Community Job Seekers Committee

Hello Everyone,

Just a reminder that the Job Seeker Workshops & Career Coaching presented by Cuyahoga Community College starts this week with our first Workshop on Tuesday, 2/1, and coaching on Friday, 2/4.  Appointments are required for coaching, but not for the workshops.  For more information please see the Job Seekers link under February Events.

Also, if you are interested in working on the Community Job Seekers Committee please let me know.  I am sure there are many of you with creative ideas on how we can help the unemployed in our area.  Email me, Kristine Pagsuyoin, at lakewoodfamilycollab@gmail.com if you would like to join.  I will contact you soon with more information once the committee is formed.  Thanks!

Tri-C Helps Job Seekers with Free Program

By J.T. Neuffer, Career Development & Transition Specialist

If you are a job seeker needing help with your search…Tri-C Career Development and Transition Services
can assist you!

Since its inception in January 2010, Tri-C’s Career Development and Transition Services department
has served over 1500 unemployed and underemployed community members across Cuyahoga County
and beyond with free job search services. These services range from individual coaching to a regularly
scheduled series of group workshops offered at a variety of Tri-C locations or in the community. Our
services are being funded through grants from the Cleveland Foundation and The Walmart Foundation
Brighter Futures Project led by The League for Innovation in the Community College.

The unemployment rate in Cuyahoga County is staggering at 9% while the City of Lakewood has a
modest 8.1% according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Report. While the unemployment
rate has seen minor improvements over the past year there are many people still out of work. As
a result, our mission is to help you develop the skills necessary to be successful in your job search
and inform you of the tools available to increase your employment opportunities. Therefore, we are
bringing our services to Lakewood Family Collaborative members and other Lakewood residents through
a series of job search preparation workshops held at Lakewood Public Library every Tuesday during
the month of February from 9:30am – 12:30pm. Workshop topics include: Resumes That Get Results,
Developing Your Job Search Plan, Networking…Get with it, and Ace the Interview.

Our team of highly trained professionals who serve as facilitators and career specialists for the Career
Development and Transition Services include members with extensive business experience in Human
Resources Management, Training & Development and Staffing & Recruiting. The proven collective
expertise of all involved ensures that those served have access to the highest level of support in the
areas of Career Development and Job Search Preparation.

If you need immediate job search assistance, please call 1-866-933-5180 and follow the menu prompts.
Your call will be routed to a Career Transition Specialist. We look forward to meeting and working with
you in February or sooner.

Lakewood Collab Partners with Tri-C

The Lakewood Family Collaborative along with Cuyahoga Community College, Career Development and Transition Services, will be presenting 4 Free Workshops designed to help give job seekers the skills they need to help them on their journey to gaining employment or a new career.

JOB SEEKER TUESDAYS IN SEPTEMBER

THE MAIN LAKEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY

9:30AM-12:30PM

September 7^th: Resumes That Gets Results

Understand the purpose of a resume, how to develop an effective resume and review the general guidelines and parts of “resume that Will get results”. Opportunity to put together the initial building blocks of a resume including a summary,. Work history, job responsibilities, and accomplishments.

September 14^th: Developing Your Job Search Plan

Explore the importance of having a Job Search Plan.  Learn about the general guidelines and key parts for an effective Job Search Plan.  You will also have more insight to evaluate your target list or your job search.  Walk out of the session with a strong start in building your Plan!

September 21^st:  Using The Grapevine to Get Results

Learn how to “Use the Grapevine” to get your message out-to get referrals and gain insight into your target market.  This session will help you understand what “networking” is and the role it plays in your job search.  You will also get practical advice on how to break through any resistance to “networking” and learn that “Using the Grapevine” is the most important tool you can use then looking for a job.

September 28^th: Ace That Interview

Review general guidelines to improve your interviewing skills. Gain insight to “behind the scenes” to understand the interview process, types of interviews, overcoming obstacles and avoiding common mistakes.  Practice your interviewing and receive valuable feedback pertaining to your strengths and area for improvement.  Topics to be covers are: Basic Guidelines, Traditional Questions, Behavioral Based Questions and Telephone Interviews.

To Register, contact the Lakewood Family Collaborative at 216-529-6868 or email lakewoodfamilycollab@gmail.com.  Space may be limited. Registration suggested but not required.  Workshops are free.

Job Seekers Update: Tri-C Offering Free Assistance to Job Seekers

As many of you know, the job seekers workshop was well attended by many looking for support and guidance in their job search.  Out of the 50 or so who attended, 35 filled out surveys which will help the Collab plan future events to help the unemployed in our area.  We hope to be making announcements soon about upcoming workshops; however, if you would like to participate in planning events for job seekers please send an email to lakewoodfamilycollab@gmail.com.

In addition to Jim Henson (Cuyahoga Public Library Career Center) and Amy Kloss (Instructor at the Lakewood Public Library) helping to facilitate the workshop, Cuyahoga Community College was on hand to provide materials about their free career and job seeking services.  For more information on the Tri-C Key Career Place, contact the director, Stephanie Morales at 216-987-5578, or visit Key Career Place.

Another free source offered by Tri-C is through the Career Development and Transition Centers offered on 3 campuses. For more information on these services or to make an appointment, Click Here.

Don’t forget, the Career Center at the Cuyahoga Library is extensive and offers job clubs, and the Lakewood Public Library which offers a Job Hunting Workshop.

Learn More About Career & Job Seeker Services

Lakewood Job Seekers Need Assistance

Lakewood in not unlike other communities in the Greater Cleveland area.  Members of our community, and especially families, have been hard hit by job loss and the difficulties that arise during extended unemployment.

Some Job Seekers who are new to the current job market are facing challenges as they try to navigate the high-tech process of job searching. Whether they are college graduates or senior workers, tracking down and successfully applying for jobs is more complex than in years past.  Sadly, many types of jobs have been lost forever and so trying to transition to a new career is adding to the stress of job searching.

Many of us work with and know of families and individuals who are struggling with job loss and we want to help. However, we don’t always know where to turn or have the extra time to track down resources. Plus, we know that most of the unemployed need access to free or low cost solutions.

The Lakewood Family Collaborative is partnering with the Cuyahoga County Library and the Lakewood Public Library for an evening workshop designed to help us become informed about career and job seeker services available to anyone looking for a new job, or trying to make a career change.  Career services offered through our public libraries is an invaluable and free service available to everyone.  Knowing about these resources is a must for service providers, to employers who want to help their laid-off workers, to individuals looking for employment, and to communities who are trying to provide more with less in these tough economic times.

More importantly perhaps, we would like to invite job seekers to join us.  Please extend this invitation to anyone you know who is looking for a new job, or looking to make a career change.  Attendees to the workshop will receive information that they can take with them and will have an opportunity to ask questions directly to a professional career counselor. This event is free and open to all job seekers, and those who want to help job seekers.

Join us on Tuesday May 18^th at the Lakewood Public Library Auditorium from 7pm-8:30pm for our Career & Job Seekers Workshop.  We will be joined by Jim Hansen, Career Counselor and Job Club Facilitator with the Cuyahoga County Libraries, and Amy Kloss, Instructor for the Lakewood Public Library Technology Department who will help us learn how use these resources and increase our understanding about the current job market.

For more information, or to register for this event, please contact the Lakewood Family Collaborative at lakewoodfamilycollab@gmail.com. Or, call 216-529-6868.

Registration is suggested, but not required.