Today’s businesses look for job applicants with strong job experience, and at a minimum want them to fill out an extensive application giving job history and references, and they want them to go through an interview process.

Many very competitive jobs require more: a carefully crafted résumé; a cover letter; and perhaps multiple interviews.  It can be a daunting and frustrating process.

Fortunately, for a growing number of local area residents who are searching for work, or transitioning from one career field to another, help has come in the form of the WorkReady program offered by Wiscasset Adult and Community Education.   

WorkReady is a state certified 60-hour soft skills program that leads trainees through a wide range of workplace and work search topics, including resumé building and interviewing techniques.  To give the training added realism, management and human resources representatives from local businesses conduct mock interviews of the trainees, and open their work sites for trainees to visit and ask questions.  

A wide range of local businesses have participated, from Portland to Brunswick to Damariscotta.  One such site visit took place recently at Ames True Value Hardware in Wiscasset, where store manager Wayne Averill gave trainees a guided tour of his growing business, and talked about the hiring process, and his view of what it takes to be a successful employee (besides knowing how to operate a broom).  

Trainees had a chance to ask many questions, and ponder what he said about how to make a positive impression in an interview.  Visits like the one at Ames True Value give the classroom training a needed realism, trainees learn their most lasting lessons from conversations with managers who interview and make hiring decisions often.  

Recent WorkReady graduate Theresa Pottle of Bristol, who is re-tooling for a different career after over 23 years with the same employer, appreciated a chance not only to get the “tour of the store” at Ames True Value, but to hear Averill talk about how he sizes up job applicants.

“I definitely plan to use what I learned from WorkReady in the job search and interview process,” Pottle said.

Area residents who are in job search or job transition, and could use some WorkReady assistance, are encouraged to contact Wiscasset Adult and Community Education at 207-882-9710 or at www.myadulted.org/.