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Health & Fitness

"Step Up Your Game" Transforms Through Training and Makeovers

Robin, a former stock broker who enjoyed making a good salary, said she learned better presentation skills at the conference and she gained confidence in herself.

Almost 50 people arrived at MUST Ministries Thursday to learn skills that will help them get a job. MUST hosted the “Step Up Your Game” event in conjunction with other non-profits in the area, including Nobis Works, Goodwill, Center for Family Resources and Cobb Works. The collaborative event was the second conference this group has coordinated.

Sponsored by Gas South, Jackson Career and Life Coaching and WellStar, the one-day seminar emphasizes interview skills, making a good first impression, meetings with hiring professionals and maintaining a job. In addition, some participants were selected for makeovers complete with hair, make-up and interview outfits.

“This conference has had a high impact on the participants,” according to Beth Ray, Director of Employment Services at MUST. She cited several examples of participants giving the program rave reviews and former attendees who went out and obtained jobs quickly.

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“We coached everyone from former stock brokers to customer service representatives to consultants,” she said of the group. With so many people unemployed, everyone is looking for an edge, she said, and “Step Up Your Game” gives participants many creative ways to set themselves apart from the crowd of job seekers.

Everyone attending was given an opportunity to shop free for an interview outfit from Spirit of Success and shoes from 40 Girls and Some Shoes. Sometimes simply having the appropriate interview attire can help a potential candidate emotionally and in making a good first impression, Ray said.

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Twice a year, the area non-profits host “Step Up Your Game” and are already planning the 2013 sessions. MUST has already helped put 1,400 people back to work since the recession began, worth millions of dollars to the local economy.

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