By Tim Sardano, Employment Times LLC
I had the opportunity to take in some advice from representatives at the Augusta CareerCenter at our last Job Expo. I was stationed next to their booth, offering tips on Internet job seeking to those who were interested, and listened as they gave excellent advice on resumes, job seeking and free resources around the state for aid. But what really grabbed my attention were the job seekers who just walked by or avoided eye contact with these reps hoping they wouldn't be noticed.
A few of these job seekers stopped by my booth and after I gave my presentation I would encourage them to visit the CareerCenter's booth for some more advice. They politely declined saying they didn't need help or were happy with their resume. I asked if their resume was providing results and they said no, that the market is tough and they aren't expecting much. So their resume wasn't resulting in phone calls or interviews, but they were happy with their resume? Was this a classic case of our pride getting in the way of progress or are we too embarrassed to ask for help?
You need to let everyone know you are looking for work. Speak it, type it, write it, text it, Tweet it, Facebook it, MySpace it, LinkedIn it, blog it. And after you've done that, ask for help. State career centers in Maine (Maine CareerCenters) and New Hampshire (NH Employment Security) provide FREE RESOURCES for job seekers. Their programs are federally funded and cover a wide diversity of needs for specific audiences. They also hold workshops on everything from resume writing and Internet job seeking, to going back to school and interviewing.
Being unemployed is a humbling experience, one that brings forth inner emotions we don't want to share with others. But the truth is we're only hurting ourselves if we're not taking advantage of the resources available to us. If you've been unemployed for a while now, contact your local career center and ask for help. Their job is to help you.
