Dear God, I place my humble needs before you:
My need to meet my responsibilities in the world and with You.
My need to use my God-given talents and abilities.
My need to fulfill my place here on earth.
…I pray for Your guidance now to show me the way
To the perfect opportunity to do what I love,
To do what I can do well, and what will fulfill
My needs mentally, spiritually, and financially.
Help me to walk in faith as You show me the way!
Thank You, Lord. Amen!

By: Ada Velez

I come before you, Dear Lord, at a time of trial in my life.  I am seeking honest work so that I may feed myself and my family and continue to meet my commitments to my church and those whom I may owe.

I earnestly pray that you will bless my efforts . . .

That you will give me the strength to continue when my effort seems futile,

That you will guide me in how I spend my time and my energies,

That my idle time will be spent productively, and as a time to come closer to you, Lord, and not a time for temptation to seep into my thoughts and deeds.

That each resume I send out, each phone call I make, each interview I have will be blessed by you.  That you will be by my side and direct my hand, my words, and my actions.

I pray that you will place godly people in my path that can help me, encourage me, and direct my path.

I pray that when I am blessed with choices in the workplace, I will make them in ways that will please you.  And when you provide the job that I so earnestly seek, I will work to the best of the abilities you have given me, so as to glorify you, dear Lord.

I pray that you will not let me suffer financial harm as I seek your will, and I pray that you will bless the efforts of others in similar situations that also look for work.  Help me, I pray, to be a good steward of what you have given me, spending wisely and sparingly in this season of my life.

I know that you have plans for me, not of harm but of peace, and I trust in you O’ Lord.  You are the source of my strength and all blessings.  I ask that you guide me now, in your will.

In Jesus holy name I pray. Amen

By: Ron Damer

Pre-Meeting Prep: The Five Types of Interviewers

By: NewGradLife

When interviewing for a job, remember that employers often utilize a variety of interviewing styles, and you should be prepared to address any of them. Check out the following link for a summary of the five most common interviewing styles: http://bit.ly/dsIsCb

Here are the five different styles:

1. The Non-stop Talker

2. The Drill Sergeant

3. The Traditionalist

4. The Newbie

5. The Inappropriate Interviewer

Great tips for your next job interview…hope this helps you be prepared.

Are you unemployed? Been downsized? Maybe just looking for a career change? Let us see if we can help you.

Each Monday morning, we gather in the Green room in a casual setting to help people find meaningful employment. Here are some of the resources available…

• Coping with Job Loss
• Greenwood Staffing Agencies
• Internet Job Search Mistakes
• National Job Site Listings
• Tips for a Cover Letter
• Top Job Search Sites
• Job Search Check up Form
• Personality Pattern Test
• Preparing for a Job Fair

Come join us and let us see if we can help you.

Career Care is a ministry of North Side Baptist Church in Greenwood, SC.  We meet each Monday morning at 8:00am in the Green Room. Check out these and other helpful resources http://northsidebc.org/career-care/

Dave Says – April 27, 2010

Should I reduce my tithe?

Dear Dave,
My husband and I are on Baby Step 2 of your plan, and we’re working hard to pay off all of our debt. We’re Christians, but would it be a good idea to decrease our traditional 10 to 15 percent tithe while we work through the debt snowball?
Janelle

Dear Janelle,
I’ve studied Scripture on this subject for about 20 years and taught in Christian settings. But I don’t want you to take my word as the final authority. What we’re about to get into comes from God, not some guy with a radio show, okay?

When you look up the Hebrew word “tithe,” it literally means tenth. Not 10 to 15 percent a tenth. The book of Deuteronomy says to give a tenth of your net increase. In Proverbs, it refers to the tithe as first fruits, off the top, before anything else. About 1,200 years of protestant Christian teaching has focused on the idea that the tithe goes to the local church, because it’s the New Testament representation of the Old Testament storehouse. The storehouse took care of the Levites, which were the priests or pastors and the widows and orphans. Today, the New Testament church in your community is supposed to use it for the same kinds of things: pastor’s salaries and helping people who are struggling.

Now, once we’ve said all that, the problem is that there’s enough toxicity in Christianity and twisted information that surrounds tithing to choke a horse! I want you to remember one thing, though. God doesn’t love you more just because you tithe more than the person sitting next to you. It’s not a salvation issue, either. We’re not going to get into performance-based legalism here. God thinks you’re cool! You’re his kid, and He’s going to love you even if you don’t tithe. But He knows what tithing does for us. It makes us focus on something other than ourselves. God doesn’t need your money, but He does want us to be loving and giving to the people around us.

I wouldn’t stop or reduce my tithe if I were in your situation. When I hit bottom 20 years ago, I tithed all the way into bankruptcy court and all the way out. Just please keep in mind that you shouldn’t do this because Dave Ramsey gave you a “rule.” It comes straight from God, and it’s a loving father’s instructions as to what’s best for his kids!
Dave

For more information on Dave Ramsey’s financial resources go to http://www.daveramsey.com

PREPARING TO ATTEND A JOB FAIR

Prepared by: Ron Damer

1. Why do you attend a Job Fair?
   • Identify hiring companies
   • Identify companies that use your skill sets
   • Get an interview
   • Plant your resume’
   • Network with other job hunters
2. What should you take to a Job Fair?
   • At least 10 copies of your most recent resume’
   • Business cards with your name, address, capabilities and objectives to give to recruiters and network contacts
   • Your “elevator speech”
   • A notepad or memo pad to record contacts made
   • A cell phone camera if you have one, to take pics of job postings off bulletin boards
   • Your calendar (hard copy, in your cell phone or PDA) to check dates you are available for interviews, follow-up.
3. What should you wear to a Job Fair?
   • For salaried positions – Suit and tie
   • All others – “Business Casual”  — collared shirt and dress or casual pants.  No jeans, shorts,  or T-shirts.
4. What should you do at a Job Fair?
   • Submit your resume’ to as many plausible openings as possible.
   • Leave your business card with all recruiters, company representatives and networking contacts that you encounter.
   • Find and take home copies of all material that may be helpful:
   • Job Market publications
   • Job Postings
   • Other Job Fair Announcements
   • Recruiter advertisements/handouts
   • Websites learned about
   • Contact info for network contacts
   • A listing of all participating companies (usually handed out at the door

A local human resources representative who will be attending the Upper Savannah Regional Job Fair on April 28 looks forward to the event because employers and job seekers have a chance to really connect, he said.

