Sharpen Your Networking Skills at the Career Resource Center's Free Seminar Wednesday

Residents looking for employment are invited to learn how networking can be the key to landing that next job.

The Career Resource Center in Lake Forest will host a free brown bag lunch seminar on the topic of networking from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Wednesday at Grove Cultural Campus, 40 E. Old Mill Road. Here’s an opportunity to expand your network and gather information on potential employers. You never know whom you might meet that has a great idea or connection to share. Bring your energy, along with resumes, handbills, business cards and your lunch! The key to a successful job campaign is knowing how to connect with and engage others in gathering information to further your job search. Making these connections can also help you tap the illusive “hidden job market”. For more information, contact Kelly Clark (847) 295-5626 or send an email.

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Career Resource Center Offers Assistance to Job Seekers

A survey released by the CRC finds that 96% of users would recommend the organization to others seeking a new job or career.

Although the latest Illinois Unemployment Rate has dropped from one year ago in August, many people are still struggling to find a new job or career. And, as anyone who has ever had to look for a job before knows, finding one on your own can be an overwhelming task. In fact, the San Francisco Federal Reserve economists found that only around three in ten people are able to find work in the first few weeks of losing their jobs, with that number falling to just one in ten per month after a year of being unemployed. This is where the Career Resource Center steps in. The 22 year-old Lake Forest-based non-profit has assisted over 11,000 individuals since its creation. A survey released by the organization on Monday found that those who use its …

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Find the Local Hidden Treasure for Job Seekers

Career Resource Center offers a wide range of programming this month.

With the national unemployment rate at 8.2 percent, even the most marketable job seeker can find it hard to stay energized. “Patience, perseverance and staying positive for the length of the search is the biggest challenge for job seekers today,” Jan Cline Leahy, executive director of Lake Forest’s Career Resource Center (CRC), said.  Leahy said many job seekers make the mistake of relying on the internet to conduct their search. “If you sit in front of the computer and apply for 30 jobs a day, what happens to your applications? They go into a black hole,” Leahy said. “They won’t get anyone’s attention.” As for seeking job search advice online, “You’ll get one answer or too many answers, and you’ll probably be confused,” she added. Luckily…

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Food Pantry Use Shows Sign of Times

Profile of those in need is changing. Township, counselors help adjustment to a different world.

  A 15 percent increase in demand at the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry this year is a clear indication the economy has not begun to improve for many local residents.  Demand has grown between 12 and 15 percent annually since the economic downturn began in 2008 and has not shown signs of abating, according to West Deerfield Township Supervisor Julie Morrison.  Long a source of help for older residents who need a little assistance to remain in the community, the pantry has become a lifeline for families struggling with unemployment and mortgage payments, Morrison said.  “We’ve always had our seniors but we’ve had a lot more families lately,” she said. Though any township resident whose income is below three times the national poverty …

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Career Resource Center Adds New Board Member, Advisor

Taylor has 40 years of corporate experience to share.

Ron Taylor has joined Career Resource Center's (CRC) board of directors, and its group of professional advisors who assist clients seeking jobs. Taylor has 40 years of corporate experience with companies of all sizes and in several industries, including for profit and not-for-profit. “Ron has such vast knowledge across industries and he understands the decisions that go into hiring someone. Our candidates are sure to benefit from his insight,” said Jan Leahy, executive director of CRC. Taylor has made helping others make a career change a priority.  Having made several successful changes himself, Taylor vowed to someday teach others the skills needed to pursue a new job. CRC offered him the perfect venue to share his expertise. Areas of …

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Job Fair Attracts Crowd, Talent Hoping For A Shot

Many job-friendly employers at Dold-organized event in Lake Forest.

Back in December, Lake Bluff resident Kirsten Caspersen was one of 1,500 people laid off from Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire when Aon acquired the company. Thursday, Caspersen was one of more than 600 job seekers to meet with 55 prospective employers during a job fair sponsored by Rep. Robert Dold, R-Kenilworth, on Thursday at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Making a Case to be Hired Aon was one of the employers there, but Caspersen was talking to Allstate Insurance and at least seven other firms. As she spoke to Shannon Morris of Allstate, Caspersen discovered Morris knew some of her former colleagues from Hewitt. Caspersen valued pensions for 23 years at Hewitt, and now wants to help another company with her accounting …

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Jim Powers

11:11 pm on Friday, August 19, 2011

Thanks for sharing that, Peter. You have to believe your experience counts for something, but it just seems in this kind of a job market, there are many other Peter Porett's out there as well looking for the same job. Bottom line, you have to keep networking.   more ›

When To Take That Not-So-Perfect Job

Tips From The Career Resource Center in Lake Forest.

Sometimes underemployment is the only kind of work you can find, meaning work that doesn't use your full skill set or a job in your field that is only part-time or short-term. Jan Leahy of the Career Resource Center offers these tips for deciding whether to take a job that's not really what you're looking for: Related: Underemployed Under the Radar on the North Shore Job seekers first must make a realistic assessment of their finances: How many weeks or months can you go without bringing in any new income? If you can afford to make a work search your full-time job, do that; if you needed a job yesterday, here are some things to consider when choosing what to take. 1. Your first choice should be short-term or part-time work directly in your…

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News from the Career Resource Center

Programs Help Identify What Makes You A Good Candidate For The Job

CRC offers networking, job search assistance.

Here are programs offered in June at the Career Resouce Center (CRC) in Lake Forest. For information, call (847) 295-5626. Articulating Your Strengths With a Compelling Resume Getting noticed in today’s competitive job market requires a resume that markets your talents. While a resume will not get you a job, a well crafted one that articulates your accomplishments and capabilities can make an impact in setting you apart from the competition. Assessing your talents and skills is the essential first step to building a resume. Jensen  will offer you a framework for unearthing your unique talents and accomplishments, and then focus on the content and formats that work in today’s competitive market. Today it is all about understanding, …

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Lake County Unemployment Figure Drops, But Job Market Struggles

More college grads seek services of Career Resource Center in Lake Forest.

Though the unemployment mark in Lake County dropped from 10.5 percent in March to 8.8 percent in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market continues to wallow. The number of jobs created nationally was just 54,000 in May, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. That number, combined with a downturn in manufacturing, consumer spending and a depressed housing market has put what was thought to be a rebounding economy back in jeopardy. Locally, the Career Resource Center (CRC) in Lake Forest continues to see new people come through the door seeking job search assistance. One change, according to CRC Office Administrator Kelly Clark, is the age. "We've had an increase in the number of college graduates coming …

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