GAINESVILLE Sunday, April 27, 2014...

CAREERSunday, April 27, 2014

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GAINESVILLE

By Elizabeth BrownCorrespondent

For job hunters searching for high-paying local jobs, one Gainesville-based

software company ap-pears to have the most opportunity.

Seven of the 10 highest-paying open job positions recently listed are for SumTotal Systems, which also focuses on providing human resources services and talent development in the workplace, according to Employ Florida Market-place.

The software company has of ces around the country as well as in Cana-da, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Open positions include leadership and manage-rial roles that require bachelor’s degrees and extensive experience in the software industry.

Employ Florida also lists that the Department of Veteran Affairs is hiring a full-time physician and that UF Health Shands Hospital is hiring a manager in rehab servic-es.

The current open position with the highest starting salary is for vice president for worldwide channels for SumTotal Systems. The salary range is $165,000 to $185,000 a year.

And some local experts have advice for job hunters who might want positions like that.

Eva Del Rio, president and founder of HR Pro on Demand, said candidates who are applying for competitive and high-pay-ing positions should know their worth.

Del Rio, an independent business consultant, said job seekers should know the market as well as be familiar with the kind of work for which they would be applying.

Kim Tesch-Vaught, executive director of CareerSource North Central Florida, said that when pursuing high-pay-ing positions, the most important thing to do is research.

Tesch-Vaught said applicants should tailor their resumes to t with the companies with whom they are applying.

“You think it’s a simple reminder, but people don’t do that,” she said.

As for the interviewing process, she said, appli-cants should demonstrate they have knowledge of the company as well as listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions.

Tesch-Vaught said focusing too much on what they’ve done instead of what they plan to do is a common mistake job applicants make.

She said employers will look mainly for experi-ence with successful projects as well as good cover letters and resumes. Strong references are particularly important with high-paying posi-tions, she said.

Tesch-Vaught said she strongly encourages job seekers to use Employ Florida so that employers from across the state can view their resumes and information. She said many times the employers who write the job descrip-tions for Employ Florida are the ones who review applicants’ resumes.

SumTotal tops list of top-paying open positionsThe Gainesville soft ware company has 7 of the top 10 highest starting salaries

2 | SUNDAY , APRIL 27 , 2014 CAREER RESOURCE THE GAINESVILLE SUN | www.gainesville.com

Top-Paying Open Jobs in Gainesville for April(Editor’s Note: The list of jobs is a snapshot of recent open-

ings, but some of the jobs may have been fi lled by the time this section is published.)

1. VICE PRESIDENT, WORLDWIDE CHANNELSEmployer: SumTotal SystemsSalary range: $165,000 to $185,000Minimum requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business,

10 years sales experience, seven years HR experience in software development, fi ve years of management experi-enceClosing application date: April 22

2. SENIOR DIRECTOR, PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICEEmployer: SumTotal SystemsSalary range: $150,000Minimum requirements: Four-year degree, seven years

experience in project managementClosing application date: April 8

3. PHYSICIAN (OPHTHALMOLOGIST, GLAUCOMA)Employer: Department of Veterans AffairsSalary range: $98,967 to $265,000Minimum requirements: Degree of doctor of medicine

or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of educa-tion in medicine or osteopathic medicine and a current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in the United StatesClosing application date: March 25

4. CLOUD OPERATIONS MANAGEREmployer: SumTotal SystemsSalary range: $98,000Minimum requirements: Associate degree, fi ve years

experience in managing an application support teamClosing day for application: April 1

5. SENIOR PROJECT MANAGEREmployer: SumTotal SystemsSalary range: $75,000 to $120,000Minimum requirements: Associate degree, fi ve years of

experience in software solutionsClosing application date: April 1

6. MANAGER, REHAB SERVICESEmployer: UF Health Shands HospitalSalary range: $72,738 to $96,346Minimum requirements: Four-year degree

7. IT PROJECT MANAGEREmployer: SumTotal SystemsSalary range: $70,000Minimum requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business/

technical fi eld, one to two years of experience managing IT projectsClosing application date: April 29

8. INFORMATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATOREmployer: SumTotal SystemsSalary range: $50,000 to $85,000Minimum requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer

science/engineering, two to four years of practical experienceClosing application date: March 25

9. IT PROGRAMMER ANALYSTEmployer: SumTotal SystemsSalary range: $40,000Minimum requirements: Bachelor’s degree in software

engineering, information systems or business administration. Up to three years of technical analysis and software engi-neering experienceClosing application date: April 15

10. AUDIO VISUAL TECHNICIANEmployer: Targeted Training SolutionsSalary range: $32,000 to $42,000Minimum requirements: Associate degree, two years of

experience in audio/visual fi eldClosing application date: April 26

SOURCE: Employ Florida

People should be wary of potential job scamsBy Richard AnguianoBusiness editor

Ever see the subject line “Job Offer” in your email inbox?

No? Check your spam folder — but don’t click that link.

Identity thieves and other fraudsters have been known to post fake employment listings and even create dazzling, legitimate-looking websites promising high-paying jobs that need to be lled right away.

