Iowa courts are facing a serious shortage. The Gazette's courts reporter Trish Mehaffey talks with Becky Lutgen Gardner on the opportunities available to Iowa job seekers.Key points:Iowa is facing a 'beyond crisis' level shortage of court reporters, with 33 job openings in the state and a nationwide high demand.Court reporting offers an annual starting salary of nearly $56,000 and involves transcribing court proceedings using specialized stenography skills.There's only one school in Iowa offering a two-year real time/court reporting degree, contributing to the shortage. The program recently went virtual and saw its highest enrollment in years.Despite the strenuous certification process, court reporters enjoy the varied nature of the job and the learning opportunities it provides.The shortage is affecting court proceedings, with court reporters having to juggle between different judges and hearings, causing delays and increased stress.Temporary solutions include hiring retired court reporters and conducting remote hearings, but a long-term solution is still needed.Questions, comments? Contact us at Corridor Careers

In this podcast we discuss the recent trends in employee onboarding. Joining us is new product manager for Corridor Careers, Becky Lutgen Gardner. Becky brings a wealth of experience as well as recent employee onboarding experience.Resources:Back to Human, 9 employee onboarding trends for 2023Trends in employee onboarding that can shape your onboarding process

This week we chatted with Gazette reporter Izabela Zaluska. Izabela walked us through her story on the Iowa City program that builds connections for job seekers to the skilled trades.This interesting program helps job seekers learn more about trades before entering an apprenticeship program so they will better understand what trades are a good fit for them.Resources:Izabela's article on thegazette.comLink to program opportunityOther skilled trades opportunitiesJob openings in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City in trades

We had a great conversation with The Gazette's Des Moines Bureau Chief, journalist Erin Murphy.Recently Erin talked with a state economist in his piece on how difficult it will be to recoup Iowa's worker losses.Some highlights:Slow population growth for nearly a decade has led to more job openings than people to fill them in Iowa.'Brain drain' of young Iowans who benefit from Iowa's schools and universities are leaving at higher rates for other states.Retiring and aging workforce leave many skilled positions hard to fill with the sheer volume of them.Immigrants have continued to be the main source of new population in Iowa and many legislatures will be focused on how to reform legal pathways for immigrants who wish to come to Iowa to fill the many jobs we have to fill.Many state-funded upskilling and re-skilling programs are being strengthened by additional funding.You can read Erin's story here on thegazette.comSo what does this news mean for job seekers? More competition among employers for their skills. Additionally, job seekers who are currently struggling to find jobs or a better career can benefit from multiple apprenticeship or upskilling programs available near them at local community colleges or workforce training centers.Want to hear more from Erin Murphy? You can sign up for his weekday newsletter On Iowa Politics or listen in to his On Iowa Politics podcast. Once the legislative session in Iowa starts back up in Iowa, Erin will be covering all the happenings at the statehouse.

Just for fun:Confused Breakfast Podcast (mentioned Pork Tornadoes Drummer Mike Schulte)Freelance ideas mentioned:Social Media Strategist (content manager or creator, marketing strategist)Fiverr freelancing https://www.fiverr.com/Pet Sitting https://www.rover.com/Minor repairs (handy services)A big one we forgot to mention: Delivering newspapers!

In this podcast we review the Google-recommended functional resume format and talk about the ins and outs.Resources:Google webinar about practical resume strategiesMake a copy of this google docs functional resumeStandard resume templateVideo Resume tips

Mental Health resources for job seekers mentionedLocal Mental Health Tools988 Suicide HotlineFoundation2 Crisis Line

Free training from Google:Create a resume that stands outNail your job search processGoogle professional certificate trainingKirkwood training resourcesFastTrack Career CertificatesIowaWorks Earn & Learn ApprenticeshipsShow notes:Identify your learning objective: What do I want to learn?Set a measure of success.Review learning opportunities: YouTube, Google, Kirkwood + beyond

This week the Careers & Coffee pod reconvenes to highlight an upcoming career fair in the corridor, taking place at the Lindale Mall on September 8, 2022.Many local employers will be there with a variety of positions, many entry level. Job seekers can pre-register at corridorcareers.comWhen: Thursday, September 8Time: 3:00-6:00 PMWhere: Lindale MallWhat: Connect with local employers and job search resources, all in one place: the Lindale Mall! This job fair will feature a variety of employers and job opportunities as well as job search resources if you need help with your resume or skills. Get registered today.A very fun bonus 🥪: The first 150 in-person attendees will receive a certificate for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich.

