Workshop series fleshes out skill sets–Weekly classes focus on resume writing, job-search methods

Reprinted with permission from The News Enterprise
http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/workshop-series-fleshes-out-skill-sets
 
By Marty Finley
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 1:30 am (Updated: May 7, 1:30 am)
A workshop series hosted by the Kentucky Career Center was launched to help meet needs voiced by employers when it comes to labor skills.
The job seekers workshop, hosted weekly by the Lincoln Trail Kentucky Career Center at 916 N. Mulberry St., helps connect job hunters with skills they need to impress prospective employers, assisting with resume building, job-searching methods and interviewing skills, said Jerisia Lamons, client services manager and job seekers team leader. There is no charge to attend.
Launched last May, Lamons said the workshops are a response to employers with which the center networks. Many of those businesses, she said, voiced concerns that certain applicants were not properly qualified for jobs and resumes were not up to par.
Lamons said the workshops help shore up deficiencies by beefing up resumes, providing guidance on job searches and cleaning up interviewing abilities. These skills can be sharpened in one-on-one sessions, but the workshops help reach more at once, she said. “We’re able to serve a lot more people in a workshop,” she said.
This week’s workshops include basic keyboarding skills, a 12-week course from 8 to 9 a.m. Lamons said this class helps jobs seekers become more adept in typing, which can make online job searches or resume writing easier to master.
The “Do you have the skills?” workshop from 9 to 10 a.m. helps flesh out hard skills workers have while keying in on the development of soft skills, such as punctuality, Lamons said.
The final workshop is from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday and focuses specifically on effective job-search methods. Lamons said many job hunters believe online job searches are the “be all, end all” when trying to find employment, but the workshop will equip them with techniques they can use to lure employees in their direction.
In the past, the center has hosted workshops where participants have mock interviews and receive a critique from the class. This approach, she said, helps illustrate how an interviewer may view their performance.
The Career Center has other services in its arsenal, promoting local adult education and introductory lessons on Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint and Word, she said.
While the workshops have drawn low attendance in the past, Lamons said they can serve as a welcome to the center and aid in building rapport with the staff. Once a relationship is established and Lamons reviews a person’s resume and skill set, she may know of an employer looking for that particular set of skills and recommend them for a job.
“The workshops are kind of a jumping off point to all the services we have,” she said.
To register for a workshop, contact Lamons at jerisia@ltadd.org or call 270-766-5115. Walk-ins are welcome.
Marty Finley can be reached at 270-505-1762 or mfinley@thenewsenterprise.com.