Employment Opportunities in Omaha, Nebraska

Despite the dreary outlook of the current economy there are job opportunities available. If you are one of the many affected by recent layoffs or worried that you soon may be downsized or outsourced out of your current job don't despair. Securing employment is paramount but you are not alone. Many others are searching for employment in the Omaha, Nebraska area as well. Here are some search tips for your job hunt and some successful strategies to nail the interview and land the job.

Finders Keepers:
Knowing where to look is the first key to unlocking the door of your next employer. One place to start is to pick up the local newspaper such as The Omaha World Herald and scan the classifieds. If you do not subscribe to the paper you can peruse it at your local library. If the paper does belong to you circle all the jobs you are interested in and even the ones you are not quite qualified for. The wording can give you clues to previous experience requirements, job lingo and helpful phrases to use on your resume' as well as in interviews. If you have access to the internet (either at home or the library) the Omaha World Herald has online employment classifieds as well.

Word of Mouth:
Often employers do not advertise job openings as they can receive far more applications than they have the time or manpower to process. Ask your friends and neighbors or anyone else you associate with to keep their ears open for possible job openings. If you hear of someone getting fired, promoted, transferred or moving ask where they worked and it might just be a foot in the door for you.

Dress the Part:
Carefully consider where you want to work and what your prospective fellow employees wear in the workplace. Once you land the interview show respect by dressing appropriately. Drive by the business where you hope to work during a shift changing time and sit in the parking lot to observe how people are dressed. If the employees wear uniforms than typically the appropriate clothing choice would be a dress shirt and tie for men and business casual dress for women or a business attire pants suit outfit would be acceptable as well. Not having the right clothes for the interview is no cause for panic. Many affordable options can be found at local used clothing stores such as Goodwill (402-731-4888) or New Life Thrift (402-731-9311) and another option for women is the YWCA's Career Clothing Closet which provides free career clothing to women by appointment (402-345-6555)

Ready your resume':
A resume is a summary of your education, skills and employment history. There are many online sources for resume writing tips and numerous resources at your local library. Fancy resume paper is nice but not a must. Everyday copy or typing paper is adequate and is the most common choice. Honesty and spelling are the two most important factors when writing your resume. Post employment fact checking has caused quite a few people to lose their jobs and spelling errors on your resume might send the employer the message that you are not serious about getting hired.

Lets go to the fair:
Job fairs are a terrific place to land a job, learn about opportunities and network. The Spring Job Fair is scheduled for March 18, 2009 from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm at the Gateway Building which is located at 4401 North 21st Street in Omaha. The Omaha Works Job Fair is scheduled for April 8, 2009 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Holiday Inn Central located at 3321 South 72nd Street in Omaha.

Go Online:
The website for the Nebraska Workforce Development can be found at www.nejoblink.dol.state.ne.us and is a good resource for employment possibilities. Their database is searchable by geographical area as well as types of employment.

Take Your Temp:
Don't let full time fever make you over look the possibility of part time or temporary employment. Many temporary agencies in the Omaha, Nebraska area can tell you that there is many opportunities for temporary workers to get hired on permanently. Agencies such as Adecco (402 -895-2776) and Kelly Services (402-496-4656) can boost your chances of seeing a paycheck soon.

Last but not least:
The Omaha Career Center has two locations 5717 F Street and 2421 North 24th Street both in Omaha can assist you with important job seeking tools such as training programs, job search assistance, local job market information as well as interviewing and resume assistance. The Omaha Career Center also has a Rapid Response Program for those who have just lost their job or received notification of layoffs to help shorten the time between employment.

Employment opportunities are available in Omaha, Nebraska with patience, preparation and the above tips hopefully you will not be in the unemployment line very long.