What Are Seminars and Job Search Workshops?

A job seminar is a sort of “learning experience” where job seekers gather together to hear a professional speaker offer real-world information and advice. Attendees will usually be of a similar demographic and work background, such as 20-somethings at an Apple job seminar and financiers at Goldman-Sachs. The speaker(s) will probably talk about things like (un)employment statistics; top websites for career advice, assessment, assistance, and evaluation; how to write resumes and cover letters and handle interviews, and what industries and employers are looking for.

A job search workshop, on the other hand, is more interactive and less theoretical than a seminar. Not only do they contain many similar elements found in seminars, but you also get a practical, hands-on experience in what it takes to find a job. Workshops tend to be handiest for people who have been employed with one company for a long time, suddenly laid off, and need current information about getting back in the workforce; immigrants unfamiliar with the United States’ labor laws, regulations, and hiring processes; and long-time unemployed workers unfamiliar with the current landscape.

Is This a Valuable Use of My Time?

Absolutely. Not only do you get real-time practical and theoretical information about what’s needed to become employed, but you’ll also get precious opportunities to network—the main way people are hired today.

How Do I Find Job Seminars and Workshops?

One great resource is YourEmployment one of the fastest-growing job search sites on the Internet. You can also check out the United States Department of Labor for up-to-date federal information in many areas. Lastly, Google job seminars and workshops in your city, watch for them in newspapers, and talk to everyone you know. You just never know where a good opportunity will pop up.