MTC Advises Local Job Hunters on Beating the Slump - 09 Community Career Fair
In a period of economic downturn and recent business and industry cutbacks and closures, local job seekers may find themselves in a no-win situation.
But the upcoming 2009 Community Career Fair in Moultrie on Thursday, April 30, could help ease some worries and give weary job hunters a leg-up in a competitive employment field.
“With a challenging economy before us, more company closings and layoffs occurring, it can seem that getting a job in these trying times is a daunting task. The good news is that while it may be challenging, it is not impossible! With a few tips and hard work, landing a job in tough economic times will happen for you,” says Lisa Griffin, director of career services at Moultrie Technical College (MTC).
Griffin shares a few strategies for the job seeker:
- Looking for a job is a job. First, get up daily at a certain time, shower and get dressed as if you were going to work. Create this as your daily routine. It is easy to get into a habit of not applying yourself when your daily routine is broken. This lack of scheduling is a catalyst for becoming depressed and discouraged as well. Set daily goals for yourself of how many jobs you will apply for, companies you will research and contacts you will make today. Keep detailed notes of where you apply, dates and who you spoke with or sent your resume to. Use alternate formats for applying. The internet is limitless on information and researching companies; however, do not allow that to be your only source of applying. Companies get hundreds, even thousands, of resumes electronically. Consider getting out and doing some leg work as well. Drop your resume off in person-but don’t forget to dress for success!
- Dress for success! First impressions count. When dropping off a resume or application, go dressed for interview, even if you are dropping off the application and will not be seeing a hiring manager. Other company employees are watching. Remember to smile and be pleasant. Act like this is the first time you have done this. So be energetic, even if it is the hundredth time, or so it seems. Dress one step higher than what would be normal attire for that company. If uniforms are worn, then dress in khakis or dress pants with a button-up shirt. Ladies, do not wear anything low cut or anything that shows excessive skin. If you doubt it is appropriate, then do not wear it. Be careful of fingernail polish colors. No flip flops and jeans are appropriate under any circumstances for an interview generally speaking. Consider shopping thrift stores if you cannot afford to go out and buy an outfit to wear for an interview. You will find some nice clothing at affordable prices if you look. Remember to keep yourself groomed. Men should shave as appropriate with a neat haircut. Ladies should wear moderate makeup. Moultrie Tech opens its Cosmetology department to our community for a nominal price for services.
- Update your resume with a cover letter. Our resumes change constantly as we gain more work skills. When applying for a position, pick out key words in the announcement and job description and apply them to your resume and cover letter. A resume is incomplete without a cover letter. Think about using your transferrable skills. For example, if you came from fast food, but are applying for a different industry, take skills from that industry such as cash register transactions and apply it to accounting procedures. Also think about customer services skills. No matter what industry you are in, you have customers, whether they are external or internal (such as other co-workers). Are you a team player? Are you good at meeting deadlines? Do you have good organizational skills? There are many websites that are free that can help with resumes and cover letters. Make sure to keep your resume fresh and clean. Do not make it too wordy. Use good grammar and punctuation. A sloppy resume equals a sloppy job performance in the employer’s mind, so make it your best. It is designed to get the employer’s attention to find out more about you by calling for an interview.
- If you do attend the interview, again, dress for success. Also, ask each person who interviewed you for a business card. Immediately follow up with a handwritten or email thank you note. It can be very short, but professional. Remember to use good grammar and punctuation. Mention one or two things that might have been topics of discussion in the interview to let them know you are interested and were listening.
- Consider retraining from a local college. Technical colleges offer certificate, diploma and degree programs that can retrain you in two years or less for a new career path. This can be a priceless opportunity for you. Contact your local college and speak with a career counselor about what will be the hot career trends in the next ten years. Are there programs available to assist with financial aid? Chances are, if you have been unemployed due to a layoff, there are programs to assist with educational training.
- Find industries in your area that are growing despite the economic hard times. You may have to adjust your resume to highlight your skills that this company is looking for and be willing to take a job at entry level, even if you have worked in upper management. In the long run, changing industries may be a more stable bet and pay off for you. Working for less money is not what anyone wants to do, but sometimes in downsizing and closings, we must. Be willing to consider this option when you are unemployed. With so many job seekers looking, it is considered a high demand for jobs economy. This means that negotiating salary is less of a factor. Do not call the company and ask how much the position pays, wait until you are offered the job. Otherwise, you appear to the employer that all you care about is money and not doing a good job for the company.
- Network with friends, previous co-workers, acquaintances and even previous employers. Let everyone know you are looking for a job. Networking is one of the most effective ways to get a job. Remember, you are always interviewing. Whether you are shopping at a store or attending a child’s birthday party, you are making an impression. Make sure you are making a positive one.
- Think about volunteering in your community. You never know who you are rolling up your sleeves next to in a volunteer event. Could it be the owner of the company you have wanted to work for? Use volunteer work as an opportunity to network! Also, do not forget to put community volunteer work on your resume. While you may not get a monetary payoff with volunteer work, you could if you get a job. It will also help you to consider the bigger picture of being unemployed and realize by helping others less fortunate or donating your time to a worthy cause, you are creating some very marketable skills in yourself while making your community a better place.
- Finally, be patient, punctual, positive and persevere. It may take time to find the right opportunity; but if you work hard, the hard work will pay off. Return applications within a day of picking them up. Employers typically keep them on file for 30 days, so if you do not hear something immediately, think about following up. Remember to be positive with your thoughts and language. It is easy to feel like “no one is hiring”. If you believe that, you will portray those habits in the job seeking process. Remember to smile, even if you are speaking to someone by phone. Your voice will come across much more positive. Don’t give up, if you continue to work hard at finding a job, eventually you will get the job! It just takes time and good planning.
Approximately 50 businesses and industries will gather at the 2009 Community Career Fair on Thursday at Moultrie Tech’s Conference Center on the Veterans Parkway campus. MTC, the Georgia Department of Labor and the Colquitt County Employer Committee will join forces to present the event from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The event is open to the public as well as all MTC students and graduates.
Whether or not employers at the 2009 Community Career Fair have jobs to offer at this time, job seekers will be interested in learning about local companies and what skills they would expect their employees to possess. In turn, businesses may find matches for future employment.
Industries expected to be at the fair include armed forces, banking, beauty, child care, education, fitness, food processing, government, health care, home improvement, industrial manufacturing, insurance, law enforcement, media, non-profits, sales and transportation, among others.
Admission and parking for the fair are free. All participants who register at the door will be eligible for door prizes throughout the day. For more details about the 2009 Community Career Fair, contact Griffin at (229) 217-4148.
