Library Hosts Job Search Seminar

Mohammed Faheem wants you to get a job. No, really. Faheem is passionate about helping people find gainful employment, as demonstrated by his work as Director of Employer Solutions and Corporate Relations at the Illinois workNet Center in Arlington Heights. A resident of Lake in the Hills, Faheem also spends his time outside of work conducting free job search workshops at northwest suburban public libraries.

Faheem will present “Get Ready, Get Set, Get Employed” at the Eastgate Branch of the Algonquin Area Public Library on Saturday, December 6. The seminar runs from 9:30am to 2:30pm, with a brief break for lunch (box lunch provided). Topics include key insights on writing resumes, the necessity of networking, job search techniques, and goal setting. Algonquin cardholders can register by calling the Library or using online registration at aapld.org/events.

“The job search paradigm has changed,” Faheem notes. “The fact is you’re no longer competing against your neighbors across the street but people around the world – anyone with a computer can access that job.” Faheem points out that the jobs are out there, citing a boggling statistic that at any given time there are 72,000 open positions in the northwest suburbs, but the way employers hire has changed.

“Most large corporations now outsource their recruitment process, which affects how applicants move through the system,” he says. “Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this and look for a job using the same methods they used 15 to 20 years ago.”

Many of Faheem’s “students” have succeeded in finding employment. One attendee told Faheem in an email that the “presentation reminds us that we have skills that are useful, unique and that we should be grateful for the skills we bring to the marketplace. It is very affirming.… Within one month of attending…I have been rewarded with a job that matches my skills and pays more than any job I have ever had.”

Faheem is a former producer/anchor of the International News Hour on AM 1070 KENR in Houston, Texas, and served as executive producer of a Chicago-area cable TV show called “The Employment Hour” for 5 years. He began teaching workshops as a way to help his community. “I started with nothing but was successful enough to retire at 47,” he says. “I wanted to find a way to give back.” He often tells his workshop attendees that once they find a job, they need to find a way to give back as well.

For more information about the December 6 workshop “Get Ready, Get Set, Get Employed” – or other Library classes and events – visit aapld.org/events or call 847-458-6060.