Job Counseling, Resume Advice Offered at Santa Monica 'Careerathon'

The unemployment rate for Los Angeles remains snagged at about 10 percent, but Santa Monica jobseekers can help improve their chances at a career fair on Tuesday.

Adecco, a Switzerland-based human resources consulting company, is sponsoring a "careerathon" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Santa Monica Place, where jobseekers can learn about strategies, tools and services that can lead to employment.

The city's high jobless rate suggests Los Angeles is still in the grips of the recession, said Kristy Willis, Adecco senior vice president. Local jobseekers are not optimistic; an Adecco survey of 500 unemployed L.A. residents found only 26 percent feel confident they will find a job in the next three to five months.

"We understand how challenging the job search process can be so we are hosting a careerathon in Santa Monica to give job seekers in the L.A. area personalized resume, interview and networking advice to help make their job search more successful," Willis said in an email.

While jobseekers may be dubious, Los Angeles employers are indeed hiring, according to Willis, particularly in the banking/mortgage, technology and healthcare industries.

"Within those industries hot jobs include accounting roles with a focus on the ability to analyze large data groups, consultative sales (includes customer service), administrative and clerical support roles with high proficiency in MS Office, software developers and database administrators, commercial banking and clinical healthcare," she said.

Adecco's careerathons are part of its "Way to Work" program, which aims to improve the 13.1 percent unemployment rate among 18 to 29-year-olds. But jobseekers of all ages are welcome to the Santa Monica event.

On Tuesday, jobseekers can meet one-on-one with career counselors, write a strong resume and cover letter, act out a job interview, learn to use digital tools and social media and build a network.

To sign up for the career event and read more information, go to the Adecco Way to Work website.

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