ProNet helps job seekers find success

By Gary Roberts | September 08, 2010

Howie Appel, aka The Resume Builder, looks out among the crowd at his monthly workshop that helps professionals conduct a more aggressive and effective job search.

"Unfortunately, I see some familiar faces," he says to break the ice.

The rest of the two-hour session continues the upbeat tone, with a touch of humor, carried along by the high-energy and knowledgeable delivery of Appel, who worked for 25 years as a corporate recruiter.

In addition to recognizing a few people from earlier meetings, Appel shares an unspoken familiarity with many other attendees. Appel is a baby boomer, and a large portion of his audience skews toward the seasoned professional.

Besides the wealth of experience in the room, he has one more thing in common. Appel was laid off from his company more than a year ago, and he is also looking for work.

Appel is the executive director of ProNet Career Resources, an organization that he started in 2003 to help the unemployed and underemployed in Central Florida find jobs through networking and career management.

"I offer employment strategies, networking opportunities and my advice," he said. "I can't tell these folks when they will get jobs; I don't have a crystal ball. If I did, I would know when I'll get a job. But I can help them find jobs."

The group meets every fourth Monday at the Central Branch Library, 215 North Oxford Road, in Casselberry. With more than 400 members and a website that attracts 1,000 hits a week, ProNet is gaining steam.

However, to cast an ever-wider net, the group recently hosted a meeting at the UCF Business Incubator - Winter Springs. A further benefit of this outreach effort might result in another opportunity to tap into available jobs.

The UCF Business Incubator is growing like the companies it assists, with eight offices throughout Central Florida, plus a ninth slated to open soon in Kissimmee. Since it was established in 1999, the Incubator has nurtured more than 140 emerging companies, generating more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000.

This week Appel will host a seminar for the UCF Business Incubator. For a change, Appel will approach his talk from the other side of the job search, explaining how the Incubator's new start-ups should go about choosing the right person for the right job.

But clearly he is looking out for his job seekers as well, promising to recommend them to the Incubator whenever possible.

Appel strives to match those who attend his seminars or register on his website (pronetcareerresources.org) with any and all job openings. An unabashed advocate for the unemployed, he will talk up his clients to everyone he comes in contact with - business leaders, HR departments, politicians, community members.

The monthly workshops are friendly and free, with job seekers asked to bring along two copies of their resume for evaluation. There is also a Gas Card Drawing each meeting, with participants contributing a buck and the lucky winner receiving a financial boost to fuel their job search.

The regular sessions offer a myriad of other assistance such as employment resources and guest speakers, along with tips that shed light on the hidden job market and how to get your resume noticed.

"People come up to me, give me their resume and I say 'Pretty good, but not good enough.' I'm faced with this time and time again," he said.

Just a few of the nuggets mined at the previous meeting: If you're a veteran, put it on your resume. No need for a "References Upon Request" line at the end; it is assumed. No longer use an "Objective" heading; employers want to know your skills. Use 12-point text size on your resume and present information in short, concise statements or bulleted form.

In addition, most professional resumes are two pages. Cover letters are becoming archaic, replaced by social networking sites (LinkedIn and Facebook are particularly valuable) that provide a window into who you are. Other helpful destinations include BrightFuse.com for networking groups and Indeed.com, an all-in-one job search site.

On this evening, John Johnson, a personal banker with Fifth Third Bank, offered up more advice on how applicants can put their best foot forward. One potential obstacle, he said, is that six out of 10 employers now conduct credit checks on prospective hires, according to a 2009 Human Resources Management survey.

"They are trying to get a feeling for your level of desperation. What are the chances of you doing something wrong?" he said. "Credit is one of the big issues employers are using, fair or not. They're looking for an indication of character."

Fortunately, some of the remedies for a credit complication are quick and painless, while others require a long and difficult recovery. Johnson said 79 percent of credit reports have some type of wrongful information and a quarter of them contain serious errors.

For example, derogatory items should be removed seven years after they are reported, while bankruptcies must be expunged after 10 years.

To correct any inconsistencies, he said contact a nationwide consumer credit reporting company such as annualcreditreport.com to get a hold of your report. Yes, it costs money, but it may remove an unnecessary barrier to a job.

"If there's a way to clean up your credit report, do it," Johnson said.

To avoid future problems, he suggests paying bills on time, using less than 30 percent of your available credit limit, and maintaining a regular monthly payment with an older credit card and paying it off when the statement arrives. Closing old accounts can hurt your credit.

"Our goal is to help you strategize your job search," Appel said. "The economy is going to get better. I know, you're saying ha-ha-ha, but there are signs. You've got to be ready for it when jobs become available.

"I've been doing this for 25 years. You can't just shed who you are," he said. "I like to help people find work. Sometimes I sacrifice my own job search to find employment for someone else."

- Artcile by Gary Roberts | September 8, 2010 | SeminoleChronicle.com