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Searching for a job is a job in itself -- one that has become more difficult for many during today's tough economic times.

Some may feel overwhelmed or dejected when considering the challenging task of connecting with and winning over a new employer. But they'd do better to focus their attention on the local resources that are available to help them jump-start the job-hunting process.

One of the first destinations for local residents who find themselves in need of a job, or a better one, is their local PA CareerLink office.

In Indiana County, the CareerLink office is located along Indian Springs Road near Indiana, between Wayne Avenue and South Sixth Street Extension.

Kevin Lazor, who oversees the office, noted it serves as a "one-stop" resource. "We bring partners into one place to help both job seekers and employers," he said.

The office has been sponsoring weekly sessions where job seekers who register in advance can meet with employers who have positions available. Oil and gas industry company Halliburton has been a frequent participant in those recruiting sessions.

The Career Link office also is a co-sponsor of a larger annual job fair that will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. April 16 in the S&T Bank Arena at the White Township Recreation Complex on East Pike, Indiana. Other sponsors of the event include area legislators, the county commissioners and the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce.

In his three years heading the Indiana CareerLink office, Lazor has seen employer participation in the job fair grow -- from 35, to 64 last year.

While the financial strain faced by many in the troubled economy may have dissuaded some additional sponsors from taking part, Lazor noted the event is on track for another sizeable complement of employers.

"We have 40 employers signed up, and we're still three weeks out" from the fair, he said.

"That's a pretty good number," remarked Jonathan Longwill, aide to state Rep. Dave Reed, one of the fair's sponsors. "We know not all of the companies will have a job that day. But they may want to gather a list of qualified candidates if they may be hiring in the next month."

"The encouraging thing is: Yes, there are still employers in our area that are hiring," Lazor said.

As evidence, he cited 179 Indiana County-area jobs that were listed last week through online job postings maintained by state officials.

Lazor said he is looking to add five to six more computers to the technology resources available for use by job seekers when they visit the CareerLink office.

In the event of a major layoff by a local employer, "We want to make sure we're prepared," he said.

Patrons may use the CareerLink computers for everything from registering for unemployment or job training benefits to searching job ?openings/listings? posted by area employers.

Brushing up on computer skills or preparing resumes are some of topics job seekers can explore in classes offered at the CareerLink office.

Even with the economic downturn, he said, the Indiana CareerLink office "has not been as swamped as some in other areas," Lazor said.

But, he noted walk-in traffic has increased, from about 900 visitors last October to an expected 1,300 or more this month.

Lazor acknowledged that conducting a successful job search "can be a challenge in this economy." But, he noted the Indiana County job market is "not as bad off as it could be," with a 6.6 percent unemployment rate in January compared to the national average unemployment rate of 7.6 percent.

Another free resource that is available to qualifying job seekers is the New Choices/New Options program, a statewide career and personal development training program that is offered locally through an affiliation with Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Single parents, displaced homemakers or other individuals who are unemployed, underemployed or on a low income may register for a full 60-hour daytime course. The final class for the current fiscal year is set for April 21-May 21.

A scaled-down version of the course is available on Saturdays for those who already are working but hope to upgrade their careers.

New Choices/New Options also provides an outreach to inmates at the county jail who are slated for release.

Training in basic computer skills is a major component of the full course, local Director Lisa Brochetti said. "We offer 16 hours of basic computer instruction, which is a big draw."

She noted clients "may have used a computer at a previous job, but they may not know how to use Microsoft Word."

Assistance with resume preparation is another key element. "We pride ourselves on the resumes we provide for our clients," Brochetti said. "They've gotten employers to look twice."

She added, "We go over job applications and make them fill one out. Many mistakes are made on job applications that then never get looked at.

"We also get into job-search skills and career assessments."

Other helpful components of the course include job shadowing and a mock job interview, with graduate students in IUP's career services program asking the tough questions most employers would. In addition to a critique, Brochetti noted the client takes home a DVD of their interview to review.

Panels of local employers and of officials from area post-secondary schools speak on subjects of interest to the New Choices participants.

For those planning to go into a technical field, "We teach them about apprenticeships, where you can earn while you learn," Brochetti said.

