WorkPlace offers free sessions to teach job seekers about SMART resumes

For some job seekers, gone are the days of one-page resumes.

The WorkPlace One-Stop Career Center, run by the Jefferson-Lewis Workforce Investment Area, is using a new electronic system that requires a longer, more detailed list of work history and skills.

The system, known as SMART 2010 for Skills Matching and Referral Technology, is used by the state Department of Labor in its electronic job listings. It scans resumes and compares them to available job listings. More detailed information about a person's work history or skill set will lead to more matches with job possibilities.

"Normally, we tell people to have resumes that are one or two pages, because they're supposed to spark interest," Cheryl A. Mayforth, Jefferson-Lewis Workforce Investment Board executive director, said. "But since these resumes are being electronically scanned, a human eye is not going to read them. They need to have more complete information."

The system reads resumes and matches skills to existing job openings in the state system within 50 miles of a person's home. Possible jobs are sent to job seekers' e-mail account and ranked by the strength of the match. The system continues to send e-mails as new job openings are entered into the state system by employers.

"The more complete resumes make a better connection," Mrs. Mayforth said.

She said jobs at Fort Drum also use an electronic scanning system.

Staff at the WorkPlace will help job seekers get started with computer skills, an e-mail account and resume. For those who already have brief resumes, the staff will help develop longer, more detailed versions.

The WorkPlace will host three workshops beginning Thursday and continue to offer resume development as part of its other services.

For job seekers who need to learn about resumes and develop basic computer skills, "SMART Start to a New Job" will run 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Those who already have page-long resumes and want to develop searchable resumes can attend "SMART Resume for Today's Technology" from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday. And for job seekers who are looking for a new career after years in the work force, "Job Search Techniques for the Older Worker" will be held 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9.

"We'll give people the techniques on how to do it," Mrs. Mayforth said. "Especially for new computer users, we'll walk them through it."

All workshops are free and held at the WorkPlace. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 782-9252 in Jefferson County or 376-5800 in Lewis County.

Also at the WorkPlace, 500 free vouchers will be distributed for Elevate America Microsoft Training. The vouchers allow free training and certification testing in Microsoft Office products and Internet technology software.

The vouchers will be available by Jan. 1, Mrs. Mayforth said.