For the jobless, a chance to network

The simple act of writing a thank you note will help you stand out in a crowd of job applicants, said Jill Patterson, national account executive at Careerbuilder.com, at a forum held last night in Lawrenceville.

It was advice that Monica Greene will take away with her as she searches for a job in library science. Every seat at The Grey Box Theatre was filled with job seekers like Greene who were hoping to make one more connection at the event, sponsored by PUMP and PYP, two nonprofit groups that give young Pittsburgh professionals opportunities to network and get involved in their city.

When asked how long she'd been out of work, Greene said, "It's been awhile."

As the economy struggles to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Greene, an Oberlin grad, isn't alone. Although almost a million jobs have been created this year, there are 6.76 million of us who have been out of work for six months or longer.

The expert panel, which also included Julie Paden, vice president and recruiting manager for PNC Financial Services, and Todd Owens, a principal at Dewey & Kaye, gave tips on how to succeed in interviews and how to connect with prospective employers online with networking tools like LinkedIn.

Two key points: When applying for a job, keep your resume down to one page. When you get an interview, keep your cell phone turned off.

It's not just job seekers who benefit from PUMP events. Local employer Daryl Wade, president of PrakPrint,  is always on the lookout for art institute grads for his graphic design and printing business.

Wade, who mingled with job seekers after the expert panel had concluded their Q&A, always tells new employees to make sure "the client likes it and the assignment is on time." Words of wisdom in any profession.

Perhaps the star of the evening was Lawrenceville itself. Paden, who lives in Shaler, was charmed by Butler Street and was planning to explore its shops and eateries.