Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

The “Putting America Back to Work” job fair series, with over 50 events scheduled to be held across the country, returns to Pittsburgh on August 4th at Mellon Arena (home of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins) from 10AM to 3PM.

The March event, which was also held at Mellon Arena, featured 45 companies and schools and was attended by approximately 1,500 job seekers. One aspect of this series across the country is the post event tracking of how many job offers are made to the job seekers who attended each event. The goal was 10,000 jobs by 2010. We expect an announcement soon on the status, nationwide, on how close we are getting to the goal now that we are half way through 2009. The Pittsburgh event in March has resulted so far in over 150 job offers made giving those in attendance a better than 1 in 10 chance of landing a job.

The upcoming August event is expected to be somewhat smaller in size due to the seasonal aspect of an early August job market. About 25 to 30 companies are expected to attend.

The doors will open to the public at 10:00AM with free admission and no pre-registration required. As we get closer to the event date a list will be made public of what companies and schools will be on hand to speak with job seekers.

This event, the 2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo, is produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, AARP Foundation WorkSearch and Allegheny Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Representatives from each of those organizations will be on hand to speak with job seekers about programs offered to help with job searches in this difficult economy.

The internet can be an invaluable tool for promoting yourself or your business—provided you know what you’re doing. Social media, online networking and tools that make communication of all kind quick and easy are great ways to get your name out there and get you known, but they can also get you in a lot of trouble if you don’t manage your online brand in the right way. Here are 5 tips to help you use social media to your advantage and build your brand without too many bumps along the road.

1. Use your profile to put a face on a brand.

When using sites where you need to develop a profile, use this as a chance to really showcase your brand and make it more personal to your customers. You also want to make sure that you keep your profiles consistent across the different social media sites so there’s no confusion about what your brand stands for. This will lead to better brand recognition, loyalty and even popularity if done right.

2. Make the most of networking and communication capabilities.

There’s no reason not to communicate with customers using social media. A generic presence on these sites won’t do you any favors. Take the time to actively engage with customers, listen to what they have to say and respond with your own answers, after all, it’s social for a reason. Being willing to communicate with others makes your brand more trustworthy, more valuable and just all around better.

3. Be genuine and build relationships.

If you want your target market to pass on recommendations about your company then you need to provide sincere engagement with them on your social media profiles and feeds. You can’t just use your blog or profile to push your personal products and expect this to get a great response. You brand will be much better served by offering information and conversation that’s of value not only to you but to your customers as well.

4. Make yourself unique.

Social media offers lots of opportunities to show off the real personality of your brand and make it stand out from the crowd. Spend your time building sites that reflect the “voice” of your brand and make sure all your content reflects the personality you want to associate with your brand.

5. Work your blog.

Blogging can be an excellent way to connect with customers and to start building your brand. That is, however, if you go about it in the right way. If you’re always just posting things that are essentially ads for your products you’ll probably bore all but your most hardcore fans. Instead, use your blog to share a passion for your industry, not just your product and become and authoritative, trusted and even entertaining source of information for your customers.


This post was contributed by Megan Jones, who writes about job search websites. She welcomes your feedback at Meg.Jones0310 at gmail.com

Many people do their best to keep their social life separate from their professional life. In many cases this is a good practice, but with the strong emergence of social networking on the Internet, this practice may not be the most prudent.

 

Here's a little background on the largest social networking site, Facebook, and one of the fastest growing, Twitter:

Facebook started out as a place where college students could interact, post pictures and create event invitations. It became stereotyped as a site where college students, many of whom were away from their parents for the first time, could express themselves with their peers without supervision. This soon changed as Facebook then became open to the entire public. With this change also came more functionality and more uses to the site for people of all ages.

 

Twitter on the other hand has gained popularity within the last two years and continues to grow. The site emerged out of consumers wanting information quickly and concisely. Twitter has become a favorite among celebrities and politicians that want to connect with their followers without sacrificing their privacy.

