by cjxpadmin | Mar 2, 2014 | March 2014 Magazine
By Silvia Seelig
As the cold weather days dwindle into the ends of winter, look ahead to Spring — a time for regeneration, a time for cleaning out and throwing away the old and bringing in the new. As we look at ourselves, let us think how we can perform some regenerative skills to spring into action for that new job.
Whether you’ve lost your job recently or whether you are currently trying to find employment due to a job layoff, the loss of a job can completely turn your life upside down leaving, not just you in turmoil, but your home life as well.
You find yourself concerned about how to pay your bills and how to provide the day-to-day needs for yourself and your family. You may find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what you should be doing. While it’s a difficult situation you find yourself in, don’t despair because there are plenty of resources available to you.
The key to managing this difficult time is to make the decision to use it as an opportunity to pursue something better. You have to make the decision to not allow the situation to cripple you and make the decision to use the situation to pursue new opportunities. You may be thinking it’s easier said than done but in essence, there are many resources available to you that will make your job search easier. Look at your situation with the mindset that this is the perfect opportunity to re-invent or regenerate yourself and pursue a career that you can be passionate about having. Take the time to re-evaluate your skills, your gifts, your training, and determine the best fit for you in the future.
In seeking a new job, take the time to determine your strengths and weaknesses. Review the job you had and figure out what you liked about it or what you didn’t like about it. Assess your skills and really take the time to determine what you have to offer an employer. Empower yourself with the knowledge of what makes you employable and why an employer should hire you.
You have the chance to take a bad situation and turn it into an opportunity to explore a new career path. You may find that along the way of everyday life, you’ve lost track of what you’re passionate about and you may have settled for a job just to pay the bills.
You now have the opportunity to change things for the better. Use this time to pursue a job that invigorates you and one that will make you happy. Yes, we all need to make money in order to provide for ourselves and our families, but you can seek opportunities that allow you to do both … provide a living and make you happy.
Entering the job market again, you will find yourself needing a resume and some assistance with interviewing techniques. You may have been at your job for a long period of time and are out of touch with the whole job searching process.
Before you step out to apply for jobs, make sure you are prepared for success. Don’t let your unpreparedness make you lose what could possibly be the “perfect” job for you. There are many online services that help you with resumes and you can use the assistance of family or friends in doing mock job interviews.
Practice answering questions and prepare yourself mentally for job interviews. Research employers you want to work for by doing online job searches and finding out the type of employees they are looking for and make sure you meet the criteria stated. Many companies today are taking applications online so make sure you provide accurate information and provide the best information that sets you apart from others that are applying for those same jobs. The more you find out about the companies you are applying with for a job, the better prepared you will be at an interview.
There are many job listing sites online that you can utilize in your job search. You can also seek the assistance from an employment agency. There are also job seeking sites like CampusJobXpress.com that provide you with services in seeking a job. Most of these services are free of charge to you so take advantage of the assistance they are offering you.
Losing a job can be devastating and it can be the cause of much stress, but you have the power to turn it into something positive. As I said before, take advantage of any free services available to you in your job search and pursue that job that have always wanted. Turn your job loss as an opportunity to become a better you and to find the time you need for you to explore new things. The key to your success lies in your hands. Make sure they don’t come up empty!
by cjxpadmin | Feb 4, 2014 | February 2014 Magazine
Since January 1989, Workforce Partners Management Group, LLC (WPMG) has provided publishing, employment, consulting and transition-related services to clients around the world. Its clients include the United States Government (GSA), Texas Workforce Commission, local workforce boards, community colleges and various other institutions by offering books, training, consulting, job fairs and placement services.
ADAPT Publishing Company, a division of WPMG, has published more than thirty-five books about job search, job-readiness, transition, stress, and finance. These user-friendly publications have helped thousands of participants through their transitions to better lives.
In 2007, WPMG services included the development of a re-employment center which assisted many laid-off workers to create resumes, develop job-readiness/job search skills, learn to use a computer and find employment. Many of our customers continue to thrive today in new and exciting fields they had not considered viable for themselves.
Assisting military personnel, housing authority residents, food stamp/TANF recipients, and workers who have been downsized and seeking direction, WPMG has discovered a population that was not receiving much attention and a group who deserved a careful look – the college student.
This is a population considered more job-ready than most, a group who can easily read, write, and have better mathematical capabilities plus a proven desire to work and achieve.
This population is comprised of students from our local colleges and universities, community colleges, as well as technical and trade schools. Attending an institution of higher learning, these individuals have passed entrance exams, paid their way through college, have acquired loans and many are supporting families. They are motivated to work and seek the American dream.
