When you’re jobseeking, a resume is required. But not everyone has an effective one, if they have one at all.
Ron Smalls is trying to do something about that. The owner of
Paving the Way Consultancy in Lutz, he provides free resume-writing training at places like the public libraries.
“We’ve had a good number of people coming,” he says. “Our goal is to get people into jobs, and also to help them maintain jobs.”
The classes rotate among Tampa area libraries and other venues. “We keep it on the move,” he says. “It’s accessible to everyone.”
He’s holding the next workshop from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, at 5508 Co-Working & Collaborative Exchange, 5508 N. 50th St., Suite 14, Tampa.
“The workshop will cover pivotal information that job seekers should be aware for their resumes,” Smalls says. “We will be covering items such as, what you should and should not include on your resume, understanding how properly formatting your resume is essential for the person reviewing it, and how to make your resume stand out among your peers.”
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Ron Smalls is the owner of Paving the Way Consultancy.
Because it’s interactive, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Want a few quick tips ahead of time? “Never put your address on your resume,” Smalls says. When you do that, you risk having the employer decide for you if your commute would be too long.
He also suggests only putting “relevant” information on your resume.
Smalls knows what it’s like to be trying to find a job without knowing the ins and outs. So he decided to help. He is partnering with the non-profit Xtreme Rise of Tampa.
As an organizational development consultant, Smalls works with businesses throughout the hiring and expansion process.
Check out some upcoming job fairs in Tampa.
• A free, construction industry job fair is slated from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the EpiCenter at St. Petersburg College, 13805 58th St. N., Clearwater. The job fair, hosted by CareerSource Pinellas and CareerSource Tampa Bay, will include 25 employers with more than 100 open positions. There are jobs for carpenters and electricians, plus heating, ventilating and air conditioning technicians and more. To avoid registration lines, jobseekers are advised to pre-register at
CareerSource Pinellas, where more information is available. Uber is providing a 20 percent discount on rides to and from the event with the code CAREERSOURCEFL.
• CareerIntro has a Tampa Career Fair planned from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at Crowne Plaza, 5303 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. The event, which is free to jobseekers, brings together job candidates of varying experience levels and representatives of local, regional, and Fortune 500 Companies who have job openings. Register
here.
• Coast-to-Coast Career Fairs is having a Tampa Career Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, June 18, at Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore Airport, 700 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa. Coast-to-Coast works with employers in a wide variety of fields including accounting, advertising, banking, construction, education, electronics, green technology, health, retail, telecommunications and travel. Jobseekers can register for free
here.
• If you’d like to work on a cruise ship, there’s a job fair for that. Norwegian Cruise Line has a Cruise Ship Job Fair scheduled at 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, at AC Hotel Tampa Airport, 4020 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa. Registration begins at 9 a.m. During the session, job contenders will learn about shipboard employment. Interviews will follow. Jobseekers can apply online for a variety of positions including assistant cook, assistant waiter, butcher, restaurant steward and stateroom steward.
Learn more.
• JobNewsUSA is holding a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, at George M. Steinbrenner Field, 1 Steinbrenner Dr., Tampa. The event is free for jobseekers, who will be able to meet face-to-face with recruiters and hiring managers. Job candidates are advised to dress for an interview and bring 10 to 20 copies of an updated resume.
Learn more.
• Unable to get to a job fair? Attend the Tampa Virtual Job Fair from the comfort of your own home. More than 20 companies are slated to participate in the job fair from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 28, online. The free event is being held by Career Showcase, a job fair firm specializing in sales, business development, financial services, customer service/call center and marketing recruiting. Check it out
here.