 

Fast-forward to today, and these two sites not only provide a great avenue for connecting with friends, but also finding a job! What better way to network with people from all over the world than through a social network? Now, this doesn't mean you should try to add friends randomly, but rather use contacts you already have to make connections with other people.

EmploymentGuide.com has made it even easier to make connections through social media. Become a fan of EmplomentGuide.com on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter in order to keep up with the latest from EmploymentGuide.com. Also, while there you?ll be able to connect with other people all across the country and discuss employment related topics. Who knows - maybe you?ll meet someone who could use an employee like you!

EG Weekly Publication June 22-June 28

Check out this week's great career opportunities:
Baltimore School of Massage
Stella Maris
North American Trade Schools
Chimes
UtiliQuest
Allines Staffing
All-State Career
Bello Machre
American Beauty Academy

I have been following a blog recently called the Spherion Career Blog that gives some pretty good advice on what to expect when job searching. I always seem to find something useful to add on here from their blog. Well I came across one of their post that features a little Q&A from one of their writers named Seymour who gives monthly insider tips. The topic that was presented this time was turning your temp job into a permanent one.

Q: Dear Seymour, I am currently working as a temporary employee
at my company. My coworker (who was also working temporary) was just offered
her position permanently. How can I turn my temp job into a permanent
one?

And here are tip that Seymour lists:

Confirm the opening. Ask your staffing employer or the HR contact at the organization where you are assigned if the position offers the possibility of permanent work. If it doesn't, you can still keep your eyes and ears open for other full-time job openings within your department or elsewhere within the organization.

Make your intentions known. It's important to share your intentions of securing full-time work with the company. Do your best to communicate your goal to coworkers and supervisors.
Exceed expectations in your temporary tasks. Remember, not only is a temp-to-perm assignment an opportunity for you to "try out" the position, your employer is likely sizing you up for the role as well. The single best way to make sure you are considered a candidate for permanent employment is to exceed your boss' expectations in your current assignment. In today's competitive labor market, becoming a star employee may even result in the organization creating a position for you if one is not currently available.

Take advantage of your inside contacts. If you've done a good job at building your credibility and proving your worth to colleagues and superiors, they can help serve as references and stepping stones to a permanent position within the organization.

Don't get complacent. Even though you're considered an "insider," it is still important to approach the interview and hiring process seriously. Make sure you convey why you're a good fit for the position, and the benefits of hiring you, such as your existing knowledge of the company.

These are some great tips for anyone right now that is in some kind of temporary position and wants to make it permanent. There are plenty of news stories out there right now that talk about how bad things are, so it is important to take advantage of all the help you can get. Even if it is as simple as smiling or showing more confidence, because you never know what might happen.

So Portland, let us know what your advice is on making your temp job permanent. Please feel free to leave comments in the section below.

Last week, we set out to the San Lake Orlando Campus of Strayer University and chatted with students on Personal Branding and promoting themselves online. It was a great presentation that featured a Dress Barn fashion show and some great info for both the students and faculty at Strayer.

If you would like the Orlando Employment Guide to come to your school, group or organization, please let us know by sending an email to greg.rollett@employmentguide.com. We are currently presenting on the following topics:

• Personal Branding
• Advanced Online Job Seeking
• Resumes, Cover Letters and First Impressions
• Successful Job Fairs

Here is the video from the presentation as well as the slides that accompany the talk. Submit feedback in the comments please. The video is a little long (about an hour) so view at your leisure.

5 Steps To Market Your Self Online | Strayer University Presentation

View more OpenOffice presentations from gregrollett.

-Greg Rollett

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR HOUSTON-GALVESTON-BRAZORIA: APRIL 2009

Area Price Rise Led by Higher Clothing Costs

 

Prices in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria metropolitan area rose 0.9 percent during

March and April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that higher clothing prices were the largest

single factor in the two-month advance, although several other categories were also major

contributors. During the year ended in April 2009, total prices rose just 0.5 percent – primarily

due to a sharp decline in gasoline costs. These data are based on the Consumer Price Index for

All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Apparel prices increased 8.9 percent in March and April, the sharpest two-month increase

since January and February 2005. Large gains often occur at this time of year as new spring and

summer lines are introduced; the latest two-month movement compared to a 5.6-percent increase

March and April 2007. During the current period, higher prices were noted for a variety of

clothing items including women's sportswear, women's footwear, and men's shirts and sweaters.