CampusJobXpress.com is designed to give deserving college students an opportunity to excel.
Employers benefit from CampusJobXpress by getting a more job-ready employee, an employee with skills, knowledge of computers, plus a degree of training and education that make them a valuable asset to any business.
CampusJobXpress is placing college students in a position to improve their lives and assist businesses in hiring the best employees on the market today.
Upon creating this website geared toward the college student, WPMG was confronted with the fact that this website can also work for any individual seeking employment. Other programs have been developed from this to create services and benefits to the workforce agencies, military and businesses by providing a bridge between job seekers and employers.
With the use of the website, individuals are able to create their own web page on CampusJobXpress.com where they can display and present their resume, summary of qualifications, their bio and a one-minute or less video interview.
WPMG, through CJX, screens and assesses applicants and puts them into designated categories of their choosing in order to make their placement a good and profitable fit. This allows for matching qualified job seekers to available and appropriate employers.
In this manner, employers have access to peruse the qualified applicants on file on CJX and are able to make definite decisions about the people they want to hire – without even leaving their office – at the tip of their fingers.
WPMG wishes to thank everyone with whom they have had the pleasure of working and is looking forward to continuing a professional and prosperous relationship with them, as well as building new ones along the way.
HAPPY 25TH TO WPMG!!! THANKS FOR A WONDERFUL SILVER ANNIVERSARY!!!
by cjxpadmin | Feb 4, 2014 | February 2014 Magazine
By Yolanda L. Salazar
Being a member of a Rapid Response Team for the State of Texas, the WPMG Team was witness to many, many people losing their employment through no fault of their own. These were certainly stressful times for these individuals. WPMG would come in and do their job of conducting classes in Stress Management, Financial Management, Resume Writing, Job Search Strategies and Interviewing Techniques.
Upon conducting our Stress Class, which we always chose to do first, our trainers instructed these dislocated workers on the causes, symptoms and solutions of stress. This was very important because without these individuals de-stressing, the rest of the program was a loss. They had to get their minds around losing their jobs and what their next step would be. By de-stressing, their thoughts became clearer and enabled them to make choices as to what it was they wanted to do in their future.
We called our program, The Management of New Beginnings. That is because at this point in their life, they had choices to make. They had problems to resolve and they had to secure new employment. It was at this time that we would strive to enable our participants to be more choosy, more selfish and more geared toward what they wanted to do in their next job. Did they want to continue in the field from which they had just been removed? Did they need to just take any job to make ends meet? Did they require training in order to stay in a similar position? All these questions had to be answered prior to these individuals in continuing in their journey to a better tomorrow.
New Beginnings allowed participants to stretch their imagination and allow them to conceive other ideas and efforts of where they wanted to go. Some would go right back to work in very similar positions, if not the same exact ones. However, we did come across so many individuals who would always state to us, “This job is not where I wanted to be. I just got stuck here in trying to take care of my family. I really wanted to be a (teacher, nurse, accountant, photographer, chef, landscaper)!”
The choices were endless. When you choose a job that you want to do and not go with a job that you just need to maintain, it makes a world of difference. Fun jobs and careers are possible in your life, very possible. You have three choices in life: Give up, give in or give it all you’ve got.
With a lot of these individuals with whom we worked, we saw many transformations in their lives. Some who worked in sales and call center positions realized that they hated talking on the telephone. They wanted to be outside and be one with nature, if you will. A landscaper! A photographer! How about an inspector of something? It doesn’t really matter what you want to be. You just have to take the steps to get there.
As in the case with many of our dislocated workers, they were eligible for various programs provided through the Texas Workforce Commission. These programs allowed these dislocated workers the opportunity to return to school for training or re-fresher courses or specific vocational or technical programs. Many of these people took advantage of these programs and were able to receive certifications, licenses or the appropriate training needed in order for them to fulfill their new careers. It is very gratifying seeing individuals who were so low and stressed just a year or so earlier now accepting positions in a new field or career that they never thought would be possible for them.
I read in an article just a few months ago where “only 13% of employees are fully engaged in their jobs or emotionally invested in their work and focused on helping their organizations improve, according to the latest Gallup poll. It also said that 63% were not engaged or simply unmotivated and unlikely to exert extra effort, while the remaining 24% are actively disengaged or truly unhappy and unproductive.” (Only 13 Percent of People Worldwide Actually Like Going to Work, article by Jena McGregor)
Follow your dreams and stay away from those individuals who are dream stealers. Dream stealers are people who will not support you, will not encourage you and do not want you to succeed. Surround yourself with those positive people who help you make it from day to day. Those people have your best interest at heart. They want you to make it. They want you to be happy. They want you to succeed. Don’t waste your time on people who are not willing to be a part of your transformation. Find the ones who want to BE a part of your transformation.
Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.
~Oprah Winfrey
Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.
~Unknown
Fun can only be identified by you. So decide for yourself what that fun job or career can be and move toward that goal and continue to follow your dream. And remember, your dream doesn’t have an expiration date on it. If it doesn’t seem to come together right away, keep breathing, keep moving and keep trying.
For more inspirational stories and blogs, go to the above website: www.DidntReadtheBook.com
by cjxpadmin | Feb 4, 2014 | February 2014 Magazine
By Cmone Collins
My name is Lily Donovan and I work for a large drug chain as a cashier. I’ve never had a real job before, where I actually had to clock in, wear a uniform, etc. The only work experience I’ve had is doing light work for my grandparents’ company, so I had the luxury of working from home. Since I had never been in an actual work environment with customers and other employees, I had a lot to learn. One lesson though, I learned the hard way. That lesson was, you’re always being watched at work. Let me tell you my story.
So, it had been about two months at my new job; I had gotten the hang of it and was getting a lot of praise from the higher staff. One night, I was closing with one of my shift leaders and we were determined to get out early; we both had plans for the night. So he pulled a couple of the registers early so that at the end of the night all he had to do was count one, while I just had to do returns and face my aisles. It hit 10 o clock, closing time, and we both hurried off to do our nightly duties.
I grabbed my basket of returns and quickly started running down aisles to find the proper place for each item. I had a lot of them and was starting to feel as if I wouldn’t finish in time, so I put a couple of the items in random places. No one would notice, right? After throwing the items on some shelves, I ran to do a quick once over of Aisle 6: the Promo Aisle. I fixed up half of the aisle that the customers would see when they first walked in and touched up a little on the other half. My shift leader walked out of the office and said, “Hey Lily, you done with everything?” I nodded and quickly ran to clock out. We finished 15 minutes early.
The next day I came into work and started to clock in when the store manager, Jacob, called me into the office. “You closed last night, correct?” he asked. I already knew what was up next. I nodded yes. “Well did you have enough time to face, because it looks terrible…” he commented and pulled out a set of developed photos; they were pictures of the promo aisle, and they were indeed terrible. There was no point in lying; the proof was in the pudding, so I just told the truth. “I had time, I just didn’t do my best. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” I said. The assistant manager, Patrick, who had been sitting in on our discussion chimed in, “Thank you Lily, because you know this is unacceptable.” I nodded my head and quickly left. I don’t know why I was so surprised that my boss confronted me about it because they always check behind the employees. It’s safe to say that from that point on, I took more care with my aisles.
That incident opened my eyes to the fact that your boss will catch you when you slack on your job, so you might as well do it right the first time. But another thing to be weary of is the fact that your boss may not always catch you in the act of slacking. 80% of the time when your boss finds out something about you, it’s because they were told. At every job, there are also those few people who love telling the boss everything that happens when they aren’t around. It’s like it’s their own special mission to be the teller of all things that happen in the workplace. Unfortunately, I unknowingly befriended one of those people.
Needless to say, I put myself in a situation again. Being a full-time student and working part-time, there is very little time for me to study. When I work the register, there are several times when I am just standing there waiting for customers to come to my register. I took it upon myself to bring notes with me to the register and when I have those few minutes, I take advantage of them and study. Well, you know it, this so-called friend went and told the supervisor what I was doing. I was called in again because I was studying during my work hours. Not a smart thing to do, I know, but you really have to be careful not to be doing something you are supposed to during work hours. You live and learn.
With today’s age of technology, there are cameras everywhere so whenever anything happens, such as a crime or incident, people investigating the incident have somewhere they can see what really happened. This means that you need to be careful of what you do anywhere at any time. This could be anything. Don’t re-arrange your clothes or pick your nose or even talk to yourself because you will feel pretty silly when someone brings it to your attention.
Also, be careful when you are going on an interview. The moment you hit the parking lot, someone could be watching you. When you come up to the front door, when you wait in the waiting room and even when you are walking down the hall to have your interview, there could be cameras everywhere. Sometimes, they are very noticeable, such as the one above, but other times, they can really be hidden. So beware, you ARE being watched at work!
by cjxpadmin | Feb 4, 2014 | February 2014 Magazine
By Melvin Collins, Jr.
