Resources You Can Use in Your Job Search

The fine print: This list is an unofficial list compiled by the author not necessarily with the approval of the organizations listed below. It does not constitute an official endorsement or affiliation. It's sole intent is to make the reader aware of potential resources available to job seekers in the Triad area.

The Road to Re-Employment

The Road to ReEmployment is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit support group providing re-employment support through networking, information and sharing in an atmosphere that's confidential at no cost to the attendees. This will be accomplished by the trained facilitators, who have themselves experienced the job search, who will conduct the meetings

Thursday Evenings 7:00 PM
The Westover Church
505 Muirs Chapel Rd
Greensboro, NC 27410-5325

Professionals in Transition (PIT)

PIT is a nonprofit organization offering networking opportunities for job seekers. Meetings consist of three official parts:

• The information exchange in which people offer information on job fairs, networking opportunities or other job leads of general interest for the group.
• The fellowship exchange where each person has 3-5 minutes to give a "30-second commercial" and to explain what kind of help or leads for which they are looking.
• The problem solving session in which people offer leads to other peoples' requests.

There is a 4th part to the meeting, and that is the "parking lot" where people have the opportunity for one on one networking. PIT currently has two chapters in Winston-Salem and Greensboro. The Winston-Salem chapter meets at the Red Cross on Thursdays, and the Greensboro Chapter meets at the Greensboro Jaycees on Wednesdays. Both meetings run from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. More information can be obtained at the PIT website. http://www.jobsearching.org.

There are no dues for membership, but donations are always accepted.

Triad Job Search Network (TJSN)

The TJSN is another nonprofit organization whose orientation is towards job searching techniques and workshops. TJSN frequently has guest speakers from local industries, and a follow on session addressing the spiritual side of job searching for those who choose to attend.

There are no dues for membership, but donations are always accepted.

This group meets on selected Thursday evenings from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM in room 8 of the Parish Life Center. Call Colleen Assal at (336) 294-4696 to find out the date of the next meeting.

Job Link is an official organization of the State of North Carolina. To take advantage of its services, you must use a center in the county in which you reside. For Guilford County, I recommend the N. Raleigh Street office. Job Link is for everyone! It doesn't matter if you are a minimum wage worker or professional, Job Link probably has a program for you.

You can get professional-quality assistance in resume writing and cover letters. You can practice interviewing (and review yourself on tape). You have high-speed Internet access to job search. You can use the copy machine and fax machine. Counseling of almost every sort is available as is Federal $MONEY$ for all kinds of training programs.

To find the joblink nearest you, and more information about joblink services, go to http://www.joblink.state.nc.us.

Your tax dollars at work!

Greensboro Public Library

Of course the library has books on re-employment! It's called the career collection and contains information on job hunting, cover letters, and resume writing (specifically tailored to just about every occupation you can think of). The library has banks and banks of computers you can use to job search.

Women's Resource Center

The WRC offers one on one peer counseling to women to address short-term goal plans; resume and interviewing workshops; self-esteem classes; and New Choices - a job readiness training program for women who are single parents or displaced homemakers. The New Choices program offers transportation, childcare, and education stipends, and is a series of workshops covering resumes, interviewing, communication, time management, personality and career inventories, budgeting, conflict resolution, self-esteem and much more. For information on any of their programs, please contact the WRC at 275-6090, or feel free to walk in and request information. 1625 Spring Garden Street. Web site: http://www.wrcgso.com.

Business Cards

You need a personal business card. Yes you do! People are not going to remember your name and telephone number, and they are not going to take the time to write it down. At a very minimum, your business card should contain your business title (make it something meaningful like "PC Desktop Support Specialist") and contact information. If you can afford it, spend the extra money and have the back of the card printed with your 30-second commercial.

You can get free business cards at http://www.vistaprint.com. You pay the shipping. The only catch is that there is a small (but tastefully done) ad on the back of the card. For a small fee, you can have this removed. Vistaprint has a lot of good designs from which to choose.

Another option is to buy card stock at Office Depot or a similar outlet and print your own cards. The disadvantages of this are that you need a good quality laser printer (inkjet printers do not work for this purpose) and it is a time consuming process, especially if you hand out a lot of cards. The advantage is that you can customize a set of cards for a specific occasion.

Chambers of Commerce

Chamber of Commerce events are great places to network with other people. Businesses come there to make contact with other businesses and to "sell" their company. It's a great place to find out about who does what in the Triad.

As a member of TJSN, you are also a member of the Chambers of Commerce in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point. You can attend chamber functions at member rates. Chamber functions are excellent networking opportunities.

Greensboro Merchants Association (GMA)

The Greensboro Merchant's Association is an organization similar to the Chamber of Commerce and very active in the Triad.

As a member of TJSN, you are also a member of the GMA. The GMA is very active in Greensboro. Their trade shows are a great networking opportunity. Click on http://www.ggma.com for more information.

Community College System

If you are thinking of starting your own business, look into the Community College business courses. They are relatively inexpensive, and they will help you avoid a lot of common business mistakes.. Community Colleges also offer a number of courses to sharpen your job skills.

Tax Tip

According to the accountants in our group, the first $35,000 of severance pay is exempt from North Carolina State Tax. Check with your financial advisor.

Employment Securities Benefits

You can sign up and file on line at http://www.ncesc.com. Normally, you have to wait until your severance package has expired to file for benefits. This requirement and the waiting period are waived if you are enrolled in a recognized course of training (E.g. GTCC.). You can start receiving your benefits sooner, but you will also run out of them sooner. Taking a course does not increase the benefit; it merely starts the clock sooner. Check with the employment security office for details.

Other Cities Area Groups

If you are interested in working in a particular city, then link up with netowrking groups in that city. When you are in that city, attend a meeting if you can. If the city is nearby, carpool with friends to a meeting. For a quick reference, try: http://www.rileyguide.com/support.html. For a detailed list of Charlotte networking groups, click here.

Form Your Own Group

You don't need to be part of a formal group to benefit from the counsel of others. Form your own group with friends who may also be in the job search and meet for coffee or lunch once a week. One thing you can do for each other is to hold one another accountable for what they have promised to do during the week. This group will also help take some of the emotional pressure off your family and other friends. This is also one more excuse to get out of the house and meet people.

Internet Links

See Links to Job Hunting Sites in this web site.