Despite the magnitude of the recent increase, the cost of apparel fell 3.8 percent over the year.

The index for other goods and services climbed 4.3 percent in March and April, the

sharpest rise since the two months ended in February 2007. The current increase was largely the

result of sharply higher prices for cigarettes and tobacco products. During the last 12 months,

the cost of other goods and services advanced 5.7 percent, due primarily to higher tobacco costs.

The transportation index rose 1.0 percent in March and April following a 3.6-percent rise

in the first two months of the year. Higher gasoline prices accounted for nearly all of the

increase as they registered a 9.8-percent hike during the two-month period. The average price

for a gallon of gasoline in the Houston area stood at $2.073 in April. Charges for car and truck

rentals also rose during the bimonthly period while declines were noted for new car prices. Over

the year, total transportation costs fell 15.4 percent mainly as a result of a 39.3-percent annual

drop in gasoline prices.

While the housing index rose a relatively modest 0.4 percent during March and April, it

was another major contributor to the overall CPI rise. The increase was primarily due to higher

costs for shelter as owners’ equivalent rent (homeowners’ costs) increased 1.1 percent and rent

of a primary residence (renters’ costs) rose 0.6 percent. Prices for household furnishings and

operations also advanced, up 0.4 percent. In contrast, the index for household energy fell 0.5

percent during the two-month period reflective of a 0.6-percent decrease in electricity charges

and no change in natural gas service costs. On an annual basis, electricity prices were up 20.5

percent while natural gas costs rose 1.0 percent. Combined with a 7.2-percent yearly price rise

for household furnishings and operations as well as a 5.4-percent increase in shelter costs, the

housing index rose 7.0 percent over the year.

 

Read the full article: http://www.bls.gov/ro6/fax/cpi_hou.pdf

We just received notice from our friends at the Workforce of Central Florida that they have received government funding for scholarships to offer to those that have been laid off, terminated or downsized. From the Workforce Press Release:

WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA is pleased to offer a limited number of training scholarships to help individuals affected by the downturn in the economy. If you meet the requirements for this program, contact us today to take advantage of this opportunity.

You may be eligible for this program if you meet one of the following criteria:

• If you have been terminated, laid off or downsized through no fault of your own
• If you are eligible or receiving unemployment compensation
• If you have exhausted your unemployment benefits
• If you worked at a facility with more than 25 employees that announced a permanent layoff
• If you are a homemaker who no longer receives support from another family member and are looking to enter the workforce

For more information, please visit the Workforce website and view the webinar entitled WIA Program Webinar to obtain additional information on scholarship assistance and begin the application process.

Best of luck Orlando!

-Greg

On Friday we took a look at top recruitment professionals on Twitter, from services to communities to coaches. Today we are taking a look at some companies who use Twitter to post jobs form their Twitter account. Being consistent in following these companies may open up an opportunity for you to apply to an open position before the job becomes advertised online, in the paper or another outlet.

If you know of other companies using Twitter to promote their open positions, please let me know in the comments and I will add them to the list. Hopefully we can make this a powerful resource for those looking for employment to talk directly to companies through this powerful medium.

Dominion Enterprises - Corporate recruiting headquarters for Employment Guide, For Rent, Homes.com, Boat Trader and more!
AT&T - Jobs from the telecommunications giant
Burger King - Jobs with Burger King corporate, not individual franchises
Hyatt Hotels - find a job with this hospitality company
Keller Williams - Job positions for real estate agents and others such as secretaries and office managers
Kroger Grocery Stores - Their account says they are hiring in all locations across the country!
MTV Networks - Who wouldn't want to work for MTV?
UPS - What can brown do for your career?
Verizon - Careers for everything you are (or so says their Twitter bio)
Marriott International - Not an official jobs Twitter account but a good way to start building communications with the hotel giant
Whole Foods - again not specific to jobs, but they are very active on Twitter and this can a great learning and building block
CarMax - Chris Wilmore from CarFax talks about things related to their world. He can probably point you in the right direction.
Nordstrom - I guess its okay to find great deals while looking for a job with this fashion leader
Southwest and JetBlue - These 2 airlines are some of the most conversational accounts on Twitter. Start building relationships with them and see where it can lead you in your job search!

