LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER IN THE NEW YEAR? LET THE LIBRARY’S CAREER COUNSELING SEMINAR HELP
If your short list of New Year’s resolutions includes re-entering the workforce, changing careers, going back to school or finally ending an employment drought, the Town of Pelham Public Library can get you started in 2014.
Through the Westchester Library System’s WEBS Career & Educational Counseling Service, the Library is offering an intensive eight-week career-counseling seminar, “Managing Your Career in Changing Times,” aimed at those who are trying to do something more than just continue on their current career path.
This free program, led by an experienced career counselor, includes a mandatory orientation session, eight group sessions and one individual session with a career counselor, goes beyond resume preparation to cover all aspects of career building.
“Having starting my career as an education and career librarian, I know firsthand how WEBS has helped people improve their lives,” says library director Patricia Perito. “I also know that WEBS has had to change and reinvent itself to stay relevant in changing times. So I can think of no better program to help job seekers and career changers to do the same.”
The program begins in February and meets one evening per week for two hours. In addition to being held in Pelham, it is also available at the Ossining and White Plains Libraries. It is financed by, among others, New York State Library Funds, Westchester County and Con Edison.
From Self-Assessments to the Contemporary Job Hunt
Since the program is geared towards those looking to reorient their career path, one major focus is on assessing the direction that might be right for each individual, including the decision of whether to go back to school. Participants will have a chance to analyze their skills, interests and personalities and explore career alternatives that fit their needs.
“Basically, WEBS is a career counseling service, so we’re helping people assess themselves,” said Elaine Sozzi, long-time director of the WEBS program.
From there, participants will explore how to go about the job search, with a special emphasis on how job-hunting has changed since the days of paper resumes and predictable career paths. “It’s the model of know yourself, know where you’re going and know how to get there,” Sozzi explains.
The Library’s extensive career resources (see “Quick Read” below) and educational and training programs offered in Westchester will also be covered.
Using Social Media to Connect With a New Career
The program will also look at the role social media can play in securing a job, from building up one’s personal network on LinkedIn to using Twitter to connect with people who are knowledgeable in a particular field.
And then there’s the interview process. Participants will learn behavioral interviewin–the technique of being able to provide detailed examples and case studies during job interviews, bringing life to the list of capabilities on the resume.
Beyond the intense focus on things like resume-writing, interviewing and self-assessment, the program also will spend time on perhaps the greatest challenge for every worker these days: to treat one’s career as an ongoing entrepreneurial venture. The days of cradle-to-grave employment are long gone, Sozzi notes, so it’s crucial to build an entrepreneurial mindset. That means taking the initiative, seeking out new opportunities and constantly building on existing skills.
How to Sign Up
To register, call 914-674-3612 on or after January 13th. Participants will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis and registration is limited.
WEBS, which offers a number of other career counseling seminars and workshops, has helped more than 40,000 Westchester residents with their careers over its 33 years of existence. Maybe 2014 is the year to add yourself to that number.
QUICK READ:
JOB-HUNTING RESOURCES AT THE LIBRARY
Even if you’re not planning on signing up for the career counseling seminar, the Library can still be a terrific resource for those on the job hunt, offering everything from online, interactive job-hunting courses to practice tests for those looking to acquire certification in fields including nurse’s aide and cosmetology.
Other resources include online resume-writing services, job postings, information on companies and industries from resources such as Hoover’s Online, the WLS Education Database of training available in Westchester and a broad list of local and national job banks.
For a full range of carefully curated online career and educational resources, go to www.westchesterlibraries.org. Under the Job & Careers tab, you can find out more about the WEBS program. Additionally, the WEBS’ web page includes many career links and an education search database for programs in Westchester County.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
Music Along the Sound: Friday, January 3, 10:30 a.m.; Jean Young, director of the Music Along the Sound program will visit the Library with a music program for pre-school age children.
Storytime: Tuesdays for ages 3 – 5, 10:30 a.m.; Wednesdays for kids up to age 2, 10:30 a.m.
Bilingual Storytime: Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. This program, which offers a story and activities in both Spanish and English, moves to Saturdays, starting January 11. For children from pre-school through mid–elementary school.
TEEN PROGRAMS
Teen Coffee House: Thursday, January 9, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Event for teens featuring the two bands Turtle Soup and Mac and Phillis; and Kyra Tantao, a poet from Pelham Memorial High School.
ADULT PROGRAMS
Adult Book Club: The Book Club is on hiatus this month. It will resume on Thursday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m. with a discussion of The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach.
Computer Training: Want to learn Microsoft Word or Excel, or learn how to use the Library’s many apps? Call 738-1234 for individualized training.
(All Library programs are free and open to the public.)
Reprinted from The Pelham Weekly, Friday, January 10, 2013, Used by permission.