According to Brochetti, more than 90 percent of clients who complete the New Choices/New Options program "either are in further training or in jobs, not sitting at home."

Among the program's successful graduates are Susan Graham of Indiana and Susie Sheiness of Brush Valley.

A native of Indiana, Graham had obtained a master's degree and began working in Virginia as a counselor and case manager at an in-patient chemical dependency facility. She resigned when her children were born and "was out of the workforce for almost 20 years" when she moved back to Indiana due to her mother's health concerns.

After having little success with recent job interviews, Graham completed the New Choices course in October, looking for some help in convincing an employer "how I was still a viable employee" after such a long break from her professional career.

With the advice she received in the course, she "cleaned up my resume a little bit," listing home and family management for the years she stayed at home, and was prepared for tough interview questions.

She recently landed a newly created position with the Armstrong-Indiana Drug and Alcohol Commission, handling assessment and case management for clients referred to the agency through the county's Children and Youth and Family Services department.

Now, she said, "I refer my clients to the (New Choices) program. I think it's wonderful."

Sheiness, a single mother with five children who moved to the area after a divorce, said New Choices "gave me computer skills and really boosted my self-confidence.

She said completing the course encouraged her to further her education. She obtained an associate's degree in legal administration from the Cambria-Rowe Business College and now is hoping to complete a degree in criminology with a minor in psychology at IUP next year.

Ultimately, she would like to become employed in the probation or corrections fields. "I know the job market is good for those kinds of jobs," she said.

"There are options out there," Sheiness said. "You just have to ask for help."

The New Choices course begins with attention to building clients' self-esteem and communication skills. Brochetti noted, "That is the foundation to getting a good interview and getting a job."

Director Mark Anthony offers similar advice to IUP students at the university's Career Development Center.

He said, "I try to work with students to prepare to sell themselves with skill sets that employers are looking for."

Regardless of the field, he said, "The one skill that is most important is good communication skills -- the ability to write and speak and listen well. You can tell when people aren't listening and attending to the business at hand."

Technology skills also are critical, beginning with the job search itself, he said.

But he added, "You have to show a little bit of initiative -- not just sending out a resume to an employer online, but following up with a phone call."

For more information about CareerLink services, call 724-471-7220. To learn more about New Choices/New Options, phone 724-357-4738 or 800-830-3248.

While many other communities are feeling the heat of the nation's current recession, it seems that Indiana County is "still in the shade," Indiana County Chamber of Commerce President Dana P. Henry recently observed.

Though Indiana County's unemployment rate has reached 6.6 percent, Henry noted, "The numbers for some of the adjacent counties are much higher."

Henry acknowledged that "manufacturing is taking a hit" in the area. He cited past closures of the Fisher Scientific plant in Indiana and the FMC facility in Homer City, while recent layoffs announced by Rosebud Mining likely are affecting some Indiana County residents though not any of the Kittanning company's mining operations in the county.

But Henry pointed out that the former FMC building now is occupied by Brookville-based MGK Technologies as well as Homer City Automation: "Both are providing good jobs."

He added that locally-owned manufacturers such as Blairsville's Dlubak glass plant and Clark Metal Products, and Indiana's Gorell Windows, should continue to be strong assets in the county's economic mix.

It helps, he noted, that the county's two largest employers -- Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in first place, and Indiana Regional Medical Center, in second -- are in respective fields that are always in demand: education and health care. "It would seem that they would be recession-proof," Henry said.

"Students are going to IUP and will continue to go," he remarked, adding, "We're told that more people go back to school in a recession."

Surprisingly, Henry observed that the local hospitality industry is more than holding its own, which he attributes to stays by business travelers.

He noted the Indiana Holiday Inn is "constantly booked" through a contract with oil and gas industry service provider Halliburton, which has been expanding its operations on several properties along Rt. 119 in Lucerne Mines.

Federal efforts to shore up the economy nationally should have a positive impact locally, Henry predicted: "Once stimulus dollars start to trickle down, we'll see some highway and bridge construction with good-paying jobs, and we'll come out in a stronger position."

Henry advised business owners who are concerned about the recession, "This is not the time to go in the back room and wait for it to blow over.

"Your best bet is if you're not hibernating but keeping yourself out there. Use this opportunity to retool."

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