Again, not all of the above accounts are for jobs, but the job seeking process is about more than knowing the open positions. Building relationships with "people" that work for companies is an invaluable asset to sculting the career you are longing for. Reach out and talk to a new person or company everyday on Twitter. You never know where your network will lead you!

Happy hunting Orlando!

-Greg Rollett

P.S. Follow us on Twitter for local updates and new job postings! @orlandoeg

The Baltimore Employment Guide June 15- June 21

Check out this week's great career opportunities:
American Beauty Academy
North American Trade Schools
Burger King
All-State Career
Staff Quest
Genesis
C&S Wholesale Services
Baltimore School of Massage

Today’s corporate world is tasked with adjusting their business to cope with the current economic recession. The U.S. Government is handing billion dollar bailouts to some of the largest corporations in America. Unemployment is at its highest point in years (although recent reports are promising.) With all these obstacles, where does this leave the jobseeker?

Well to answer that, you’ll need to think about the basis on which you market yourself as a jobseeker. The two most important aspects of your resume should be your relevant education and applicable skills to the jobs you’re applying for. Now, for those that are unemployed, you may find that your education level and skill set don’t measure up to where they need to be. EmploymentGuide.com has a fix for that!

Career education affords jobseekers the opportunity to enhance not only their job skills, but also their education level. This can be critical, especially in a recession, because employers don’t care whether you have a million degrees − they want to know that you can perform the job you were hired for.

Consider these professions:

-Cosmetology
-Medical Assistant
-Computer Systems Specialist

Each of these professions requires a combination of both certifications and skills in order to be considered a viable candidate. A course of study from a career education program will give you the skills as well as the credentials to qualify for the career bailout you’ve been looking for.

Let the Education Guide help you reach your learning (and earning) potential with a career education school.

I came across an article on Forbes.com about the best ways to find jobs online. In the article it talks about how the online job sites have leveled the playing field for people searching for work and employers trying to hire. They also mention how unique visitor traffic has increased on many sites nearly 50% in a years time due to the recession. The part of the article that grabbed my attention the most was Forbes list of the 15 most popular job boards. It was great to see that The Employment Guide made the list at number 15! Some of our partners also made the list like, About.com at number 8, Job.com at number 7, Indeed.com at number 5, and SimplyHired.com at number 4.

Another article that I came across was about 10 big companies that have not quit on the US. This is great article that shows that not everything is going wrong with the manufacturing industry in the US. It is a great slideshow outlining each of the 10 companies and what their status is like during the recession. Here is another great article on the myth of the US industry demise. It focuses on the myth that all the manufacturing jobs have been outsourced to other countries. That is the furthest thing from the truth! The United States is still the biggest manufacturer in the world. Our numbers may have dipped due to the recession but we still produce the most factory goods in the world.

So Portland, what are your favorite jobs boards to use? Do you agree with the list on Forbes? Also, has anyone tried applying or received a job from any of the 10 companies that were listed? If so, give us a little more feed back on what the manufacturing industry is like right now.

EmploymentGuide.com, a division of Dominion Enterprises, has launched a nationwide job fair series, "Putting America Back to Work," that aims to help 10,000 Americans find jobs. Based on The Employment Guide's already successful job fair series, this new series invites companies with immediate hiring needs to participate. The job fairs are free and open to all job seekers.

Detroit's EmploymentGuide.com along with Fox 2 News are partnering to sponsor the third of five events in the Metro Detroit area during 2009. The June 17th event will be held from 9am-1:30pm at the Lawrence Tech university Campus at 21000 W. Ten Mile Rd. in Southfield, Michigan.

