Library program planned for job seekers
Published 9:40 pm Thursday, March 30, 2017
A Morgan Memorial Library program next week will help citizens with resume concerns.
The library is hosting “Job Seekers: Returning to the Workforce,” a free program from 6 to 7 p.m. on April 6. A specialist will work one-on-one with citizens struggling with resume gaps, such as former convicts. No appointment is required to attend.
“We’re trying to give people resources to make sure they can find job placement, regardless of those challenges they may have in their backgrounds,” Suffolk Public Library outreach and program services manager Megan Mulvey said.
Opportunity Inc. of Hampton Roads career resource specialist Grace Bryant will present job-hunting tools and resources, and use Myers-Briggs and Holland Code assessments to determine the best work environment and career path for each participant.
“We try to do them both together in order to help participants get a better idea of what type of career they’re best suited for,” she said.
Many participants are expected to be former convicts looking for employment. Inmates up for release at Western Tidewater Regional Jail have recently attended classes on library resources, according to Mulvey.
“We let them know that the library is there for them,” she said.
Others expected to participate include people who were recently laid off, are returning to the workforce after raising their children or want to explore their creative impulses.
“I think Grace is very good at helping people fill gaps in their resume, regardless of the reason,” outreach operations librarian Amy Brunson said.
She said one of the goals is to help participants identify “transferrable skills,” even if some lack work experience.
“Just because someone isn’t necessarily working doesn’t mean they’re not improving their skillset,” she said.
Opportunity Inc. oversees federally funded workforce development programs that help people find jobs and get funding for school. Bryant oversees the Career Access Network of Opportunity Inc. and travels for teen and adult programs across Hampton Roads, Isle of Wight, and Franklin.
She said the programs in recent months at North Suffolk and Morgan Memorial libraries in have been successful.
“I think we’ve been able to reach a wide audience of people through both libraries,” she said.
Call 514-7310 for more information.