REACH Plus™

Reaching Employability & Achieving Career Habits

REACH Plus™ covers essential topics in learning how to get a job, keep a job, and move toward self-sufficiency.

Program Eligibility Information.

Topics include the following:

How to Find Your Career

How to Be Successful in Your Career

How to Become Self-Supporting



Finding your perfect career

  • Evaluation of interests, abilities, skills and educational level
  • Skill and personality match
  • Interest and personal value match
  • Choosing the right career for you
  • Realistic job search
  • Support systems and networking
  • Filling out applications correctly
  • Conducting an informational interview

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Workplace requirements

  • Punctuality
  • Active listening skills
  • Being a team worker
  • Neat, high quality work
  • Pride in work performance
  • Ability to follow directions
  • Above average verbal skills
  • Confidentiality, discretion and tact
  • Understanding of rules and policy
  • Finishing projects in a timely fashion
  • Contributing ideas for effective change
  • Good self-management and self-control
  • Understanding the supervisor’s position

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Skill base

  • Identifying personal skills
  • Recognizing transferable skills
  • Presenting useable skills

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Self-Awareness

  • Anger control
  • Optimistic outlook
  • Self-esteem and success
  • High performance mind set
  • Habits: work and personal
  • Changing destructive habits
  • Leading with a positive attitude
  • The connection between self-esteem and coping skills
  • Understanding the differences in work styles and learning styles
  • Behavior and job performance, job retention and promotion

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Practical considerations

  • Childcare
  • Transportation
  • Self-esteem and success
  • Local, usable resources
  • Everyday problem solving
  • Transitioning from welfare to work
  • Fiscal responsibility and money management
  • Working wardrobe, appropriate dress for the workplace you choose

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Resumes

  • The purpose of a resume
  • Chronological vs. functional resume
  • General and specific format instruction
  • What should / should not be on a resume
  • Heading and power words
  • Summary of skill work experience and education
  • Gaps in work history
  • Proofreading

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Cover letters and thank-you letters

  • Purpose of each
  • General format
  • Headings and salutations
  • First, second and third paragraphs
  • Effective writing
  • Making them compelling
  • The importance of follow up

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Interviewing techniques

  • Watch your tone
  • Appropriate eye contact
  • The power of a handshake
  • The power of body language
  • Dealing with difficult questions
  • Understand that it is a business meeting
  • Understanding the job interview process
  • “Getting to know you” conversation and breaking the ice
  • Present your assets, skills and experience with confidence
  • Appropriate dress for the industry, a neat and clean appearance
  • Professional presentation. Do the work and offer appropriate information.
  • Be convincing but not pushy
  • Follow up / follow through

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Dealing with workplace conflict and/or difficult people

  • Separating the person from the problem
  • Recognizing a difficult person (it could be you!)
  • Planning a consistent strategy for dealing with conflict
  • Knowing the difference between re-action and pro-action
  • Responding to a difficult supervisor
  • How not to join in with another person’s poor behavior
  • Knowing when to back out of a conflict and keep quiet. The integrity of silence.
  • Taking instruction, direction or advice from someone you don’t like

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Self-esteem

  • Development of coping skills
  • Feeling good about yourself
  • Knowing that you are capable
  • Self-knowledge and self-worth
  • Quieting the noise in your head
  • Learning from failure and moving on
  • Importance of self-esteem in the workplace
  • Minimizing self-blame and practicing positive self-talk
  • Knowing the difference between being aggressive and being assertive
  • Modeling self-respect and consistency of behavior to those around you
  • Taking responsibility for your own actions and decisions
  • Not blaming others for poor performance or decisions
  • Identifying who is good for you and who is not, and realizing how this affects every aspect of your life

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Money Management

  • Budgeting
  • Creating and maintaining a personal budget
  • The importance of sticking to your personal budget
  • The importance of a good credit history
  • How to use credit wisely and build a good credit history
  • Obtaining and understanding your personal credit report
  • How to repair bad credit
  • The importance of saving

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Computer Applications

  • Introduction to general PCs, computer vocabulary and basic computer functions
  • Introduction to Microsoft Windows operating systems
  • Microsoft Word including formatting, mail merges and resume and letter writing
  • Microsoft Excel including workbooks, data entry, formatting cells, linking and advanced formula writing
  • Microsoft Access including creating tables, forms, queries and reports
  • Microsoft PowerPoint including creating and editing presentations
  • Introduction to Microsoft Outlook
  • Business writing skills
  • Introduction to Internet usage as a tool for job searching
  • Introduction to using free email accounts for job searching
  • Creating a comprehensive portfolio to demonstrate your newly acquired computer skills

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Program Eligibility Information.
REACH Plus Class Schedule Information