"More than 1077 job offers were made at our first two job fair events this year in Detroit! With numbers like that, we are confident that we will ultimately put at least 10,000 Americans back to work. By doing so, we hope to provide economic solutions to our communities and to job seekers," said Sean Carney, Senior Account Executive of The Employment Guide and EmploymentGuide.com.

The current economic situation has caused dramatic business changes and a nearly-unprecedented level of layoffs. However, many businesses in health care, sales, customer service, accounting/finance/insurance, retail, food service, banking and consumer goods are making structural changes to adapt to the economic climate, and are hiring both part-time and full-time workers on a national scale.

Adding to the success of this new job fair series is support from associations interested in supporting their members including: the AARP Foundation, Michigan Jobs and Career Portal, Detroit Workforce Development, Veteran Employment Specialist, LDS Employment Services, Lawrence Tech University and Resume Wonders

Important Highlights of the Detroit event are:


- Currently over 75 companies registered to recruit 2100 Employees.


- Early Morning Seminar presented by Fox 2 News Career Coach Therese Boldt. We receive consistent feedback from attendees that the morning seminar, which begins at 8:15a.m. Prior to the 9a.m. opening of the career fair, is an inspiring session that offers useful tips on advancing your career. It's an ideal way to begin your day, especially since you'll head straight into the career fair before it opens to the public.


- LDS Employment Services and Resume Wonders will be available to help critique your all important resume for free! (This important vehicle's purpose is to get the interview)


- Michigan Jobs and Career Portal will have laptop computers available with on-site instructors to provide in depth navigation of their website.


- Detroit Worksite Development will provide information about current programs and employment opportunities in the Metro Detroit area.


- AARP will have member information about the benefits of joining their organization.


- Veteran Employment Specialist will be available to answer questions and provide information for Veterans.

Companies will be recruiting for:
Sales/Sales Management Trainees, Branch Managers, Sales Management, Direct Sales Reps, Sales Supervisors, Sales Managers, Experienced Technical Installers, Office Managers, Call Center Positions, Independent Financial Service Reps, Mortgage Loan Officers, On site host, Future Sales Reps, Outside Sales Reps, Franchise Owners, Appointment setters, Managers, Registered Nurses, Rehabilitation Assistants/Direct Care, Certified Nursing Assistants, Assistant Store Managers, Financial Advisors, Insurance Agents, Financial Service Reps & Managers, Advertising, Marketing, Light Industrial Staffing, Cashiers, Freight, Specialty Sales, Retail Managers, Restaurant Managers, In Home Sales, Truck Drivers, Welders, Meat Packers, Hi-Lo Drivers, Manufacturing Supervisors, Assemblers

For a list of current companies or to pre-register, visit EmploymentGuide.com's Job Fair Center.

The Job Fair will be held in the

Ridler Field House

Lawrence Tech. University

Wednesday June 17, 2009

9am-1:30pm.

The entrance to Lawrence Tech is 21000 West 10 Mile Rd. Southfield, MI 48075. Just west of the Lodge Freeway. Follow the signs to the Ridler Field House on campus.

Listed below are the events to the "Putting America Back to Work" Job Fair Series. For a complete list of the more than 50 job fairs currently scheduled visit the Job Fair Center.



6/17/09 Detroit "Putting America Back to Work" Job Fair Series, Southfield, MI

6/17/09 Putting America Back to Work in Salt Lake City, UT

6/23/09 Putting America Back to Work, Dayton, OH

6/23/09 Putting America Back to Work in Chicago, IL

6/23/09 Putting America Back to Work Pomona, CA

6/24/09 Putting America Back to Work, Cincinnati, OH

6/24/09 Putting America Back To Work Job Fair Series, St. Louis, MO

6/24/09 Putting America Back to Work in Indianapolis, IN

6/30/09 Putting Americans Back To Work, San Jose, CA

7/21/09 Putting Baltimore Back to Work, Baltimore, MD

7/28/09 Putting America Back to Work in Dallas, TX

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

Twitter is becoming a great place to not only share information and post your status updates, it is becoming an amazing resource to find out about job opportunities, build relationships with companies and get industry news. Here is a list of Twitter people and companies to follow that will help your Orlando Job Search.

