No prerequisites required.

CONNECT! registration must be completed prior to attending these workshops and advanced sign-up is required through the CONNECT! front desk: 408-774-5447.

• Career Advising
  Career Advisors are available to meet with you for one-on-one job search assistance. Advisors are available daily.  To speak with a Career Advisor, contact the CONNECT! Front desk.

• Job Club
  Weekly meetings designed to bring job seekers together for support, ideas, and information. There will be time to discuss a job search topic, network, debrief actions, and ask questions of the group and meeting facilitator.

• Planning Your Job Search
  Job searching can be overwhelming. Learn how to create an effective plan to keep you focused and on the right track to your next job.

• Managing Change
  An interactive workshop to help you move through the stress and uncertainty created by job loss. Learn how to work through your emotions, launch an effective job search, and explore what’s next for you.

• Discover You
  Interactive workshop to help you explore your interests, values and brainstorm career options.

• Who am I?
  A survey of available career assessment tools to help individuals define their skills, interests, values, and personality and then apply this information to career decisions.

• Career Exploration
  Learn how to gather information about career options, develop an understanding of how to access the latest career information resources, and discover the value of career exploration in making smart and informed career decisions.

• Résumé Facts
  Learn the answers to the most common résumé questions including: what goes on the résumé, do I need to customize my résumé, what are the best ways to organize my information and is a cover letter necessary?

• Résumé Critique
  Come have a career advisor review your résumé and provide you with information, ideas, and assistance in creating your résumé. This service is offered during career advising appointments.

• Résumé Formatting Lab
  Bring your résumé text and a floppy or flash drive to take away a visually appealing chronological résumé after following step-by-step instructions.

• Job Applications
  If your job search includes filling out applications (and most jobs do at some point), learn how to not screen yourself out. Discover how to successfully address legal issues and sticky questions.

• Strategize Your Job Search
  The more exposure you and your résumé have during the job search, the more likely you are to find a job. Come learn different ways to get known by people with the power to hire you.

• Networking
  What is networking? How to introduce yourself? How to start and stop conversations? Come learn all of this and how to make attending networking events an effective job search tool.

• Using LinkedIn
  Learn how to create a profile and connect with people on LinkedIn. Also learn how to use LinkedIn as a job search tool as well as understand how employers are using LinkedIn.

• Informational Interviewing
  Build your confidence requesting and conducting informational meetings with people who have the advice, information, referrals and possible job leads that you need.

• Ace the Interview
  The most simple interview questions can be the most difficult to answer. Learn how to handle questions about your salary requirements, your weaknesses, and your strengths. Discover effective, proven techniques to prepare you for tough job interviews.

• Interview Practice
  Practice your interviewing skills with a partner. Prerequisite: Ace the Interview.
  Each session will cover questions related to a different type of interview question, including:
  • opening and closing the interview;
  • PSRs;
  • sandwiching negatives; and
  • the salary screen.

• Presenting Accomplishments
  Add impact to your interviews by learning how to talk about your successes, highlight your strengths and to minimize your weaknesses by turning negatives into positives.

• Behavior-Based Interviewing
  "Tell me about a time when..." Prepare for tough questions asking how you handled specific situations in your past, including both successes and failures. Create your own job profile and practice responding to related questions.

• Negotiating the Offer
  Discover what, other than money, is negotiable. How should you position yourself? What do you ask for first? Can you get a sign-on bonus? Get these questions answered, and practice negotiating with a partner.

• Communicating
  Learn and practice communication skills that will help you stay calm in conflict, resolve problems respectfully, present your viewpoint and listen to others.

• Team Building
  Learn how to handle challenging team behaviors, how to organize any team, and how to have more effective meetings.

• Problem Solving
  Learn and practice using clear problem solving steps to analyze and creatively solve problems.

• Pre-Beginning Computers
  How to hold and use a mouse, how to do basic operations such as turn on and shut down the computer, open and close programs and review basic computer terminology.

• Improve Your Typing
  Increase your touch-typing speed and accuracy.

• Introduction to Computers
  Creating, editing and formatting a résumé and cover letter and saving and retrieving your files.

• Introduction to the Internet
  Setting up an email account, email basics, formatting electronic résumés, and attaching documents.

• Microsoft Word
  Editing, formatting templates, wizards, layouts, graphics, columns, and tables.

• Microsoft Excel
  Worksheet fundamentals, editing, formatting, printing, charts, and calculations.

• Microsoft PowerPoint
  Creating a presentation, adding and modifying slide text and templates, inserting information, and producing and printing a slide show.

• Microsoft Access
  Understanding databases, creating tables, creating and using Queries, and designing forms and reports.

• ProMatch Orientation
  Learn about ProMatch, a member-driven networking organization that provides connections and resources for professionals engaged in job search.

• Should I Start A Business?
  Learn the fundamentals of what it means to run your own business and local resources available to assist entrepreneurs.

• Franchise Options
  How to start a franchise and local resources available to assist entrepreneurs.

• Credit Problems—Credit Solutions
  Learn all about credit and ways to strengthen your credit record.

• Mastering Your Money
  Review the basics of a spending plan and the ins and outs of credit.

• Disability Navigator
  The Disability Navigator can provide guidance on benefit issues, workplace accommodations, disability disclosure, legal issues, and other programs and community-based organizations that can help leverage the job search of individuals with disabilities. Please see the front desk to schedule an appointment.

• Work Incentives and Planning Assistance (WIPA)
  If you have questions about working and collecting SSI or SSDI please call the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center at 408-894-9041 and ask to talk to Donna Reed.

• Department of Rehabilitation Orientation
  An overview of the services offered by Department of Rehabilitation and how to apply for services.

• Project Hired
  One-on-one appointments are available with Project Hired representatives to discuss job search services for individuals with disabilities. Please speak with the CONNECT! Center Front Desk to schedule an appointment.