Employment Connection

Our Unemployment Office in Cleveland, Ohio is called Employment Connection.

These specifics only directly bear on people in the Northeast Ohio area . For other's who came here from the net, this post will be a basis for you to ask questions of your own Unemployment Office.

Resource Center

This gives you access to computers, printer, fax, and phone. At my center there isn't a copier which is inconvenient, nor do they have wireless or Internet jacks for laptops. The job postings are what the local person thinks will be of interest, it in no way is comprehensive. More can be done with your own job search profiles.

To get access to the resources of the center you will need to register, attend a two day orientation and a four day workshop. Then you will be allowed to schedule a meeting with a career coach (on their business card, called a "case manager" by some of the staff).

Orientation

The first day they breeze very quickly through the programs. You will be lucky to keep up. The second day is TABE testing which will determine what workshops may be required of you before you can access some of the services. See my other post on this test.

Career Workshop

The four day workshop covers the following topics

1. Stress and Preparing for the Job Search
2. Skills/Accomplishments
   Skills Review, 30 sec commercial, Skills Talk, Star Stories
   
3. Job Market Skills
   LMI/Onet, Resumes, Cover Letter, Interview
4. Self Marketing/Networking
   Professional Dress, Building Skills
   

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Initial Career Coach Meeting

After completing the workshop, you should gather the following things to bring with you for the initial meeting.

• Completed "Guide to Employment" or "Power Packet" from the Career Workshop
  
• Idea of any job retraining you may need
• Resume
• Cover Letter

If you can't show that you have a decent resume and cover letter than you may be required to attend these two workshops too. There are a variety of related workshops in this area. You should review them and your current resume and cover letter so you can discuss the relative advantages of which workshops would be most beneficial.

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Status: Rough Draft - Last Updated 12/07/08 9 PM
Will be actively updating as I go through this program