In association with FAS and the local Social Protection Office, qualified trainers, coaches, business consultants and mentors are giving up their time to help 20 people looking for work to rewrite their CV or to brush up on interview techniques. The pilot workshop will be hosted by Spiralli Business Centre at their premises in Market Square, in conjunction with I.C. Solutions and local shop Luna Bella.

People who have been out of work for some time and wish to re-enter the workforce, those who have little or no experience in applying for jobs and people who have been applying for jobs for a long time without success will benefit most from the workshop.

Niamh Ní Chearbhaill from Spiralli will discuss the importance of CV’s, cover letters and having email contact with potential employers, Deirdre Duffy from Luna Bella will host the “Dress for Success” session while Karl Hyden from I.C. Solutions will focus on interview techniques. HR consultant Denise Desmond will also be assisting on the day.

Niamh says, “a lot of people still seeking employment do have a lot to offer employers, it’s merely a case of updating their CV’s to list all the skills they have, learning how to dress to impress potential employers and also getting rid of those pre-interview nerves so they can perform as well as possible on the day.”

Subjects covered are how to prepare a CV and cover letter, how to send a job application via email, how to dress for an interview, and how to interview well. Attendees are asked to come dressed for interview and to bring a copy (electronic, if possible) of their CV.

Based on the success of the pilot workshop, the contributors have agreed to run the free course on a regular basis throughout the year.

Interested people can contact Spiralli on 022 55002 to secure a place.

For further information or to arrange an interview: Sara Mc Mahon, SmackPR, 086 2180969 or email sara@smackpr.ie

When the speeches had concluded, the speed networking event commenced. There were 4 tables and roughly 120 attendees, each of whom had 3 minutes to exchange information with others in the interests of forming new business relationships.  Each individual got the opportunity to speak to about 13 other business people, before time ran out.

Everyone I spoke with was very upbeat about the event, and most had gained valuable new contacts and potential sales leads. Joan Kelleher of the NCEB was widely praised for playing a key role in ensuring that the event went off without a hitch.