Job Seeker News


6/22/2009	Central Florida Unemployment Rate 10.2% In the Orlando MSA four-county area there are 994,377 employed and 113,241 unemployed residents as of May 2009.
6/12/2009	State Extends Unemployment Benefits for Qualified Floridians The Agency for Workforce Innovation announced recently that an estimated 250,000 unemployed Floridians will be eligible for Extended Benefits as a result of legislation signed by Governor Charlie Crist.
6/12/2009	Take Your Resume to the Next Level with OptimalResume™ In order to get noticed in today’s highly-competitive market, job seekers must often rely on their resume to make a positive and professional first impression. Is your resume in optimum form? Do you have a video resume or a Website to highlight your skills?
6/12/2009	Network Your Way to A New Job Whether you’re a friend, fan, follower or simply LinkedIn, there’s no denying social networking Web sites offer valuable job search resources.
5/6/2009	Interview Dress to Impress In this competitive job market, making a positive first impression is critical. What you wear and how you look will play a role in that important first judgment, so plan to put some thought and care into your interview outfit.
4/13/2009	Warning to Central Floridians: Consumer Scams Target Unemployed Florida’s attorney general and the Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI) recently issued a consumer advisory warning Floridians to be wary of companies offering to file unemployment compensation claims for a fee.
4/13/2009	Managing in Tough Times Successfully managing your finances during tough economic times may prove challenging, but an organized spending plan can help you better manage your money and allow you to cut unnecessary expenditures to prevent debt increases.
3/5/2009	Tips to a Graceful Exit after a Layoff If you’ve just received notice of a layoff, it’s tempting to tell the boss exactly how you feel. But, how you react to this situation can directly affect your future career. To avoid burning bridges, follow these tips to gracefully leave after a company notifies you of a layoff.
2/9/2009	Make Yourself Recession Proof at Work The uncertainty around today’s economy has some workers feeling uneasy about their jobs, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com.
1/6/2009	How to Get Hired in Today’s Electronic Age Over the past decade, the job search process has evolved to utilize the time and money-saving resources created in this electronic age. Computers and the Internet have opened new doors, providing us opportunities for analyzing our skills, networking with employers and obtaining the perfect job.
1/6/2009	Central Floridians May Qualify for $5,028 Tax Refund This year, hard-working Central Floridians may qualify for a tax refund of up to $5,028 through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Get the tax refund you deserve – for FREE!
12/4/2008	Job Seeker Tips for the Holiday Season The holiday season offers time for reflection, resolutions and thoughts about family and future. For people seeking employment or concerned about company downsizing, the season can be filled with great uncertainty. With the current high unemployment rates, it is important to approach the job search process with a strategic plan this holiday season.
12/4/2008	15 Signs of a Possible Layoff With nearly 33,000 more people in Central Florida unemployed in October 2008 than one year ago and a forecast from the Florida Estimating Conference that “anticipates that normal economic growth will not return to Florida until the latter half of Fiscal Year 2009-10,” it’s important to understand that a layoff could be in your future.
12/4/2008	Age 18-21? Earn Up to $400 with CAREER TRACK Would you like an opportunity to earn financial incentives while training for a new career today? WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA offers an exclusive program designed for motivated 18- to 21-year-old young adults called CAREER TRACK.
11/21/2008	WCF Graduates Construction Trainees for Community Venues Projects WCF, in partnership with the City of Orlando, held its second Core Construction Training Graduation Ceremony to honor 17 Central Florida residents who have successfully completed the program designed to prepare individuals for jobs building Orlando's Community Venues ...
11/14/2008	Avoid an Internet Career Blunder with Social Networking Tips Social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter, can be valuable tools to finding employment. These sites provide an additional opportunity for networking with experienced workers in your field or with company representatives where you would like to work.
10/6/2008	Maintaining Your Confidence During a Job Search Looking for a job is a huge commitment and takes time. Some job searches can last only a few days or weeks, but others may take months. When searches do take a long time, it can be difficult to avoid a downward spiral and a loss of confidence. This lack of confidence can strongly affect your job search, because you lose the ability to think straight, to plan and to continue your outreach.
