Fifth in a series.

BY BETTY JESPERSEN

Staff writer

Imagine this: You're out of work and you decide to post your work experience, skills and job preferences register on an online job-search site.

You hit "submit" and the site kicks back, "No jobs available." It doesn't have to be that way, say consultants with Maine's CareerCenters.

"Don't accept that. Call us," said Vicki Baker at the Skowhegan CareerCenter. "We tell people not to let the system decide. The choice should fall up to you. That is where we can help."

At the state's 14 CareerCenters, staff knows how to help job seekers market their skills effectively to make them stand out to employers. They also help people get registered with the state's new Maine Job Bank.

"For some people, an online experience can be frustrating and it is a struggle. They can't figure it out and it's all very new to them," said Stephen Duval, division director with the Department of Labor's Bureau of Employment Services.

"The Job Bank is another tool to see what jobs are available. If people need additional help with their resume or interviewing skills, need training or want to explore other career opportunities, they should visit their CareerCenter," he said.

CareerCenters are collaborations between the Maine Department of Labor and employment, education and training providers and are part of a nationwide network of one-stop service centers to bring job seekers and employers together.

SUCCESS STORY

After 11 years, Lisa Brown of Farmington was laid off from her job working with people with mental retardation. For months, she applied for jobs on her own and got nowhere.

"I lost confidence in myself," said Brown, 46, a single mother of a 14-year-old child.

It was seven months before she learned about the CareerCenter in Wilton.

With the help of the center's staff, Brown signed up for a 60-hour class that prepares adults for the world of work. With a certificate in hand and her contacts with the center, she landed a highly competitive full-time job as a customer-service representative at the Barclaycard US call center in Wilton.

It wasn't until Brown connected to the CareerCenter that she learned about "networking" and how valuable personal connections and contacts can be in a job search.

"I thought networking had to do with TV channels," she laughed. "The people at the CareerCenter connected me to the right people. I can't say enough about what they did for me."

"The Career Center is here for you. What's stopping you?" is what she wants to share with other job seekers. "They just did not give up on me."

JOB PLACEMENTS

Even with unemployment higher than 8 percent statewide and 12 percent in hard-hit areas such as Somerset County, there are job openings, and people are being hired, say state officials.

The CareerCenters are a key player, said Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman.

"There are required federal-performance standards we have to meet to show we are finding people jobs when they exit our services," she said.

She said of the 23,000 people seeking re-employment services through the CareerCenters, more than 60 percent are being placed.

"Five thousand people in Maine are receiving services through the federal Workforce Investment Act that provides more intensive training for eligible people. Of that, 77 percent are finding jobs," she said.

"We are constantly trying to revise services as they are needed. I am not sugarcoating the job situation, and I know people are struggling," Fortman said. "We are doing what we can to connect people to training and jobs and helping them get their unemployment."

MAINE JOB BANK

One new labor department program is the Maine Job Bank, found at www.mainecareercenter.com.

In addition to its user-friendly job search process designed for employers and job seekers, the free site is filled with information, links to community resources and to other job-search engines.

More than 100,000 people have registered with the site since it went live in November. In any given week, there can be 23,000 people actively searching for work, Duval said.

That compares with the 45,000 to 50,000 people who registered in person with their local CareerCenters before the Job Bank went online. And the more job seekers there are, the more employers are listing jobs, Duval said.

"It has been remarkable how fast job seekers and employers have taken to this service," he said.

The system is programmed to scan all new jobs and applications hourly and send out e-mail alerts to seekers and employers. Between November 2008 and the week of May 4, 213,000 electronic job notifications were sent, Duval said.

Statewide, as of May 11, there were 2,171 active job openings posted by 944 employers. In Augusta/Waterville, there were 219 jobs listed by 43 individual employers and in Skowhegan, there are 442 listed by 41 employers, he said.

To date, there are nearly 40 mostly construction jobs resulting from the $1.2 billion in economic stimulus money awarded to Maine through the American Recovery & Investment Act and by law, they all must be listed, Duval said.

"This number seems low but due to state contracting and procurement procedures, and the pace that awards to contractors are being made, this number is expected to grow substantially by the end of June," he said.

The Job Bank is also integrated with the unemployment system and allows any worker filing for unemployment benefits online to register and search for jobs.

Callers with questions can speak to a live person at (800) 457-8883, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

JOB MARKET IMPROVES

"Right now, we believe fewer jobs are being lost and more people are finding work. But there is still a terrible disparity between those looking for work and the numbers of jobs available," said John Christie, director of the Augusta CareerCenter.

"This is a tough time and every day we deal with people in very difficult situations. We have one interest and that is to find people a job," he said.

The reality in this market is that job seekers need to know how to customize resumes to fit the targeted job; be flexible; and be willing to travel farther and earn less money, he said.

"I know of a $150,000 a year executive now working 30-hours a week at Lowe's (Home Center)," he said.

Anita Dunham manages the Skowhegan CareerCenter and co-manages the Wilton center with Patricia Ladd.

"A lot of people have never been to a CareerCenter and many don't know how to use a computer," Dunham said. "When someone comes in, we go over our services, help them with job searches, do a 'skills assessment' and get them the training they need."

"People often don't know what they need to do. We help them work through the process," she said.

Betty Jespersen - 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com