The Employment Guide - Find Tweets on cool blog posts, featured employers and industry news.

Online Resumes - Great resource for resume tips and tactics

Career Realism - Advice From Leading Career Experts on Twitter

Brazen Careerist - Gen-Y Career Center

Jon Hunt Org - Leading career expert helping connect people with employers and careers

JobAngels - Getting people back to work, one person at a time.

Orlando JobSpot - This is our Twitter account which posts information on new jobs to our site, recent blog posts and local career and job news!

Here are some additional Twitter resources that we found while searching the web. They may give you some great insight into using the platform as well as some other Tweeps to follow to kickstart your Twitter Job Search.

• 50 Twitter Users To Follow For Your Job Search by One Day, One Job
• 30 Profiles Every Job Seeker on Twitter Should Follow by Applicant.com
• Using Twitter to Network and Find a Job by The Talent Buzz
• The Beginner's Guide to Finding a Job With Twitter by Job Mob
• How To Find a Job on Twitter from the great folks at Mashable
• 50 People on Twitter Job Seekers Should Follow by Resume Bear
• Top 50 Recruiters on Twitter by The Recruiter's Lounge
• Twitter to Find A Job by Forbes Online
• 30 Minute Brand Building For Twitter by Monica O'Brien at The Personal Branding Blog
• Using Twitter and Facebook To Find a Job by Time Magazine

There is a lot of advice and tips for job seekers out there on using Twitter and other social media tools. The goal is to find what is relevant to you and amplify the things that are working to get yourself into a new job or career as quickly and efficiently as possible. Remember to create real and meaningful relationships, that is the major focus of the medium.

On Monday, check back into the Orlando JobSpot as we look at some of the top companies locally that are using Twitter. These are companies that you can and should start building relationships with, looking for knowledge, conversation and opportunities.

Have a great weekend and happy hunting Orlando!

-Greg Rollett

As everyone seems to be going mobile, we here at EmploymentGuide.com want to show jobseekers how easy it is to search our database of jobs on your phone. So, we’ve created this guide to accessing EmploymentGuide.com using various models of mobile phones.

Blackberry (applicable to most models): First, access your phone’s browser. Then you’ll want to hit the “Menu” key (aka the Blackberry symbol) and place your cursor in the Address bar at the top of the screen. Finally, type in www.employmentguide.com and you’ll be taken to the homepage. If you scroll down just a bit, you will be able to access all of the features offered by EmploymentGuide.com, including a keyword job search.

Apple iPhone: From the iPhone start screen simply access the Safari web browser. Then go to “New Page” where you can then type in www.employmentguide.com. Once there, you’ll see the Employment Guide site just as if you were browsing using a home computer. You’ll notice the keyword and location job search feature conveniently located at the top of the page.

G1:  From the main screen, access the browser. Then, press the “Menu” button and select the “Go” option. You’ll then be able to type in www.employmentguide.com and have access to the job keyword and location search at the top of the page.

Now, for those of you with e-mail synced to your phone, be sure to sign up for Job Alerts to have instant notification of new, local jobs in your industry sent directly to your phone.

Don’t have e-mail synced with your mobile device? No problem! All you have to do is check your e-mail inbox to find your Job Alert e-mails.


Are you signed up to receive Job Alerts?

Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly policies.
1. Be bright about light
Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings. Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.
2. Maximize computer efficiency
Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.Make it a habit to turn off your computer and the power strip it's plugged into when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.
3.Ramp up your recycling
Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled.
4.Create a healthy office environment
Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
5.Go paperless when possible
Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.

EG Weekly Publication June 8 - June 14
Check out this week's great career opportunities:
North American Trade Schools
All-State Career
Durham School Services
Chimes, Inc.
Maryland Department of Public Safety
King Memorial Park
Parts Channel, Inc.

