One-day Event Offers Free Seminars to Job Seekers

DAYTON, OH - As the Miami Valley's economy makes the gradual transition from a manufacturing base to a high-tech aviation base, some displaced workers will be looking to move from a blue to a white collar career. Along with upgrading job skills, many workers will need to learn a new way of job hunting and the process of gaining and holding employment in high-tech industry.

From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday August 27 at the David H. Ponitz Center, Bldg. 12 at Sinclair Community College, Motivate Dayton! will provide free seminars for job seekers. Some of the Motivate! Dayton Robin speakers include Bruns, Vice President of Right Management, Aaron Delidow and Robert L. Hochwalt with Provest Properties, Inc. and local business woman Leah Hawthorn, owner of Advanced Business Image and Etiquette.

Working with local and national organizations, Hawthorn is a certified business image and etiquette coach who assists employers and workers in learning the social skills needed to get and keep a job in a professional setting. Her seminar, Outclass the Competition (Business Etiquette), or as she called it "Business Etiquette Boot Camp," is scheduled from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on Thursday morning.

"Eighty-five percent of the reason you get a job, you keep a job, and get promoted is because of your social and people skills," she said. She suggested that, "People who lost a manufacturing job will most likely need to look for work in other industries and different work environments." That, she said, will require some adjustment on their part.

"Candidates have to be able to walk into the interview with confidence and know how to enter the room properly," Hawthorn said. "They need to know how to dress properly for that interview, how to make eye contact and use their other soft (people) skills." Besides educating job hunters and business professionals, Hawthorn also teaches other image coaches.

She is also a training facilitator for the Protocol School of Washington's "Train to Be a Business Image Coach." This fall, Hawthorn will be presenting two of her seminars, "Outclass the Competition" Business Etiquette and "Outclass the Competition" Business Image, to a regional faculty retreat of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). The DAU provides training for civilian employees of the military and in today's economy, continued education is paramount.

Motivate! Dayton offers seminars throughout the day providing answers to questions that range from "How can I move from 'blue collar to white collar' employment?" to "How can I plan financially for unemployment?" to "I just lost my job - what do I do now?" to "Should I start my own business now?" and more.

In addition to the wide range of speakers, exhibitors and seminars, Motivate Dayton! will also offer a networking opportunity for job seekers and those companies looking for new employees. "In a professional business, networking is the key," Hawthorn said. "This event is the perfect opportunity to talk with some of those companies who are looking for new workers while learning how to go about the process of career change."

Master of Ceremonies for the Motivate! Dayton event will be WDTN 2 News award-winning anchor and reporter Marsha Bonhart. The keynote address will be given by Marty Grunder, a successful local entrepreneur who turned a casual lawn-care job into a multi-million-dollar company.

Sponsors for Motivate! Dayton include Baum Gartens, Paris Business Products, EmploymentGuide.com, Franklin Covey, Outplacement Training Resources. For more information or to register, contact Lin Favour at Global Sales and Event Management, LLC, by calling (937) 610-3333 or go online to www.motivatedayton.com.