Thank you, POAC!

If you are a job seeker (or as I prefer to be known now…a Job Acquisition Specialist) and you live in the state of Maryland, there is a wonderful resource (and did I mention it’s free) to help people prepare for the job search.

The Professional Outplacement Assistance Center (or POAC) provides Job Acquisition Specialists with the tools needed to be competitive and get noticed in this extremely competitive job market: seminars, networking groups, one-on-one consultations with staff, computers, books, and more. It’s not a placement firm but a terrific, helpful place for people looking for a job, looking to change careers, or trying to determine what the step should be to get valuable information.  Just check out some of these online resources, as well.

I just attended a two-day JumpStart seminar, which is usually how one becomes acquainted with POAC and which delivers the nuts and bolts of marketing oneself and searching for a job. It’s direct, specific, entertaining, and addresses the concerns most job seekers have:

• Who is reviewing my resume?
• Why am I not getting any responses?
• How much information should I include?
• How can I better navigate the online job boards?
• But I was a perfect match for that job...
• …and lots more.

The trainers are top-notch professionals, experienced, credible, smart and ready to address every question. I would put them on a level above anyone I came into contact with at the outplacement firm (no names, please) I worked with for a while. 

Thank you to my networking group friends for telling me about POAC. Now I’m passing the word along, too.