The idea is simple: Post a lead on a job that doesn’t exist and get the job-seek-er to reveal valuable personal data through a follow-up contact, such as a phone interview or a post via the llable form on one of those fancy, fake

websites.It’s a potential mine eld

for the job-seeker, accord-ing to Bob Walther, chairman and CEO of Wal-Staf, which has of ces in Gainesville, Ocala and Lake City.

“It’s a big wide world out there, and you have to be so cautious about where you put your personal information,” Walther said. “You can’t be paranoid about it, because there are a lot of great sites and information out there, but just be careful.”

The main problem, the Federal Trade Commis-

sion writes on its website, is “scammers advertise where legitimate employ-ers do — online, in newspapers, and even on TV and radio.”

So how do you tell a legitimate opportunity from a potential rip-off?

Laura Byrnes, communi-cations manager with CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion, offers the follow-ing tips:

Research the company ■

to make sure it is the real deal (to ensure a business is authentic, contact the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org).

Keep your email address ■

private and do not provide your Social Security number or any sensitive information to an employ-er unless you are con dent

they are legitimate.Be wary of any employer ■

offering a job without an interview.

Be alert for any employ- ■

er charging fees to employ, nd placement or provide

training.Investigate thoroughly ■

any employer requesting that you transfer funds or receive packages for reshipment, especially if they are located overseas.

Avoid vague offers, ■

exaggerated claims of possible earnings or product effectiveness, or any job posting claiming “no experience neces-sary.”

Job-seekers should exer- ■

cise caution when replying to unsolicited emails for work-at-home employ-ment as well as for employers who conduct their interviews in a home setting or in motel rooms.

Byrnes notes a list of tips and links is available via www.employ orida.com (search for Employ Florida Caution). She suggests anyone who suspects he or she has been victimized in an employment scam contact the Florida Attorney General’s Fraud Hotline at 866-966-7226.

www.gainesville.com | THE GAINESVILLE SUN CAREER RESOURCE SUNDAY , APRIL 27 , 2014 | 3

More resourcesAbout.com: “Top Internet Job Scams” ■

jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchscams/a/top-10-inter-net-job-scams.htm

Federal Trade Commission: “Job Scams” ■

www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0243-job-scams#SignsEmploy Florida: “Caution: Be on the Alert for Job Scams” ■

www.employfl orida.com/gsipub/index.asp?docid=922Better Business Bureau: “Fake Employment Agency Fools ■

Job Hunters with Scam Calls”www.bbb.org/blog/2013/04/fake-employment-agency-

fools-job-hunters-with-scam-calls

Research the company to make sure it is the real deal.

By Chris AlcantaraCorrespondent

Alachua County resi-dents looking for a new career or avail-able jobs will have

the best chance in health care, retail or education.

Registered nurses, postsecondary teachers, tractor-trailer truck drivers, retail salespeople and customer service representatives are among the highest-hiring occupa-tions in the Gainesville metropolitan area, according to Florida Research and Economic Information Database Application and Employ Florida Marketplace statistics.

Makaya McKnight, chief operating of cer at the Institute for Workforce Innovation, a nonpro t organization that operates CareerSource North Central Florida in Gainesville, attributed the high number of job opportunities to the area’s active higher education and health care environ-ments as well as its geographic location.

For these occupations, she said, “(Gainesville’s) an excellent location to be in.”

McKnight said health care and education are two of the county’s main industries.

Job seekers interested in nursing, for example, can nd opportunities at UF Health Shands Hospital, North Florida Regional Medical Center or the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, among other health care facilities.

Job seekers interested in education can nd opportunities at the University of Florida or Santa Fe College.

The county’s centralized location for shipping and transporting manufac-tured goods to Jackson-ville, Tampa and Orlando and the forestry industry have led to increased demand for truck drivers, McKnight said.

“We’re a good hub if you want to be a driver,” she said.

Additionally, job seekers can nd opportunities working in retail, espe-cially at stores opening at The Oaks Mall off West Newberry Road and the Butler Plaza shopping corridor along Southwest

Archer Road.Apart from retail, health

care and education, statistics project the number of jobs in the manufacturing, informa-tion technology, biomedi-cal engineering and construction industries will increase by 2019.

Most of the in-demand jobs require education and training.

For nursing, job seekers need a bachelor’s degree, associate degree or diploma from an approved nursing program. In

Health care, education among area’s top jobs

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In Alachua County, the most job openings and some of the higher-paid positions are for registered nurses. There are job opportunities at UF Health Shands Hospital, North Florida Regional Medical Center or the Malcom Randall Veterans Aff airs Medical Center, among other health care facilities.

