Clark College invites job seekers for Career Days

Come one, come all: Starting Monday, Clark College will host a three-day series of free public workshops to help local job seekers.

Career Days 2011 are intended to help with resources for career planning, tools and strategies for an effective job search, and techniques to sharpen networking skills.

Participants can attend workshops and meet with trained professionals to prepare for networking opportunities with regional employers.

“As one of the largest community colleges in Washington state, we feel a special responsibility to reach out to students and the community during these tough economic times,” reads a statement from Bob Knight, Clark president.

The event culminates with a four-hour career fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Gaiser Student Center.

All events are free to students and members of the community. No pre-registration is required.

Lead-up sessions include:

Monday:

• 12:30 to 2 p.m., Career Center/108 Gaiser Hall, “Choosing a Career” — Take a career assessment that will generate lots of possible “good fit” occupations, and learn about career exploration resources.

• 2:15 to 3:15 p.m., 213 Gaiser Hall, “Effective Job Search Tools” — Learn to identify and develop components of a successful job search. Focus on organizing and planning, locating resources and opportunities and understanding the value of networking and marketing yourself.

• 3:30 to 5 p.m., 213 Gaiser Hall, “Interviewing Schools” — Learn how to prepare for an effective interview that impress employers. Learn to prepare, anticipate questions and follow up.

Tuesday:

• 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Career Center/108 Gaiser Hall. “Résumé Critique & Assistance” — Bring a résumé hard copy and receive a one-on-one critique from a professional. Also bring an electronic copy and update it on the spot. Learn to effectively market skills and experience and make the résumé stand out.

• 9 to 9:50 a.m., 213 Gaiser Hall, “Résumé Building” — learn to market your education, skills and experiences effectively. Basic components of a résumé, formatting strategies and understanding the importance of tailoring a résumé to a particular position.

• 10 to 10:50 a.m., 213 Gaiser Hall, “Résumés from a Recruiter’s Perspective” — Learn what employers are looking for in a résumé. Hear from a recruiter what makes an effective résumé, and what will make it stand out from among the hundreds received.

• 1 to 1:50 p.m.: 213 Gaiser Hall, “Conversational Skills for Networking” — Information to help build alliances and develop relationships; quality versus quantity. Make conversations count. Learn conversation starters, tips for staying connected and being a great contact for others.

• 2 to 2:50 p.m.: 213 Gaiser Hall, “The 60-Second Commercial” — Write your 60-second commercial, or “elevator speech,” and practice with professionals. You will be prepared to market yourself in an interview and when networking opportunities arise.

• 3 to 3:50 p.m.: 213 Gaiser Hall, “Informational Interviewing” — Gain confidence and expand your network: Learn to get firsthand knowledge with informational interviews.

Clark College is at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way.

Driving directions and parking maps are available at http://clark.edu/maps.

Career Days 2011 sponsors include Columbia Machine, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, TeamLogicIT and U.S. Bank.

For complete information about the event, including times and locations of the various events, see: http://clark.edu/cc/careerdays.

Information about Clark College Career Services is at: http://clark.edu/cc/careerservices.