.

- Don’t put off applying for full-time work during the holiday season. Companies operating on a calendar year budget will make decisions about personnel and there is always turnover – no matter what time of year. Make sure your application and resume are there for employers when they consider hiring new people.

- Take advantage of the season by attending parties or gatherings and networking yourself with people who might know of job openings. Many times your best source for job openings is friends and acquaintances with insider knowledge about good jobs currently open or those that companies will post in the future. While it may be difficult to admit being unemployed to friends and family, these people are essential to your personal marketing network. They will keep their eyes open for potential opportunities for you.

- Don’t complicate your situation by overspending during the holidays. Try to avoid debt and cut expenses. Renew your relationship with family and friends. Many wealthy, successful people look back to tight financial times, when they were forced to focus on friendship, as some of the best, most meaningful moments in their lives.

- Seek help from Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance for job counseling and other resources. Use the programs that provide help to meet your basic needs while you explore the services available to you through job training to package or improve your skills to locate a new job. You have access to these services at no cost to you.

Look for part 2 later this week.

Don't Forget About Online Job Banks!

Internet and Web site advancements have provided us with job-search conduits such as online recruiters, headhunters, job sites and ... job banks, where job seekers can post resumes, search for a job or announce job openings.

Basically, there are two kinds of job banks—private sector and governmental. Job Banks function similarly to employment agencies, the major difference being that they provide services online and do not collect fees.

Job Banks match people with jobs according to skills, education, work experiences, geography and salary. A lot of companies today focus on niche markets, resulting in the emergence of industry-specific job banks. Here is a short list of job banks online:

JobBankUSA.com
SeniorJobBank.org
JobBankInfo.org

For more information about Job Banks and other strategies for your job search contact Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance.

 

When Job Searching, Make Sure You're Linked In!

During economic times like these, it’s always smart to add a little extra horsepower to your job searching activities. 

Employers today are becoming more demanding, more discriminating ... and seeking prospective employees with something extra to offer. So, if you haven’t already, a great way to stand out and get noticed is through your LinkedIn involvement.

LinkedIn, an online professional networking site, is pretty much like MySpace or Facebook, except that all your contacts are professional contacts — not “friends”. If managed (and leveraged) properly, your LinkedIn contacts can help give you more access to part- and full-time jobs. And LinkedIn’s recommendation feature, you can receive recommendations from former employers who liked and appreciated your work.

Note, tho, it’s vital to have a good portfolio. Try to pick the best of your previous work and have them ready should anyone ask to see them. Employers interested in you will appreciate the extra references and samples you send them.

For more information and tips for using LinkedIn and other social networking sites, contact Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance.

Making Your Military Duty Work for You. A Career and Resource Fair for Veterans.

In honor of Veterans Day, Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance will host a career and resource fair for veterans on November 9, 2009 at its Conference Center.  The event will take place on Monday, November 9 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance, 9215 North Florida Avenue. 

Veterans will meet employers and learn how best to use the experience and benefits they have gained to achieve their new career goals.  Information sessions will include:    

• Learn how to navigate the federal job search process
• Discover how to apply veterans’ benefits to advance your career goals
• Obtain information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and how to access education and training opportunities

Visit http://www.workforcetampa.com/veterans-career-and-resource-fair/ to register or call us at 813-930-7400.