JOBS on Page 13


Top 5 career fi elds hiring in Gainesville REGISTERED NURSESJob openings: 394Related occupational job openings: 823Average salary: $63,926 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Average hourly wage: $30.73 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Education/training needed: Bachelor’s degree, associate degree or diploma from an

approved nursing program. Master’s degree for advanced nursing occupations.Top area employers: University of Florida and UF Health Shands Hospital, HCA Health-

care, North Florida Regional Medical Center, Parallon Workforce Solutions and American Mobile

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATORSJob openings: 144Related occupational job openings: 243Average salary: $61,374 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Average hourly wage: $29.50 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Education/training needed: Qualifi cations range from expertise in a fi eld to a Ph.D.,

depending on the subject taught and educational institution. More competition for tenure-track positions. Less for part-time or non-tenure-track positions.Top area employers: University of Florida, Santa Fe College, Food Science and Human

Nutrition Department at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture, Depart-ment of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UF and Department of Medicine at UF TRACTOR-TRAILER TRUCK DRIVERSJob openings: 109Related occupational job openings: 281Average salary: $29,722 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Average hourly wage: $14.29 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Education/training needed: A commercial driver’s license is the most important qualifi -

cation. Moderate-term, on-the-job training.Top area employers: Roehl Transport, CRST Expedited, Barr-Nunn Transportation, USA

Truck and Central Refrigerated Service RETAIL SALESPEOPLEJob openings: 93Related occupational job openings: 518Average salary: $20,432 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Average hourly wage: $9.82 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Education/training needed: Employers look for people who enjoy working with others

and who have good communication skills, an interest in sales work, a neat appearance and a courteous demeanor. Although advancement opportunities are limited, having a college degree or experience may help retail salespersons move into management positions.Top area employers: Lowe’s, Verizon Wireless, Sears, AT&T and JC Penney

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES, SALESPEOPLEJob openings: 84Related occupational job openings: 273Average salary: $26,241 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Average hourly wage: $12.62 (2012 Employment Wage Statistics)Education/training needed: Most companies require a high school diploma and will

provide job training.Top area employers: Family Dollar, The Home Depot, Aaron’s, Lowe’s and Jiffy Lube

Sources: CareerSource North Central Florida, Florida Research and Economic Information

Database Application, Employ Florida Marketplace, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

By Patricia PotestadesCorrespondent

Students in Alachua County Public Schools are turning to the district’s Career & Technical Education Pro-

gram in an effort to better prepare themselves for the workforce.

The school district offers 24 different programs that focus on a speci c eld or industry through-out the county’s seven high schools, and more than 6,000 students are enrolled in the Career & Technical Education courses throughout middle and high schools.

The programs are typically offered as an elective class, which students will take each year throughout their four years of high school.

“When we start a program, we look at the workforce targeted,”

said Nancy Iafrate, teacher specialist with the school district.

The district tries to ensure the programs it offers match the current job market in Gainesville to increase students’ chances of nding a local job if they choose to do so after graduating.

In these programs, students learn about what the jobs in those elds are like and some of the basic skills needed in those industries. Some programs offer job shadowing or internships. Other programs, such as culinary arts, offer college credit in the career area.

In many of the programs, high school students are given the opportunity to attain industry certi cation. The district offers industry certi cation in every-thing from Adobe Photoshop to Electrocardiograph Certi cation.

ERICA BROUGH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE

ABOVE: Chef Jacqui Pressinger, left, gives a cooking lesson to students of the Institute of Culinary Arts at Eastside High School. BELOW: Students in the Loften High School Academy of Fire & Emergency Medical Services participate in a training exercise at the school earlier this year.

DOUG FINGER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER


Available industry certifi cationMicrosoft Offi ce Specialist (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)Adobe PhotoshopAdobe InDesignAdobe IllustratorAdobe Premiere ProAdobe DreamweaverAdobe FlashAgritechnican AssistantVeterinary AssistantAutoCADQuickbooksCertifi ed Nursing AssistantElectrocardiograph (EKG) Certifi cationServSafeProStartBiotechnician Assistant

Programs off eredBUCHHOLZ HIGH SCHOOL

Academy of Entrepreneurship ■

Academy of Finance ■

Drafting ■

Digital Design ■

EASTSIDE HIGH SCHOOLInstitute of Culinary Arts ■

Digital Design ■

GAINESVILLE HIGH SCHOOLAcademy of Health Professions ■

Digital Design ■

Lodging Operations ■

Digital Media/Multimedia Design/Digital Video Production ■

HAWTHORNE HIGH SCHOOLDigital Design ■

NEWBERRY HIGH SCHOOLAcademy of Criminal Justice ■

Animal Sciences & Services ■

Culinary Arts ■

Digital Design ■

PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIES MAGNETAT LOFTEN HIGH SCHOOL

Academy of Automotive Technology ■

Academy of Design & Technology ■

Academy of Early Childhood Education ■

Academy of Fire & Emergency Medical Services ■

SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOLAcademy of Agriscience ■

Institute of Biotechnology ■

Digital Design ■

SOURCE: Alachua County Public Schools

County schools prepare students for the job market

By Jim RossStaff writer

Years ago, the pro-tocol was simple. You followed up a job interview by

sending a hand-written thank-you note to the in-terviewer.

But what’s the best practice now? Send an email? Shoot off a text message? Post a greeting on the interviewer’s Facebook page?

The additional options can be good — unless you choose the wrong one.

First things rst: Should you follow up at all after a job interview?

Experts agree: Yes.“Don’t think that it

doesn’t matter, because it does,” said Alison Doyle, About.com’s job search expert.