What's a good way to organize your materials to have a smooth job application process, over and over? We chat about some ways to keep sane while applying for multiple jobs.Key moments:00:00 Job Fair Announcement02:20 The Basics: what to have at the ready for the job application process05:16 Work History vs. Resume: crafting a relevant resume06:00 Highlight accomplishments07:24 Contact info of previous supervisors/employers09:26 What are your favorite skills?11:47 No computer? No problem: local resources Cedar Rapids Public Library Opportunity CenterResources:Corridor Career Fair Sept. 8Cedar Rapids Opportunity Center (Ladd Library)Why women don't apply for jobs unless they are 100% qualifiedMentioned in this episode:Join us at our Career FairWe're connecting job seekers with local employers at the Fall Career Fair! Our Fall Career Fair 2022 includes an exciting community partnership with the Cedar Rapids Public Library, offering attendees resources in preparing for the process of selecting and seeking out new opportunities. Join us September 8, from 3-6pm.

In this Careers & Coffee, Dan and Liz return with some ideas for summer jobs that are currently available in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area.Recreation jobsRetail jobsService tech jobsAnd a new feature announcement!Part-Time Jobs available

In this episode, Liz and Dan highlight the community resources that will be available at our upcoming career fair April 28th, 2022 from 3-6pm and what services they offer job seekers or anyone interested in career information.Highlights:Opportunity Center, CRPL Workforce Development AssistanceUrban DreamsTRIO at KirkwoodImpact CRIowaWorksDeltaV Code School

It's been a long time since entry level jobs were limited to retail or food service. Now there are opportunities that are technically 'entry-level' that you may not have considered. From janitorial, to sales, to service technicians, there are many opportunities to train on-the-job for a satisfying career that offers upward mobility.Resources:General help roles

Just curious about a job change? Learn what you might be missing out on career-wise.This week’s Careers & Coffee Pod talks about how not everyone is actively looking for a job, but many are open to new opportunities. Setting yourself up for the right opportunity if it comes along doesn’t have to be accidental. Learn some steps to determine what roles you might consider, and how to evaluate what companies might be a good fit. Simple first steps can include updating or reviewing your LinkedIn profile or reaching out to friends who recently changed jobs.When you're not actively looking for a job, you can still be 'job curious.' Thinking over a change in your career? Dan and Liz talk thru the different steps you can take to explore a job change.Steps discussed:1. Define what's wrong with your current job2. Turn these into opportunities to become more satisfied.3. Talk to friends who have changed careers recently.4. Network to find any opportunities that might fit your skills.5. Be open to consider opportunities that you discover.More resources:10 things to consider before accepting a jobChecklist for considering if a job is right for you

Cover letters used to be a big deal when people were mailing resumes to employers. But are they still useful in digital form? Short answer: yes. Cover letters help candidates stand out with HR professionals or managers. They can also be remixed into a LinkedIn profile or used as an introduction in an online application if there is an opportunity to add comments to the form.Tips: Avoid over-used openers, add some creativity or a personal touch to your cover letter. Think of one of your proudest moments or memorable achievements.Identify what you learned from that proud moment.Try to apply that to a potential role you are interested or how it would serve an employer to have you as an employee.Resource: Cover Letter Opening Line ExamplesView the latest jobs, get job alerts or build a resume on Corridor Careers

In these challenging times...it's hard to remember that there are unlimited possibilities. In this pod we talk about how to use creative visualization for job search and general motivational success. Tips for making it work and challenges to try with the 'playground of your brain'. Additional resourcesUsing visualization before a job interviewDaily listen with Earl Nightingale about taking actionLinn County trails to get outside onHiking in Johnson County

Admin roles can be a rewarding way to explore career opportunities for multiple industries. What's up with administrative jobs? In this episode of Careers & Coffee, we give talk about what's trending with administrative jobs in Eastern Iowa and the skills you need to be successful in this type of role.Mentioned on the Pod:Raygun Midwest forecast T-shirtKnowledge, Skills and Abilities needed from Onetonline

Childcare can be one of the reasons working parents leave the workforce. Here are some resources discussed in this podcast all about childcare in Iowa.State resources: https://dhs.iowa.gov/child-care Workforce taskforce: https://www.futurereadyiowa.gov/childcare-taskforceIowa Childcare Resources & Referral: https://iowaccrr.org/

Need money now? Sometimes there's a bit more 'month' after the money. Especially when you are between roles, it can be challenging.Resources discussed:Uber DriverUberEatsChomp DeliveryFiverrBecome a Gazette Carrier

Liz & Dan talk through the opportunities for people who are transitioning from one role to another. Plus a few ideas for those who want to ease back into to the workforce through part-time work.