Unemployment agency sees 30 per cent jump in demand for services

As more and more Albertans head to employment centres to find work, one agency is trying to get the message out that there are still jobs for those who know how to market themselves.

"We're telling people keep at it, keep searching, because there's certainly positions available," saidTarinaDueck, senior manager withProspect Human Services.

The organization, which has six locations throughoutthe province,has seen as much as a 30 per cent jump in the number of people seekingjob search advice this year compared to last.

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In particular, the agency has seen anincrease in the number of individuals who have specialized for yearsin a single field, only to find themselves now unemployed and unableto find work in their area of expertise.

"They haven't had to do that before. They haven't had to look for employment, so it's a whole new experience for them," Dueck said.

Her best advice for them is to draw on past expertise to prove to potential employers that they have the qualifications that will enable them to succeed.

"Pull out your transferrable skills.Identifywhat those areso that you can sell them to an employer," she said.

"The jobs that are out there right now are looking for people who can do multiple, multiple skills," she said. "Be as flexible as you can be."