Following up is courte-ous and gives you another valuable opportunity to show the interviewer you are serious about getting this job. And in a competi-tive labor market, small gestures can have out-sized impacts.

In 2012, Accountemps, a specialized temp agency for accounting, nance and bookkeeping profes-sionals, commissioned a survey of 500 human resources professionals from companies with 20 or more employees. Of the respondents, 91 percent said they liked to receive a thank-you gesture after an interview.

As for method: Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents said email is an appropriate way, and 81 percent cited phone calls. Only 10 percent said text messaging was appropri-

ate. (Respondents could chose more than one method.)

Doyle wasn’t surprised that text messaging ranked so low, since it’s a bit invasive. Email, on the other hand, allows the candidate a little room to say “thanks” and also to get another shot at making his or her pitch for the job.

And the tried-and-true hand-written note? Only 38 percent of respondents said that was an appropri-ate method of following up.

“The old-fashioned way still does work,” Doyle said. But be mindful of time. If the job must be lled quickly, a candidate doesn’t want to lose valuable time waiting for the Postal Service to do its work.

Phyllis Marty is senior program manager for CareerSource North Central Florida, which provides Alachua and Bradford counties with education/training and employment services. She said a good rule of thumb is to follow up with the interviewer by using the communication method previously used to set up the interview.

So, if you have been

speaking by phone, a phone call would be appropriate. Likewise for email.

A hand-written thank-you note also can be helpful. “It can give you an edge,” Marty said.

She noted the impor-tance of getting contact information for all of the interviewers, if the company had more than one. Each should get a follow-up note or call of some sort.

As for social media: Marty said LinkeIn might be appropriate, since it is for professional uses, but not Facebook or Twitter.

In the Accountemps survey, only 27 percent of respondents said social media was an appropriate way to follow up.

Marty also cautioned against being overly persistent: Saying thanks is appropriate, but don’t hound the interviewer.

Michael Stewart, a University of Florida senior who is majoring in telecommunications, said job candidates de nitely should send an email after an interview.

Why? First, because this is the digital age and an email seems appropriate: less intimate than a text message and less formal than a written note.

The second reason is speed. You probably aren’t the only one being considered for the job.

“They might decide (on a hire) that day,” Stewart said.

Jim Ross can be reached at 671-6412 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @jimross96.


Guidanceon the Web

CareerSource: www. ■

careersourcencfl .comAlison Doyle: job- ■

search.about.com/od/thankyouletters/a/thankyouletters.htm

Experts say email a good way to follow up aft er an interview

Q: Many people have been laid off where I

work, and sooner or later, I suspect it will be my turn. I want to prepare for an eventual job search, but I’ve been out of the job market for 10 years. I’ve read that an “online pro le” is a very important factor now, and wanted some advice on how to get one. I have an old Linke-dIn account I haven’t touched in years, and a current Facebook account I use daily. Where do I start and what do I need?

A: You’re smart to prepare for a job

search before losing your current position, and you’ve heard correctly — having an online presence is key.

These days, the majority of employers will conduct a search about you on Google before deciding whether to invite you for an interview. And if you think it’s good if they nd absolutely nothing about you, think again.

You want a prospective employer to nd some-thing, at the very least a LinkedIn pro le (not Facebook, more on that later). Your name showing up as a member of some professional organization or on a volunteer board is even better.

So let’s start the founda-tion for an online presence by updating your LinkedIn account. Remember, if you’re proactive, you control what’s out there.

Create a profi lePost a good picture. Not

necessarily a studio portrait, but you should look professional and friendly. Having no picture is a red ag and raises questions for employers. Don’t you

know how to upload a jpg? Are you awkwardly shy? Why aren’t you complying with the norm? If

you’re worried about “privacy” issues and don’t want a photo of yourself online, you need to get over that — at least while you’re job hunting.

Take advantage of the “headline.” It’s your tag line, so make it memora-ble. Right under your name you get a 120-char-acter “headline,” which everyone sees whenever your name pops up. For example, if want to announce you’re looking for a job it might read: Mary Smith, Public Relations Professional, Looking for New Chal-lenges.

Visibility. When setting your pro le privacy settings, you should enable “public pro le,” which means everyone on LinkedIn can see you, which — unlike your Facebook pro le — is exactly what you want. Of course, in your case, that also includes your current employer, so you might not want to announce your job search just yet.

Use keywords. Complete the Summary and Skills section using keywords. In addition to looking up applicants who’ve applied for a job, employers and recruiters now also use LinkedIn to nd people who are employed but have speci c wanted skills. So make sure you show up on those searches by learning the current popular keywords in your industry and using them

generously in your pro le.Attach your work

samples. Unlike a resume where brevity is king, you have plenty of room to show your stuff on LinkedIn. Attach les for articles, PowerPoint presentations, or images. If you’re in a eld like graphic design or photog-raphy where portfolios are important, this is a way to make them available.

Networkingon LinkedIn

Connect. Once you have a strong pro le, start adding connections by inviting people from current and past jobs, old classmates, friends and clients. Just like Facebook, once you have a few connections, LinkedIn will offer you additional suggestions.

