Get a head start on getting ready for your first — or next — job opportunity with new online virtual job readiness workshops now being offered by CareerSource Palm Beach County. Job seekers can access a series of 18 professional workshops right from their home computer or mobile device 24/7 available from the organization’s home page at www.careersourcepbc.com.
“With recommendations that people stay home as much as possible, this is the perfect time to get a head start to acquire new skills and tools to gain a competitive edge in searching for a new career before employers reopen,” said Julia Dattolo, interim president and CEO of CareerSource Palm Beach County, the nonprofit organization chartered by the state to lead workforce development in Palm Beach County.
There is no cost to view any of the workshops covering all the key skills needed when looking to get hired in in today’s labor market:
• Creating a professional resume and cover letter
• Building a LinkedIn profile and using social media in your job search
• Handling online job applications
• Conducting an effective job search and networking campaign
• Preparing for job interviews
• Online job, industry and employer research
• Following up after a job interview
CareerSource will be expanding these offerings with access to more than 5,000 courses to help job seekers learn new skills, earn certificates and/or prepare for certifications via the national Metrix E-Learning System for a limited time period.
“While our doors are closed for now, we are very much engaged in serving the needs of job seekers and employers virtually by events, webinars and presentations such as these along with answering thousands of calls and emails from our customers,” Dattolo said.
Virtual Career Expo: CareerSource held its first Virtual Career Expo in mid-April in partnership with Palm Beach Tech and Premier Virtual with more than 8,800 job seekers connecting with 26 employers looking to hire qualified candidates. Job seekers interacted with employers online, attended virtual workshops and submitted questions and feedback via chat box. More of these virtual events are being scheduled.
More Virtual Services Available: The Virtual Career System (VCS) also is available from the organization’s home page at www.careersourcepbc.com specifically to:
• Guide job seekers through their job search campaign and use the Employ Florida statewide jobs database.
• Connect employers with talent, including posting/managing job openings, searching for talent and using the virtual recruiter feature, exploring wage/salary information and how to apply for employee training grants.
• Introduce students to career interests and options, including identifying and building on skills to explore career and educational opportunities.
Services for Employers Available: The CareerSource Business Services staff can connect your business with qualified candidates for your job openings — at no cost to you. For more info., visit www.careersourcepbc.com or call (561) 340-1060 and select option 3. Also included on the web site is information about financial assistance programs for businesses.
Dattolo added that while CareerSource staff is working remotely to serve customers, a reopening plan is in place so that the organization is ready to serve expected record levels of job seekers and employers in person beginning with appointments. Until then, staff members are serving customers remotely via e-mail, online and phone communications, as well as web site and social media channels. Updates on services and operations are posted at www.careersourcepbc.com.
During the past five program years, CareerSource Palm Beach County assisted 80,500 residents find employment ranging from entry level to executive suite, with salaries from these jobs creating $1.85 billion in annual wages. CareerSource also awarded $23 million in grants to area businesses and employees for job training and educational assistance during that time.