“The face-to-face meeting brings with it a power and advantage that a simple letter or resume cannot produce,” said the HR representative of a large local company which requested that he not be identified.

“There can be no substitute for your own personal presentation in which you have all of the verbal and nonverbal tools available to use in convincing the employer to give you more of their time,” he said.

“However, the power of a personal meeting can work for ill as often as good if the job seeker is not properly prepared.”

Job seekers and employers who are hiring or will be hiring within the next four months will have the opportunity to meet April 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Greenwood Mall.

The semi-annual fair typically draws at least 50 employers from the general area of Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry and Saluda counties as well as more than a thousand job seekers.

Employers are encouraged to attend whether they have one job opening or 50.

Several local companies have had much success hiring at the Upper Savannah fair, including the unnamed HR representative. Success stories start with job seekers who are dressed appropriately and are prepared.

“The individuals who make a positive impression for me during a job fair are those who dress appropriately for the event, speak clearly and confidently and shake hands with enthusiasm, have an accurate updated resume ready to give to me, and have an ‘elevator speech’ prepared.”

He said the job seeker doesn’t necessarily need a suit and tie.

“The candidate should dress a step above the position in which they are interested,” he said. “For example, if the candidate is seeking a position as a production worker where he or she will wear jeans or a uniform to work, then the appropriate interview attire is a nice pair of pants and a shirt with a collar. Other job fair interactions may require a higher level of dress if the job requires it.”

Enthusiasm is crucial, he said.

“I like to see candidates with a little bit of spark. This does not have to be over the top – just enough to show me that speaking to someone from our company about employment is important to them.”

He said job seekers must come prepared.

“There is no excuse for attending a job fair without an updated resume or without enough copies, particularly understanding the wonderful employment resources available within our State and local community,” he said, specifically referring to the One-Stop Workforce System with satellite offices in each county.

An elevator speech, often referred to as a one-minute commercial that sells your skills, is an effective strategy, he said.

“I appreciate those candidates who approach me with a brief summary of their situation and employment interest,” he said. “This should be a 60 – 90 second introduction that includes the person’s name, current employment situation and desired type of employment.

“It is in this short delivery that the candidate can hand me their resume for further reference. This shows organization, preparedness and communication ability on the part of the job seeker along with presenting the employer with key information up front.”

Those are the good behaviors and preparation methods. For every good move, there are equally as many bad impression risks.

“There are several types of behavior that will almost ensure that I will not be following up with you at all, such as sloppy or immodest dress that shows no concern for the professionalism of the event or for even decorum in general,” he said.

“Slouching, mumbling and staring at the floor are not interesting and could be construed as indicating laziness. If the candidate acts lazy and sluggish during the job fair, how would the employer expect them to act on the job?”

“Pushiness, interruptions and other inappropriately aggressive behavior” are also turnoffs, he said.

“I like tenacious, determined people, but I do not like a resume shoved in my face, particularly if it is at the expense of job seekers who are patiently waiting their turn,” he said.

“Resumes that are dirty, wrinkled, hard to read, or in otherwise poor physical shape stand out just long enough for me to shred them. I also am not pleased with the job seeker who has one resume. Don’t approach my booth until you have visited the copy room and have some resumes to distribute.

“Worse yet, if you don’t have a resume, how am I supposed to remember you? It is not appropriate to expect me to write down your contact information for you.”

Conversation needs to be kept to a minimum and to the point, he said.

“In a typical job fair, I will speak with dozens of people. Some I may choose to engage longer than others. In the job fair setting, I am not interested in hearing someone’s life story unless I ask for it. This is not meant to be condescending or prideful. My point is that some candidates will talk you to death unless you make them stop.

“These types of individuals do not have well-developed sense of conversational savvy, a trait I definitely want to see particularly in candidates for leadership positions. It is not a cardinal sin, but in my estimation starting the job fair encounter with “What jobs are you hiring for?” is not a strong beginning.”

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/17/2023324/caterpillar-to-add-500-workers.html#ixzz0jr9HRUGr

Go check it out. Some of the features are:

• FREE: 2010 Crossroads Career Workbook
• BLOG: Me, Inc. Series
• VIDEO: At a crossroads in your career?
• PRAYER: Post a prayer on our wall
• PODCAST: Job Seeker’s Survival Kit
• CONFERENCES: For church pastors/leaders

Also, included is a job search tool. Good information, good resources…great encouragement. Check it out.

We were recently contacted by the U S Census Bureau…they have job openings in Greenwood, SC. Here is what we know…

• They will be hiring enumerators or census takers.
• It is a 6 to 10 week commitment.
• Time frame is March through June, but some positions will be available as early as January.
• 20 to 40 hours per week.
• Pay is $11.25 per hour and mileage of $0.555 per mile.
• There are some crew leader positions available at $12.25 per hour.
• Must be 18 years old.
• Must have valid Drivers license.
• Must have valid Social Security number.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Must pass basic skills test (I have practice tests available).
• Must pass a background check.
• Paid training provided.

Anyone interested in applying should call Anderson LCO at 864-932-4320.