Join groups. Share ideas, join a discussion, connect with new people. Some-times, groups will post unique jobs not found elsewhere on LinkedIn.

Use search functions — nd people, jobs and companies. Organizations have their own “pro le,” and you can “follow” those where you’d like to work. You’ll get noti ed when new jobs open.

About FacebookSet the privacy settings

on your account so that your pro le is visible only to your “friends.”

When a non-friend (an employer) searches your name, nothing but your (perfectly acceptable) pro le picture and name should be visible. Howev-er, to be extra safe, I recommend you remove

any questionable com-ments, posts or pictures from your — and your friends’ — Facebook pages.

Defensive Googling

If you have a common name, it’s possible that when an interested employer conducts a Google search, they could get negative results about another person with your same or similar name. To prevent that, Goggle your name (in quotes) exactly like it appears on your resume, and make sure the results are clean.

Lastly, the job market landscape has changed a lot in the past 10 years. And just like our personal lives have been affected by technology — and it’s commonplace to text from

your smartphone and share photos digitally instead of writing letters and sending print photos (remember those?) — the workplace, too, has changed; especially the recruiting and hiring process. A signi cant change is that employers now expect applicants to have basic tech-savvy or “new media” literacy. This is a must-have in order to be considered a viable candidate in today’s job market. Having a well-managed online presence and a solid LinkedIn pro le sends a strong signal that you’re up-to-date and current.

Eva Del Rio is an HR consultant, instructor and columnist. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or nd her on Facebook.

Having an online presence can get you noticed

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A good way to get noticed by a prospective employer is to set up a professional profi le on a site like LinkedIn.

EVA DEL RIO


8 | ADVERTISEMENT SUNDAY , APRIL 27 , 2014 ADVERTISEMENT | 9

8 | ADVERTISEMENT SUNDAY , APRIL 27 , 2014 ADVERTISEMENT | 9

By Katie CampbellCorrespondent

Those looking to switch gears and change careers are not alone in

Gainesville and Alachua County.

No one set of steps applies to everyone, but time and the patience to pursue the available tools could bring job-seekers closer to new callings.

Jonathan Leslie, execu-tive director of the Institute for Workforce Innovation, said the important thing is to be realistic.

“Look at what type of commitment and what type of training is neces-sary for the new career you want,” Leslie said. “Make sure it is a realistic goal for you.”

With a goal in mind, job-seekers can take advantage of a number of useful career-building resources online and in the community.

Makaya C. McKnight, chief operating of cer of IWI, said applicants rst should research the

industries and companies to which they are looking to apply. McKnight recommended applicants register on employ orida.com, a database of available positions and labor statistics for differ-ent regions in Florida. Tools like this will help job-seekers identify transferable skills and connect with others in the industries in which they are interested.

Some careers, though, might require further training. McKnight said a new degree might not always be needed, that some industries might require certi cations or credentials that can be achieved outside of traditional classroom environments.

Previously unemployed people often face greater barriers when re-entering the workforce and looking to do so in an industry that is new to them. In these cases, Leslie said, building con dence is key.

He said participating in volunteer activities while searching for a job helps to

keep working skills sharp, maintain a mental edge and build con dence. Many skills, he explained, can transfer easily from one industry to another.

Stephanie Gocklin, director of communica-tions for CareerSource North Central Florida, said those who have been unemployed for a period of time should join network-ing groups, such as CONNECT .

Gocklin said making the change is not impossible. One woman who previ-

ously had been licensed as a massage therapist for 20 years lost her job at almost 60. She did everything she could to make herself a more attractive candidate in a very different indus-try. Now, she has a career as an administration assistant, Gocklin said.

“She’s a rare case,” Gocklin said. “But she put all of that time and effort into learning as much as she could and said, ‘I have all of these skills. How can I use them in a new career?’”


Top 5 occupations by employment in Alachua County and Gainesville

Registered nurses ■

Retail ■

Service industry ■

Administrative support ■

Health specialties ■

Top 5 industries predicted to have the most future job openings in Alachua County

Specialty trade contractors ■

Nursing and residential care facilities ■

Ambulatory health care services ■

Construction ■

Social work ■

HELPFUL WEBSITESemployfl orida.com (state job database) ■

careersourcencfl .com (local website for Alachua and ■

Bradford counties) careersourcencfl .startupquest.org ■

SOURCE: CareerSource North Central Florida

Resources available to help you fi nd your true calling

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FILE PHOTO

Construction continues at the plaza near The Oaks Mall in Gainesville last month. Construction is one of the industries expected to have the most future job openings in the county, as well as nursing and residential care facilities, below.

By Emily MillerCorrespondent

Area job seekers needing help building resumes and preparing for inter-views have plenty of op-

tions from which to choose.GatorResumes, Partnership

for Strong Families and the Santa Fe College Career and Job Placement Center are a few of the area resources available to job applicants of all experience levels.

The local agency Partnership for Strong Families offers free one-on-one resume help and interview coaching at its three resource centers: Library

Partnership Neighborhood Resource Center, 1130 NE 16th Ave.; SWAG Family Resource Center, 807 SW 64th Terrace; and Cone Park Library Re-source Center, 2841-A E.