9/11/2008	Set the Stage with a Cover Letter You’ve updated your resume and are ready to send it to employers, but did you complete a cover letter? The cover letter is just as important as your resume in grabbing the attention of potential employers.
9/8/2008	Networking and Your Job Search Networking, or building strong relationships with people who can assist you with your career goals, is important throughout your career, but during a job search it is crucial ...
7/9/2008	Unemployment Benefits Extended Individuals who established a regular Unemployment Compensation claim on or after May 7, 2006 and have exhausted their regular benefits or whose claims have expired may be eligible for extended unemployment compensation benefits.
7/9/2008	Tips for Advancing on the Job Are you looking for tips and techniques for job retention and advancement? WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA Orange and Osceola County offices present a no-cost Career Enhancement Seminar titled, "Advancing on the Job."
7/9/2008	Body Language and the Job Interview No matter how qualified you are for a job, during an interview employers will closely watch your body language from the second you walk through the door. Your nonverbal communication is just as important as your verbal communication to land you the job.
6/30/2008	Questions to Ask in an Interview During an interview when it comes time for questions, many job seekers find that they are not prepared. The following tips will help you to plan and develop questions to use in an interview.
4/21/2008	Using Keywords to Create a Searchable Resume As technology has grown over the last decade, many employers have adopted and are utilizing applicant tracking software, which creates a resume database that allows recruiters to easily sort, scan and evaluate resumes. Like a typical Internet search, employers search through candidates’ resumes by using keywords.
4/21/2008	Tool Provides Average Salary Information Have you ever wondered how your salary compares to others' salaries in your field? Or do you need salary data determine what salary you can expect for a new job?
4/1/2008	Creating a Cyber-Safe Resume Posting your resume on a Web site, blog or wiki is an excellent way to maximize your job search efforts, but it does come with a risk. By putting your personal information for all to see, you chance that you may be targeted by internet scammers, spammers and identify thieves.
3/10/2008	The Value of Interview Feedback Did you ever wonder why you did not get a job that you thought was perfect for you? Many job seekers don’t realize that it is actually okay to ask for interview feedback.
3/10/2008	Evaluating Employee Benefits There’s more to a job offer than just the salary. Before accepting or rejecting a job, it is important that you are fully informed on all aspects of the compensation package offered, so you can evaluate each benefit and decide what is best for you.
12/7/2007	How to Make a Successful Career Change Are you interested in a new career? Making a career change is not an easy accomplishment, but with patience and dedication, the transition can be seamless and worthwhile. Before jumping into a new career it’s important to reflect on your interests and goals and to look at all possibilities and outcomes of your options ...
12/7/2007	WCF Offers Tool to Discover Career Interests and Skills The most important step toward making a good career decision is understanding your own skills and interests. Every WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA Resource Room provides Choices Assessment, a computerized tool to help you discover what skills and interests you possess and what career is a good fit for you ...
12/7/2007	The Importance of Saying “Thank You” You were confident in your abilities, you chose your words carefully and you concentrated on providing all the right non-verbal behaviors during your interview. You leave feeling great! There is nothing to do now but wait by the phone for the job offer, right? For many people this is what they believe; however, there is one more important step -- writing a thank you note to your interviewer ...
12/7/2007	Tips to Finding Your First Job Looking for your first job can be stressful, intimidating and frustrating if you don’t know what is expected of you. By following these basic rules of the job search process you will be taken more seriously by potential employers and increase your chances of getting an interview and a job ...
11/20/2007	Tax Break Available For Low Income Individuals and Families Did you know that working individuals with a low income may be eligible for a tax break? The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families to increase their financial stability by reducing the amount owed in federal taxes ...
11/20/2007	Dealing With the Stress of Unemployment When we lose our jobs, no matter the reason, we lose a big part of our identity. While you can't change the unpredictable nature of the experience, there are steps you can take to better manage your reaction to the peaks and valleys you'll inevitably experience ...
