Events › *Virtual* Women Returners Workgroup - Session 1

*This is a FREE webinar*

Are you seeking to return to the workforce after a break? 

Join the SJPL Women Returners WorkGroup to jumpstart your job search, build your confidence, strengthen your existing skills for meaningful employment, and create momentum by collaborating with other women returners. Job search experts will teach and guide you during each session.

This will be a 7 session workshop that will take place one Wednesday a month from March - September 2023. Each session will explore a different topic and have exercises that will help you in your resume and job search.

Below are the scheduled topic descriptions of each session.

March 22
Session 1- Topic: Job Search - Goal Setting

Goal setting is important for identifying what you want to accomplish and what you have to do to get there. In this workshop, learn how to set goals for yourself that break up the whole process into small tasks that are manageable and will help you keep up the momentum. This kind of goal setting can help keep you motivated on the days when it's hard to get going. It will also help you get to the end result faster.

The workshop includes exercises that will get you started on how to set goals for your job search.

April 19
Session 2- Topic: Strengths

In this second session of the Women Returner Workgroup, we will work on identifying our strengths. We have all heard about needing to work on our weaknesses. But a growing body of research proves that the more effective approach to improving performance is to build on your strengths. With the exercises in this session, you will hopefully get a better understanding of your strengths and how to leverage them in your resume and job search.

Before the session, please try and find 15 minutes to do the VIA character strengths survey (takes about 15 minutes). This will help you identify what your key strengths. The website provides a brief explanation of each strength so you can see how it will be relevant in the work setting. https://www.viacharacter.org/

In addition, also watch this beautiful video called 'Trombone Player Wanted' by Marcus Buckingham, best-selling author, business consultant and global researcher, who says, 'Focus more of your time on your strengths than weaknesses.'

May 17
Session 3- Topic: Personality and Skills

In this session of the Women Returner Workgroup, we will explore how knowledge of your personality type can help you define your work purpose. Through the exercises in this session, you will hopefully identify your top skills and begin to leverage them in your resume and job search.

Before the session, please try and find 15 minutes to complete this free personality type test. And please download this Skills Inventory Worksheet for the exercises.

June 21
Session 4- Topic: Value and Interest

In this session of the Women Returner Workgroup, we will explore the final 2 components of defining your work purpose: values and interests. The exercises in this session will help to identify your core values and highest interests so that you can begin to leverage them in your resume and job search.

Before the session, please try and find 20 minutes to complete this quiz to explore your interests through the O*Net Interest Profiler and review this Values Worksheet from the SJSU Career Center.

July 19
Session 5 - Topic: Elevator Pitch

In this session of the Women Returner Workgroup, you will learn how to rock your Elevator Pitch!

You never get a second chance to make a first impression! Craft your personalized “elevator pitch” to use as an introduction while networking or interviewing and as a tool to engage the listener about what you have to offer.

Learn how to create an authentic, memorable personal pitch to make a great first impression.

This Webinar will help YOU :

• Focus on your strengths
• Introduce yourself confidently
• Better articulate your fit for a job

August 23
Session 6- Topic: Networking

Deconstructing Networking!

Networking is critical to a successful and efficient job search as 80% of the US population gets their job through someone they know. However, many find the networking process stressful and intimidating. In this workshop you will learn how to break down networking into small, simple tasks that will make it easier for you to adopt this important job search strategy. For this workshop, please keep paper and pen handy (or laptop etc.) for some simple exercises.

September 20
Session 7 - Topic: Resume

A well-crafted resume is a vital tool to helping you stand out to potential employers.

In this session we will focus on the most difficult piece of a resume – linking your skills and experience to the needs of your potential employers. Whether you are connecting your previous experience, volunteer experience, or switching careers, you will learn to identify and highlight the transferable skills the employer is looking for.


For the session, please have your camera on, and a pen and paper (or laptop) handy to do the exercises. 

Presented in Partnership with  Women Back to Work

Registration is required. Please register here.

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Note: To request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for library-sponsored events, please call 408-808-2000 or email Accessibility@sjlibrary.org at least three business days prior to the event.