University Ave.“We offer lots of things on a

daily basis, but also we offer targeted workshops throughout the year,” said Jenn Petion, the agency’s director of community

and government relations.Applicants can walk in with

drafts of resumes to be critiqued or use the computers at the centers to build resumes onsite.

Services also are available by appointment.

Hours of operation and contact information vary, and can be found at www.pfsf.org.

Another resource is the Santa Fe College Career and Job Place-ment Center, located in the R-Annex building on Santa Fe College’s northwest campus.

Staff members critique and build resumes and conduct mock interviews using a list of current interview questions.

“We have a good track record for getting interviews with the resume format that we use,” said Bruce Gordon, the center’s coordinator.

The center is free to the public and open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Call 395-5822 to make an appointment.

For help online, applicants can turn to GatorResumes, which provides interview coaching and resume assistance starting at $30.

Complete the inquiry form on www.gatorresumes.com, and within an hour, GatorResumes will respond with an email explaining its services.

“Additionally, we request any pieces of information we may need, such as old resumes, work history, skills, education and community service, as well as links to the types of jobs they are looking for,” GatorResumes founder Lisa Hope said.

Following this consultation process, GatorResumes sends an invoice via PayPal.

Resumes are delivered within 24 to 48 hours of when the payment is received.

Turn to local agencies to help you build the perfect resume

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Having trouble getting noticed by employers? There are local resources available to help job applicants perfect their resumes.

GatorResumes, Santa Fe and Partnership for Strong Families can aid applicants of all levels.


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By Carla ViannaCorrespondent

Before applying to work for the city of Ocala, a candi-date must read and

agree to the organiza-tion’s seven core values: customer focus, integrity, responsibility, knowledge, innovation, ef ciency and leadership.

Consider it a code of ethics, reminding future employees of the speci c qualities a company is looking for, said Jeannine Robbins, public informa-tion of cer for the city of Ocala.

“There are a lot of quality individuals out there,” she said. “The fact that we ask them to read through and agree to those makes the (hiring) process much easier for us.”

Beyond the education and experience require-ments, employers look for candidates equipped with a strong set of soft skills, said Deborah Bowie, vice president of chamber development at the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce.

It’s the ability to commu-nicate effectively, to listen and to respond, to take and give directions, and to be proactive and profes-sional.

“Beyond tech skills and

basic criteria: Can you problem-solve? Can you get along well with others? Can you motivate?” Bowie said.

She said these soft communication skills are taught in many companies through mentoring programs.

Local programs such as The Red Carpet Customer Service Training and Certi cation coach employees in both internal and external customer service.

The three-hour course is taught at the Santa Fe College Center for Innova-tion and Economic Development or at individual businesses. Kim Tesch-Vaught, executive director at Career Source of North Central Florida, said the

program has been popular within the health care industry.

When it comes down to it, employers across all industries are looking for people who show up on time every day with a good attitude, she said.

In addition, a candidate should t in well with the workplace culture.

In nite Energy’s human resources manager, Stacy Ben eld, said the compa-ny places extreme value on its family-like culture.

“We are looking for people who value being part of the atmosphere and care about fellow co-workers and the community,” Ben eld said.

She said these are values a person should have before walking into the company.

The challenge is assess-ing these traits during the interviewing process.

“Each company has their own culture,” Tesch-Vaught said. “One of the things that I would suggest is to take time to read about the company when you’re paneling your resume for the job you’re applying for. Many times you can identify what the company is really looking for.”

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Beyond education and experience, employers look for candidates who have soft skills. These skills include the ability to communicate eff ectively, to listen and respond, to take and give directions, and to be proactive and professional.

“Beyond tech skills and basic criteria: Can you problem-solve? Can you get along well with others? Can you motivate?”

DEBORAH BOWIE, vice president of chamber development at the

Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce

Employers look beyond education, experience


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ranges from expertise in a particular eld to a Ph.D. degree.

Other occupations, however, require a high school diploma and provide on-the-job training.

McKnight said Career-Source NCFL holds career

fairs around the area and helps job seekers nd training programs.

“Any additional educa-tion or training you can nd will help increase your chances for employ-ment and enhance your skills to make you more competitive in the job market,” she said.

Heather White, director

of UF’s Career Resource Center, said networking with employers, such as attending job fairs or communicating on social media, also would bene t job seekers.

“That is something we teach and believe in,” she said. “It’s very important to network and put oneself out there.”

Continued from 4

JOBS: Some employers provide training

By Samantha SchuylerCorrespondent

Don’t chew gum. Don’t check your phone. Dress for the job you want.

Everyone can offer common-sense advice when applying for a job, but human resource employees are the ones who do the hiring — and they know exactly what companies look for.

So how can you stand out in a pile of applications? Local HR experts weighed in on the topic and offered tips for those on the job hunt.

The screening process begins before you even sit down with the interviewer, said Jackie Knable, president of the North Central Florida Society for Human Resource Man-agement and senior vice president of human resources at Meridian Behavioral Healthcare Inc.

When hiring, she considers the way a person

behaves in the waiting room as much as in the of ce. And she has rejected candidates for how they’ve treated staff, she said.