10/5/2007	How to Deal with Interview Stress When most people think of interviews, they also think of stress. One of the most important interview skills is allowing yourself to relax during the process. A little practice and preparation will allow you to be yourself when your nerves are on edge ...
10/5/2007	Five Tips to Building Your Job Network Networking is one of the most effective ways to find a job. Although the process of building the network can be intimidating, with a few guidelines you’ll establish your network with ease. Here are five tips to building your job network ...
10/5/2007	Volunteer Your Way to a Job If you are looking for your first job, to change careers, reenter the workforce or are just between jobs, volunteering can help you to land that next job ...
9/12/2007	How to Use References Find our what the expert suggest on when, how, how many and why to provide references. Find advice on handling negative employment history and overcoming company restrictions on reference policies…
9/12/2007	How Much Are You Worth? Are you looking for a new job, but want to make sure you get what you are worth? Maybe you’re thinking about asking for a raise, or want to know how much money you can make in a new career. Before you go into any of these situations, it’s important ...
9/12/2007	Interview Follow-up It’s always important to say “thank you” after a job interview. Every piece of communication between a job seeker and employer is an opportunity for the job seeker to sell him or herself. Research ...
9/12/2007	Are your Credit Scores six feet under and in need of revival? Some employers are looking at your credit scores when you apply for jobs. What are you doing to build and protect your credit score? Tips here…
9/12/2007	Seven Golden Rules of Upward Mobility Has this ever happened to you? You’re sitting in your office cubicle, or the area where you reside during work hours, and you’ve thought to yourself…”Why aren’t I in charge here? I know I...
6/12/2007	Avoiding Interview Bloopers Many job candidates can look great on paper but can also be absolute disasters in person during an interview. Avoid the top ten bloopers here...
6/12/2007	Why You Shouldn’t Use Stock Cover Letters Today’s job market is as competitive as ever, and job seekers need to use every opportunity available to them to get an edge over the competition. Employers often review dozens of resumes ...
6/12/2007	10 Tips for Your First Day on the Job Congratulations on landing your new job. The sense of excitement is sure to build in the time leading up to your fist day on the job...
6/12/2007	Beating the Budget Blues Does thinking about your monthly bills keep you up at night? Well there is hope for you and the millions of other people that struggle with budgeting and managing their money effectively...
4/10/2007	Tips for Finding a Job with Minimal Experience Whether you are a student seeking your first position in the “real world” or an experienced professional looking to begin a career in a new field...
4/10/2007	Job Search Tips for the Ex-Offender Don’t Let Your Past Limit Your Future: Job Search Tips for the Ex-Offender...
3/9/2007	Protect Yourself against Identity Theft Whether they're snatching your purse, diving into your dumpster, stealing your mail, or hacking into your computer, they're out to get you...
3/9/2007	Golden Keywords Resumes are scanned by hiring managers for 10 seconds on average. In these 10 seconds, how can you show what value you would bring to the table? According to
2/6/2007	Dress for Success You have probably heard the phrases, “dress for success”, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” and “dress to impress” -
2/6/2007	Career Track Program Puts Young Adults on the Road to a Successful Career WCF has designed a NO COST program for 18 to 21 year olds designed to show them the path to a career that is right for them...
2/6/2007	Keys to Making a Successful Transition from Military Service to the Civilian Workforce Making the transition from the military to a civilian career can be an intimidating situation. Whether you served your country for only a few years or are retiring after 20 or more years of service...
11/27/2006	How the Internet Can Hurt Your Job Search With the incredible growth of social networking sites, message boards, online forums, blogs and chat rooms, many employers use are now using internet search engines to learn more about candidates...
11/27/2006	Successful Phone Interviews Many employers use the telephone interview as a method for screening candidates before bringing them in for face-to-face interviews. Tips here...
10/3/2006	Keys to Choosing Job References Pick up tips on choosing the right job references that can make a difference!
8/21/2006	Employee Appearance CAN Impact Performance In today’s fast-paced business world, our image makes an instantaneous statement... with critical consequence.
4/15/2006	Job Search Email Etiquette Job Search Email Etiquette
11/29/2005	WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA Offers Job Search Strategies