Highlights

Create a Powerful Reference List

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As you go about your job search process, you probably have heard about having a reference list ready.

A reference list usually consists of 2 to 3 professional contacts that have either worked with you in a particular company or a manager for whom you worked.  This list may be requested during the job application process or after the interview, once the hiring manager has considered you as a possible candidate.  It is important to have this list ready and verified.

An article from TheBalance.com titled “How to Format a List of Professional References,” written by Alison Doyle, reminds us what is important about reference lists.

A reference list must have:

  • A proper professional format.
  • Include name, job title, company, and contact information.
  • Choose wisely who you add to this list.
  • You must call to ask permission to add them .
  • Allow them the opportunity to decline.
  • Review with them the projects you want to focus on that will highlight your expertise on the prospective job.
  • Read the article mentioned above for examples and more advice.

A great place to start looking for contacts to add to the reference list is your LinkedIn recommendations which you can print out and format professionally to add to the job application.

Do not underestimate the power of your contacts; they could be the ones that help you get that dream job!

Don’t forget to check out our weekly “Hot Job Opportunities” page!

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How do I know what job is right for me?

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Skills ProfilerEveryone has a personal and unique set of job skills.  Yes, even high school or college graduates possess some qualifying and marketable traits that make them competitive in today’s job market.  For example, working at the most basic customer service job at a local retailer can develop the communication skills sought after by some of the country’s top employers.

Ever wonder what career or job suits your unique set of skills?  The CareerOneStop website features a Skills Profiler that will create a list of your skills and match them to job types that need those skills. “You can use this profile to identify occupations that use your current skills, find gaps you need to fill, or polish your resume” (CareerOneStop.org’s Skills Profiler).

Great Tips to an Effective Virtual Interview

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Person writing in a notebook and using a laptop

Virtual interviews may become more common as Florida companies practice social distancing.

Read these tips to help you ace your next interview 

https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/virtual-interview-tips

Some of the tips to prepare for a virtual interview are: test your equipment, be aware of your body language, reduce distractions, practice your responses to questions, and many more!

We are committed to ensuring our clients have easy-to-use resources, information and preparedness tips to use during these challenging times.

We can help you navigate through the job hunt jungle!

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Typing Information

Job Search isn’t easy, but it is a whole lot easier if you ‘own’ the tools you need to be productive.

Let’s talk about the job search tools you’ll need to perform successful job search:

  • A phone number the employer can call, yours or maybe a neighbor.
  • An email account to communicate with potential employers:
  • Do’s and don’ts when creating and using an email account:
    • DO NOT use your personal email account.
    • Create a new one you use only for Job Search.
    • DO use a professional email name…keep it simple and professional.
    • DO NOT use account names like ‘fortnitedestroyer33433@gmail.com’. It would probably indicate to an employer you are a ‘gamer’ who might be ‘tired’ from staying up all night playing, not a good choice.
  • A word processor to read and write resumes, cover letters, and other documents needed during the interview/hiring process.
  • Microsoft offers ‘free’ and ‘paid’ versions of 365 that include the tools you need, including email, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
    • Check out this article https://www.howtogeek.com/667717/how-to-get-microsoft-office-for-free/
    • If you are a student or teacher, your 365 can be free.
    • If not, you still can get a free version from Microsoft.com, it is a limited version but its ‘yours’ forever and very helpful for your job search:
      • You can only access it from the web (no download or offline version)
      • But you can have free storage for your resumes and letters in the ‘onedrive’ storage provided.
    • If someone in your family already has Microsoft 365 ‘Family’ Home Plan ($99/yr), this is meant to be shared with (6) six people in the family and this is a ‘full’ version. If they add you, you will have your own account and email. Consider splitting the cost with them, especially when you get back to work
    • The article above also includes ‘other’ non-Microsoft options like Google Docs and Apple iWork. Check it out and create your own Job Search tools that you can take with you.

Always remember: to protect your data! ALWAYS log out…don’t allow someone else to access your tools and ruin all your hard work.

Is your business ready for an emergency?

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The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced the launch of a new website, FloridaDisaster.biz. 

This site was created to help Florida businesses prepare for and recover from hurricanes and other disasters.  By providing critical information before, during and after a disaster, the website will help businesses recover and get Floridians back to work following emergencies.

Features of the new website include:

  • A disaster planning toolkit to help businesses prepare for hurricanes and other disasters;
  • Critical disaster updates from the State Emergency Operations Center to keep businesses informed during emergencies; and
  • A Business Damage Assessment Survey to help businesses get back up and running after an emergency.

FloridaDisaster.biz is a partnership between DEO and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.  Other partners include the U.S. Department of Commerce, Florida State University’s Center for Disaster Risk Policy, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, the Florida Retail Federation, Visit Florida, the Florida Small Business Development Center Network and others.  DEO is the lead agency for the support of business, industry and economic stabilization during a statewide disaster.

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