“I’ve had several candi-dates get fairly close to director-level positions,” she said. “But if they’re rude and hateful to our staff at that point, what are they going to be like every day?”

Amber Buchanan, branch manager at TempForce, a Gainesville temp agency, said serious candidates do prior research. And the resume and cover letter should re ect what you’ve learned about the compa-ny. It should be tailored to t the position and show you are familiar with its responsibilities, she said.

Whether the position is entry-level or managerial, prospective employees must be familiar with the company, she said. Then the interview becomes interactive and engaging.

A one-sided interview shows disinterest, she said. Knowing the com-pany’s history and mission, as well as asking speci c questions about the company, makes a lasting impression. It alerts the interviewer that you are serious about the position, she said.

Sarah O’Steen, presi-dent-elect of the North Central Florida Society for Human Resource Man-agement and former human resources man-ager at Florida Food Service, said that at the end of the day, prospective candidates should remem-ber they’re applying to become a part of a team. She said seeing the process this way is less intimidating and will encourage you to speak naturally. Reciting a script from memory is off-put-ting and mechanical. So calm your nerves. After all, she said, employers are just looking for a new teammate.

Stand out among other job applicants

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

The screening process for a job begins before you even sit down for an interview. You have to be aware of your behavior even in the waiting room.

The proper behavior and being prepared are key to helping you land the job of your dreams


By Adam BelzStar Tribune (Minneapolis)

Gabe Ciuraru doesn’t see many good op-tions for people his age.

At 23, he’s waited tables, driven tanks for the Israeli army, taken community college classes and taught Hebrew in St. Paul, Minn. Lately he’s been selling cosmetics from a kiosk at the Mall of America.

This fall, he plans to pursue a degree in sports management at the University of Minnesota. But he’ll have to take on a lot of debt, and he’s not optimistic it will lead to a good-paying job.

“I have friends that still live at home because they’re paying off their student loans,” Ciuraru said. “You’re chained to

your desk. And if you’re not, the debt gets bigger.”

People who nished high school or college in the past few years came into the job market at the wrong time. The economic downturn slashed pay for young workers and left more of them jobless, even after many went deep into debt to pay for college.

Economists believe they may never recover what they lost in wages and experience.

“If we look over people’s likely future lives, when you’re part of a generation that comes in with a tough job market and your wages are not so great, you don’t recover,” said Richard Freeman, a Harvard University labor economist. “They are going to be at a perma-

nently lower standard of living than they would have been had we either avoided this catastrophe or had we had a successful jobs recovery.”

Demand for college-edu-cated workers probably peaked around 2000, and the decline since then has affected all young work-ers, Canadian economists Paul Beaudry and Benja-min Sand say.

As the number of college diplomas in the job market keeps rising, high-skilled workers are forced to take lesser jobs, “pushing low-skilled workers even further down the occupa-tional ladder and, to some degree, out of the labor force altogether,” Beaudry and Sand wrote in 2013.

The phenomenon was partly hidden by the

housing bubble in the 2000s, but then laid bare by its bursting.

“This has been a terrible decade,” said Phil Gard-ner, director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University. “There’s only been three years where employers have aggressively hired in the last 12 years.”

Morgan Moore, 28, realized in 2008, less than a year into law school at the University of Illinois, that he probably wouldn’t end up working as a lawyer.

He had hoped to work as legal counsel for a corpo-ration, but the prospect grew distant as the economy sank into recession.

“That amount of time grew from ve to 10 years, to longer than that, to maybe impossible,” Moore said. “So rather than wait and see, I decided to pursue other opportuni-ties.”

He nished law school so he wouldn’t regret quitting, but when he graduated in 2011, he didn’t have the money for bar exam prep classes. He couldn’t nd any work near Chicago, let alone at a law rm. So he spent the summer in his ancee’s mother’s basement, collecting food stamps.

Ultimately he moved back to Minnesota’s Twin Cities, where he grew up, in search of any kind of work. He did part-time stints on the sales oor at Sears, at a Byerly’s grocery store and parking cars for a valet service.

In February 2012, he started selling cars full time. He doesn’t regret his expensive law degree, but it will take a long time to pay down his $80,000 in

student debt. He has no plans to buy a house, and he had to sign up for health insurance through MNsure, the state ex-change.

“Those of us who were negatively affected by the economy are faced with the consequences of a lost three or four years,” Moore said. “That’s de nitely left an impact.”

Since 2008, rst-time job seekers have faced a market more dif cult than anything their older siblings or parents have seen.

Unemployment for people younger than 25 hit 21 percent in 2010 and still is well above its prereces-sion high at 15.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The situation is worse for workers younger than 25 with no college education, whose unemployment rate is 18.6 percent.

Young people who are working have fewer opportunities for advance-ment, in part because fewer older workers are voluntarily quitting their jobs.

“The longer this goes on, and the longer they’re not attached to something meaningful — and there’s a lot of young people who still aren’t — then they’re wasting their human resource investment, which is their education,” said Phil Gardner, director of the Collegiate Employ-ment Research Institute at Michigan State University.

