Marlborough, MASS. September 5, 2013 – Close to 30 jobseekers attended a free Résumé and Interview Workshop at the Marlborough High School last night.
The event, organized for a second year in a row by the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) with Quinsigamond Community College (QCC), is part of Mayor Arthur Vigeant’s Marlborough Works! initiative to increase local employment.
The Mayor was on hand last night to greet workshop attendees and wish them success in their job search. He said that improving job market conditions have helped to lower the number of jobseekers in need of assistance.
“There are not as many people out of work right now as there were last year,” Mayor Vigeant said, “so we don’t have the turnout we had before, but our job is still to place as many people as we can. I know for someone like me, I wouldn’t know where to start. So this is an important service to offer, at a small cost for the MEDC and the City, to help people polish up their résumés and interview skills.”
Facilitator, Amy Mosher, kicks off yesterday's workshop
Workforce development professional and workshop facilitator, Amy Mosher, was on site to do just that. But besides teaching her students how to write résumés that get results and do interviews that get them jobs, Mosher was also asking them to see the bigger picture.
“We live in the age of the infopreneur, which is an interesting concept,” Mosher said. “People who have the ability to sell themselves and valuable information, and can distribute that information to the key players and decision-makers are going to be on top in this world. It’s the same if you are a job seeker. So we’re helping people use their résumé as a tool to better sell themselves and position themselves in the job market.”
Mosher said that while highly interactive and full of practical tips and techniques, her Résumé and Interview Workshop is really mindset training.
“We work on helping people think and feel more confident about themselves,” she said. “Even if they don’t have every technical skill the employer is looking for, it’s really useful for them to develop more of an entrepreneurial mindset and believe in themselves.”
“A lot of people need this because they overanalyze things,” Mosher added. “If you’re unemployed, especially for a long period of time, you become isolated and you feel like you’re the only one in this situation. So for people to come together, to get some insightful tips and techniques, and realize they’re not the only ones behind their computer at 2 a.m. clicking, praying and cursing is great.”
Besides getting some of Mosher’s useful tips, all those who attended the workshop will also receive priority access to employers at the Marlborough Works! Job Fair, which will take place at the Courtyard by Marriott-Marlborough Ballroom on September 24th.
More than 30 companies from various industries have already signed up to take part in the free event. Last night’s Résumé Workshop participants will have exclusive access to representatives from those companies starting at 5:30 p.m. on September 24th. Doors will open for the public from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
MEDC Executive Director, Tim Cummings, says employers and jobseekers who attended the Job Fair last year can expect to see some positive changes this time around.
“We took the feedback from last year seriously and, based on it, we’ve made a lot of improvements this year,” said Cummings. “Among other things, we have taken on a larger space and limited the number of companies participating. We’ve also secured private rooms for interviews and provided computers, so jobseekers can fill out online applications on the spot.”
Although registration is not mandatory, those interested in attending the Marlborough Works! Job Fair are encouraged to register at http://cce.qcc.mass.edu. Ahead of the event, jobseekers can get regular updates on participating companies and open positions at the MEDC’s Facebook page,www.facebook.com/MarlboroughEDC, and on Twitter @MarlboroughEDC.
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