The Applicant Pool is here and growing! An Applicant Pool is a source of qualified job seekers and it is here now. A major undertaking is now in progress to recruit applicants and review the resumes of those available job seekers in the New Braunfels and Seguin areas.
With over 4000 job seekers in this area, according to a Texas Workforce Commission report, CampusJobXpress (CJX), a Workforce Partners Management Group, LLC Company, along with the cooperation of the local Workforce Solutions Offices, local apartment complexes and local community organizations, will reach out to inform all job seekers of the opportunity to be screened for employment in the two cities. Applicants are screened by resumes and applications against basic qualifications in most of the major job categories open in the area. Once a job seeker has been deemed qualified for a job category, CJX asks the job seeker to provide more details of their work experience and work history.
It has been found that resumes tell only a part of an applicant’s story. CJX wants to bring the employers more!
As part of its duties, CampusJobXpress has, for the past twenty-five years, screened job seekers for the military, Texas Workforce Commission as a Rapid Response Provider, local workforce boards, housing authorities and many major employers. Our job is to make sure a candidate is ready to work, regardless of the position or job. Celebrating its twenty-fifth year in the industry, Workforce Partners and its companies have made sure job seekers are ready for the tasks at hand.
As part of this year’s twenty-fifth anniversary celebration, WPMG, through CampusJobXpress, has created an Applicant Pool. This Applicant Pool will have a long list of pre-qualified applicants, separated into job categories for local employers to choose the candidates of their choice. When asked, WPMG President Melvin Collins, Jr., M.Ed., LPC, relates an analogy of the Applicant Pool this way. “I recently sold a house with a pool and with that pool, I had to maintain chemical level, repair of pool equipment, and remove trash in the pool as well as removing the occasional creature. In my present neighborhood, we have a private community pool which is well maintained, larger pool with life guards and no equipment for me to maintain. And the cost is minimal, as we all share the expense and get much more use out of it.”
The Applicant Pool works the same way. All area employers are able to participate in the pool, taking as many applicants as they need from the pool in order to fill their open positions. We only ask for open positions to be posted in Work-In-Texas. The relationship with TWC will not change. Applicant Pool services are outside of normal workforce activities; however, all placements will be reported to them. This service is totally volunteer and CampusJobXpress is responsible for the maintenance of the Applicant Pool. No employer is exempt from using the pool. All employers are welcomed to use it, large or small, public or private, including placement and staffing agencies.
Is there a fee for using the Applicant Pool? It was desired to generate support from workforce funds; however, budgets are not available at this time. The need, however, does not go away, therefore, an agreement has been made to go ahead and deliver the service to our customers, employers and job seekers. So, in discussion with a couple of local employers, an affordable fee of $500 (or less) per month with no contract has been set. Employers will use it, as necessary.
E-mails and postcards are going out to every job seeker identified. They will be divided into groups and assessments made to identify those qualified to work in their chosen professions. After the review, each will be asked to take an assessment to determine their level of reading, math and job-readiness potential. All job seekers will be ranked and placed in the pool for consideration. A special designation will appear by those meeting the minimum standards for their position. Job categories/positions will range from professional to labors.
All participating employers are given an access code to CampusJobXpress.com where they will be able to peruse available job seekers with resume, bio (summary of qualifications), a photo and a one-minute or less video. Photos and video are optional, but highly recommended, as resumes no longer tell the complete story of a job candidate. A job seeker showcase can be scheduled for employers and job seekers to meet for convenience’s sake, however, employers may see job seekers at their location, whichever is more convenient for both parties.
February 18th is the date! CJX will be doing face-to-face interviews at the New Braunfels Civic Center. Here, all job seekers will have a brief interview with CJX staff to answer questions regarding background issues, additional training, veteran status, daycare, transportation, etc. for the purpose of appropriate placement. Workforce staff will be available to assist with any workforce issues. Depending on job seekers’ time and convenience, their photo and video could be done at this same time. If an individual feels they are not ready for this, another convenient time and place can be scheduled.
After this date, employers will have the opportunity of making their selections out of the Applicant Pool. CJX will continue to replenish job seekers into the pool on an ongoing basis.
So, come on out, Job Seekers, and join us on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at the New Braunfels Civic Center between 9am and 3pm. Be prepared to conduct your short video and come dressed to take a professional photo. We look forward to seeing everyone there. Job Seekers, get ready for those employers and Employers, get ready to make your selections out of the Applicant Pool!!