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

Here is what the event looked like today:

Here are the photos from the June 4th job fair in Portland. Let us know what you thought of the job fair and if anyone has any photos to share let me know!

The following is from the recent H.O.M.E. Newsletter. We are very excited to have helped assist this group in job training, personal branding and internet job seeking skills!

HOME just completed its first "Getting There" class, a six-week course, designed to help those who are unemployed receive the life skills they need to find successful jobs.

Eleven members of the class, who are part of HOME's HOMELite program, learned how to write resumes and cover letters, internet marketing, interview skills, and how to dress for success.

With teachers from The Orlando Employment Guide, volunteer interviews from the City of Kissimmee and Osceola County HR department, and a visit to the Central Florida Dress for Success, the members of the "Getting There" class learned how to put their best foot forward in finding a new job!

Above is a group photo from the class on graduation day. Graduates received a completion certificate, weekly planner, and a $15 gift card from JCPenney.

HOME will start another "Getting There" class on June 16.

Searching for a job can be very stressful for many students nearing graduation. Unfortunately, all the education in the world doesn’t teach you how to go out and find the jobs you need and want after high school/ college. When you know where to look for a job, the search simply becomes a process instead of something that will stress you out.

Tips for finding a job after graduation

1.Know yourself
What do you enjoy doing? What are you good at? What valuable skills do you possess that you could offer an employer? Can you give examples of these traits?

2.Think outside the box
For example: If you enjoy crunching numbers look at all industries that need Accounting/Finance/Economic people from accounting firms to hospitals to software companies.

3.Get organized
Whether it is a file of folders or an excel spreadsheet, do whatever works for you to track your job search activity. Try to keep track of when you applied, how you found the position, and the end result.

4.Take advantage of on-campus interviews
We had many opportunities this fall for on-campus interviews and did not fill all schedules. What happens? The employer cancels and reconsiders whether to return to Clemson for future recruiting needs.

6.Network!
Let others know you will be graduating and looking for career opportunities. This includes: organizations, family, friends, etc.

7.Set your job search goals
What goals you set will depend on your own search and timeline. Good ones to think about are: How much time are you going to put into the search? How bad do you want a job after graduation? How many organizations and contacts do you want to target each week?

EG Weekly Publication June 1-June 7

Check out this week's great career opportunities:
North American Trade Schools
Stella Maris
Genesis
Oak Crest
Allines
Signature Flight Support
Forman, Inc.
All-State Career
American Beauty Academy

Take your job search into your own hands and on your own time with Email Job Alerts, a program from the EmploymentGuide.com. In this video cast from JobSpot TV, we look at how to set up a job alert for your specific industry and the purpose and function of doing so.



If you have questions about filling out a Job Alert of why you may want to do so, please leave a message in the comments and we will be sure to answer it and help you along with your job search.

-Greg

HARRISBURG (JUNE 2) – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose one-tenth of a percentage point in April to 7.3 percent.

The rate was below those of Pennsylvania (7.8 percent) and the United States (8.9 percent). The civilian labor force decreased for the third consecutive month due to a drop in resident employment. The unemployment count has been increasing for a full year, and has reached its highest point since October 1986 at 88,900. This has been the longest run of increases in resident unemployment on record (current data set back to 1970). The Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was 2.6 percentage points above the April 2008 rate.

Among Pennsylvania’s 14 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the Pittsburgh MSA held the sixth lowest unemployment rate. Rates in the Pittsburgh MSA ranged from 6.5 percent in Allegheny County to 9.8 percent in Armstrong County. Allegheny and Beaver counties experienced unemployment rate declines, the first drops in the MSA since September 2008.

In April, the Pittsburgh MSA’s seasonally adjusted jobs count declined 3,200 to 1,123,500. This was the eighth consecutive monthly loss. Over the year, jobs were down 2.4 percent in the Pittsburgh MSA, a smaller percentage drop than Pennsylvania, down 2.8 percent from April 2008.

Industry Detail (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

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