JOB-SEARCH TIPS, ASK THE EXPERT, JOB FAIRS
Programs offer training, resources to help find work
The job market in Arizona is improving, but many Valley residents are still searching for a new career.
Kimberly Hall, the director of career services for Goodwill of Central Arizona, said more people are looking for work right now and more businesses are currently hiring because there always tends to be an increase in job openings during the first quarter of a new year.
That means more businesses should be hiring through the end of March, she said.
“A lot of people who are looking for work are looking for better work,” Hall said.
Hall oversees 14 career centers across the Phoenix metro area, from Avondale to Apache Junction.
On any given day, about 420 job seekers visit the career centers, which are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The number of people using Goodwill’s career services increased dramatically once the recession began, Hall said.
“After the boom hit in 2008, our numbers skyrocketed,” she said.
Programs offered at the career centers help prepare job seekers for interviews and instruct them on how to write a resume and cover letter that will stand out to employers.
The primary goal, however, is simply to get people to work.
The unemployment rate for the state continues to be lower than it was during the peak of the recession, but it did increase slightly in December.
The latest numbers provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the unemployment rate in Arizona now sits at 7.9 percent, up from 7.8 percent in November.
Those numbers don’t always apply to everyone, said Dave Meadows, a training specialist for the Phoenix Workforce Connection.
“You can look at the jobless rate overall, but that doesn’t help an individual with their specific circumstances,” Meadows said.
Some people, for instance, cannot find a job because their companies in their area of expertise just aren’t hiring. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other jobs available, he said.
The Phoenix Workforce Connection offers a free two-week class for people seeking work, called the SOAR program, which stands for self-assessment, other assessment, active research and redesigning the career plan.
The classes are held at Phoenix College in central Phoenix but will soon be offered at a new city-owned facility called the Phoenix Business and Training Center.
The new center will open downtown near First Avenue and Van Buren Street in Phoenix, with an expected opening date in June.
In the meantime, classes at Phoenix College begin every Monday and run from Monday through Thursday for two weeks, totaling 60 hours of training.
The class teaches job seekers how to create a resume and includes a personality test to help them discover the type of work for which they are bestsuited.
The goal is to have 20 people in each class, Meadows said, but the city-run program typically averages between 15 and 17 people.
The course aims to help job seekers avoid some of the most common mistakes, he said.
“When they apply for a job, they’re going to be competing with a lot of other candidates,” Meadows said. “In the program, we really teach them how to show their value for the specific job they’re applying for.”
One mistake job seekers often make is appearing to be too general.
In the career-service course, Meadows teaches people how to tailor their resumes and cover letters to appeal to each employer specifically.
Meadows said the most common jobs on the market right now are certified nursing assistants, jobs in project management and jobs that have to do with communicating.
Meadows said it’s important for people looking for work always to be on the lookout and continuously applying for work.
“Jobs can come on the market any day,” he said.