Repeated studies show that people who look for their rst job during a recession take as much as a 9 percent wage cut. These losses can be permanent, and even when they’re not, may fade only after a decade.

The fault lines run

through families.Laura Franklin, 27, and

her sister Emily, 32, both went to the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn. Emily didn’t seriously consider her career until her senior year, yet got a good job four days after she graduated in 2004. Laura, with a 3.9 GPA and a semester as a full-time substitute teacher under her belt, couldn’t crack the teaching market in 2009 or 2010.

She wanted to teach third-graders, she said, because they like to learn and are old enough to work independently. She applied for more than 100 jobs in Minnesota and Colorado through the summer of 2009. She drove to job fairs where lines formed out the door for one opening. “You’d just hang your head when you walked in,” she said.

The rst few weeks without a job offer turned into months, and then the summer passed, and her computer lled with folders of rejected cover letters.

“I was just so defeated,” she said. “My self-esteem was just blown. I said, ‘I give up. I’m going to take care of babies. This is my life. OK.’ ”

She worked at a day care called New Horizon Academy, and a year later, took a job as an early childhood teaching assistant for St. Paul public schools, hoping that might lead to full-time teaching. She worked both jobs — 12 hours a day — to cover her bills, including payments on $18,000 in student debt.

The teaching job never materialized, so she took a job at a UnitedHealth call

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center, which led to a better position at Op-tumHealth. She gave up hopes of teaching but believes those years made her stronger.

“I can look back and think, ‘OK, that was awful and such a hard struggle, but I’m so happy with where I am now because of it,’ ” she said. “It makes you appreciate it that much more.”

One reason for optimism is that as more baby boomers leave the work-force, more jobs should open up for younger workers.

The biggest cohort of baby boomers is now in its mid-50s, said Susan Brower, Minnesota’s state demographer.

So she expects the number of retirements to rise over the next 10 to 15 years.

“We do expect to get this boost in terms of replace-ment job openings,” Brower said. “We don’t know exactly what the size of it will be.”

For now, many college students appear to have accepted that it won’t be easy to get a good job.

“If you go down to people 22 or 23 years old now, they don’t feel quite as disillusioned,” said Richard Freeman, an economist. “They under-stood. The signal was coming out from society. It’s amazing, to me at least, how easily people adjust to whatever the current situation is.”

The scales fell from Jamie Millard’s eyes 10 months into her profes-sional life.

She’d been working an

unpaid internship since graduating from college in 2009, and she needed money. So she was thrilled to be sitting in an of ce listening to a man describe her dream job, and then offer it to her. She would be raising money for a small publishing rm, a good one.

“Oh my gosh, this is going to be perfect,” she thought.

But the guy saved the worst news for last. The job would be unpaid for six months, he explained, and if she performed well, she could apply for the paid position then.

Millard had been smiling, and the grin froze on her face. She said she fought back tears.

“I wasn’t strong enough to say, ‘What!’ ” she said.

She turned down the offer by email and gained a new conception of job and career.

She was an English major at the University of Minnesota, but learned how to build websites and launched an online literary magazine, Paper Darts. Now she is co-CEO of BePollen, a networking organization.

She says she banks more on the intangible value of a big network and a rich extracurricular life than on any one particular job. She senses that her lean years have given her lower expectations than older workers — even those just 10 years older.

“Who knows what’s going to happen? I feel like my job could be stripped away from me at any moment, so I have to be very thoughtful,” she said. “I think that’s a new type of thing.”

Continued from 14

WORKERS: More jobs should open for younger workers as baby boomers leave the workforce By Diane Staff ord

The Kansas City Star

Do you have an electronic resume? It could help your job search, particularly if it isn’t just a PDF of your paper

resume.Digital formats can give potential

employers far more information than anything you could provide on a typed sheet of words.

Online, you can create links to portfolios that illustrate your work. You can include a video that conveys your presentation style, assuming it’s dynamic and worth watching.

You can add color that catches the eye.

Using electronic technology will help convince prospective employ-ers that you’re not a dinosaur.

Furthermore, most mid-sized to large businesses are using appli-cant-tracking software and online

hiring processes that are more likely to nd and click on your posted resume.

Also, many employers use LinkedIn to search for candidates. In fact, LinkedIn’s “apply now” function, built into some employ-ers’ job listings, may be the only place where those employers swim through the applicant pool.

Even without an electronic resume, you’re probably using online job-application forms

required by employers.Now, be prepared for a possible

next step: a video interview.It makes sense to practice your

on-screen delivery.Ask someone with a smartphone

or video camera — Skype will work, too — to record you answer-ing sample interview questions or giving your introductory speech. Based on what you see, would you hire you?

Remember, too, that your digital footprint is a big deal. Many employers scour the Web to nd information about you — your credit scores, Facebook postings, group memberships and other pro les. Search your name and see what you nd. Are you hireable?

Finally, reassess your email address. Make sure it’s a version of your name and not something sketchy, cutesy or detrimental, like [email protected].

Job hunters need digital profi ciencyMany employers scour the Web to fi nd information about you — your credit scores, Facebook postings, group memberships and other profi les. Search your name and see what you fi nd. Are you hireable?


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