Eight Tips for Castro Valley Job Seekers

More than 1 million people have given up looking for work "because they believe no jobs are available for them," according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's on top of 13.9 million people actively seeking work.

Castro Valley job seekers, please don't despair. Although headlines speak of gloom, bright spots and inspiration are just as prevalent. Here's some of the good news that passed my desk in the last few weeks. One of the nuggets below just might turn out to be the turning point in your brighter future.

(1) Job gains occurred in health care, retail trade, manufacturing, and mining, according to this Labor Department report.

(2) On Thursday, Aug. 18, the Alameda County Office of Education will host its first annual job fair featuring job openings in Alameda County school districts and community organizations, and invites job seekers to participate and apply to the many open positions available.

• 313 W. Winton Ave., Hayward, CA 94544
• Aug. 18, 2011
• 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

(3) Patch blogger Thomas Coates shared his successful approach to job-hunting in a post titled "Advice for Job-Seekers: How I Escaped the Hurt Tank & Found a New Job." It lists all the best websites for leads, offers interview tips, introduces a helpful consultant and even teaches you how to tie a tie. Click to read it. (Highly recommended!)

(4) Patch has profiled nearby opportunities in a new feature called "Job of the Week." Click here to see the latest profile, then look below that story for more like it.

(5) Retraining is an option. Click to learn about the success of Chabot College's dental hygiene program. And click to learn about its new simulation lab for nursing students.

(6) Monday's Patch introduced Ryan Borzin (Castro Valley High School class of 2003) who looked for a hands-on trade and found a solid livelihood as a jeweler and buyer of precious metals. He attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. Click to learn more.

(7) Castro Valley Adult and Career Education has fared state budget cuts better than most and still offers a wide range of courses beyond GED and ESL. Fall classes starting Sept. 5 can help you become an accountant, notary public or medical assistant. Click here to see the full list of classes.

(8) Comcast hosted a job fair last month to fill Bay Area positions. Click to learn more about that event.

Here's more positive news from the Labor Department report:

Health care employment grew by 31,000 in July. Ambulatory health care services and hospitals each added 14,000 jobs over the month. Over the past 12 months, health care employment has grown by 299,000.

Retail trade added 26,000 jobs in July. Employment in health and personal care stores rose by 9,000 over the month with small increases distributed among several other retail industries. Employment in retail trade has increased by 228,000 since a recent low in December 2009.

Employment in professional and technical services continued to trend up in July (+18,000). This industry has added 246,000 jobs since a recent low in March 2010.