Services and workshops for employees facing layoffs

he workshops listed below have been scheduled for campus employees who have received notification of a layoff. To register for any of the workshops, call Training and Development at 5-1787 and reference the workshop by name, or fill out a registration form in the T&D Program Catalog 2001-02 and mail it to T&D, 506 Goodell or fax it to 5-5426.

Workshops

"Resume Revising and Cover Letters," with Leslie Fraser. Designed for those who need to update their resumes and cover letters. Participants will discuss different formats and functions of a resume for the field they are seeking, as well as tips for cover letters; Friday, Jan. 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 804 Campus Center or Friday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 911 Campus Center.

"Resume Writing," with Leslie Fraser. Designed for those who have never written a resume, or whose resume is more than five years old. Participants will work on an initial draft of their resume and share resume writing resources and tips. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 804 Campus Center or Monday, Feb. 11, 9-11 a.m., 804 Campus Center.

"Unemployment Benefits and Career Services," with Steve Raymond, Division of Employment and Training. A representative from the Franklin/Hampshire Career Center office will explain the process of applying for unemployment benefits and the services offered by the Massachusetts Division of Employment and Training. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 911 Campus Center.

"Job Search Techniques and Tools," with Leslie Fraser. Participants will learn about job hunting resources, develop job search strategies, and help each other create support systems while we look for new jobs. Thursday, Jan. 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 804 Campus Center or Thursday, Feb. 7, 2-4 p.m., 804 Campus Center.

"Financial Management After a Layoff," with Stuart Cohen, Consumer Credit Counseling Services. Resources and tools for managing finances when one's income drops. Monday, Feb. 4, 2-3:30 p.m., 904 Campus Center.

"Assessing Careers," with Leslie Fraser. Participants will use a variety of exercises to help them assess their skills, values, interests and visions, so that they can begin to set goals and develop career development plans. Wednesday, Feb. 6 & 13, 2-4 p.m., 804 Campus Center.

"Managing the Stress of Job Loss," with Annie Mara, Organizational Development, and Elizabeth Holtzman, FSAP. A workshop offering some basics of stress management, exploring such topics as the causes and impacts of stress, lowering one's stress level, learning about personal stress buttons, and ways to cope with job loss. Thursday, Feb. 14, 2-4 p.m., 904 Campus Center.

"Surviving a Layoff," with Linda McDonald, Organizational Development. Participants will identify their inner strengths and challenge their personal barriers to coping with a layoff. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 9-11 a.m., 911 Campus Center.

"Interviewing and Networking," with Leslie Fraser. Taking the time to network, research, and prepare for a job interview can improve one's chances of getting a job offer. This workshop will help participants evaluate job prospects through networking and help practice responses to frequently asked interview questions. Thursday, Feb. 21, 9-11 a.m., 804 Campus Center.

Additional career transition services

Resume preparation

Training and Development and Labor/Management Workplace Education staff will help staff write, revise and produce a resume. Once the resume is written, T&D staff will lay out the resume in Microsoft Word and provide staff with a copy on a computer disk, along with 10 printed copies on resume paper.

Office use for job hunting

Two computers, a phone, printer, reference books, resources, and desk space are available in the Labor/Management Workplace Education area for staff to job hunt on the Internet, explore career research links, make local job inquiry calls, and work on resumes.

Advising, coaching, and referral

Leslie Fraser, career transition coordinator, is available to meet with staff individually to provide advising, interview coaching, resource referrals and support. Call 5-1468 for an appointment.

Personal counseling

The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program provides confidential assessment, brief counseling and referrals regarding a range of personal, work, family and health concerns.

FSAP also has articles, handouts and information on coping with layoffs.
Call 5-0350 to schedule an appointment or to obtain additional information.