Career center to offer job search assistance
by Brian Shults, se news editor

     Experts agree that anyone looking to enter the present competitive job market needs an edge to catch an employer’s eye.

A free Resume and Interviewing Seminar on SE Campus, open to TCC students and the public, offers just that.

     “The more someone works at developing a unique and personalized resume, the better chance they have at obtaining an interview and then selling themselves to the employer,” Darrell Whitsell, SE head of career and employment, said.

     In order to prepare job seekers for the upcoming Metro Job Fair, Whitsell arranged for a seminar to teach how to develop an effective resume and incorporate personal strengths into an interview.

     “It is crucial that you learn to write your own resume because it allows you to be familiar with your strengths as a worker. Then your marketable skills will be fresh on your mind during the interview, and you can verbally express yourself better.

    “If it is written for you by another person, it may focus on certain characteristics you feel are not the most important,” he said.
The free Resume and Interviewing Seminars will be Wednesday, Oct. 3, 9-11:15 a.m. and 4-6:15 p.m., both in the North Ballroom (cafeteria).

     Free resume critiquing by Whitsell on a one-to-one basis will be Tuesday, Oct. 9, 1-5 p.m. Critiquing is first come, first serve at the career and employment services office, SEE 206.

     “Come to the Metro Job Fair prepared with the resume written and critiqued. Over 50 potential employers are scheduled to be at the job fair and an organized coherent resume can aid in finding a job,” he said.

     The Metro Job Fair will be Tuesday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Arlington Convention Center.

     Participating businesses will include Fidelity Investments, Aetna U.S. Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, Wyndham International and several government agencies.

     To ensure an effective resume, Whitsell said the seminar includes discussions on format selection, cover letter development, grammar usage, skills inventory, as well as the definition and writing of accomplishment statements.

     The interview portion of the seminar focuses on positive first impressions, employer and applicant questions, different types of interviews, employer and applicant questions and ideas for following up after the interview, Whitsell said.

     According to Whitsell, technological advances in employee selection make it imperative to have three different forms of a resume: the traditional or formatted resume, intended to be read by humans; the scannable resume, read by a machine looking for keywords; and the electronic resume for on-line databases and e-mails.

     “An informational PowerPoint presentation consisting of a detailed explanation of all three resumes and tips on conducting a successful interview is included in the seminar,” he said.

     For more information about the Resume and Critiquing Seminar, contact Whitsell at 817-515-3592. For more information on the Metro Job Fair, visit the website at www.mac3.org.