Clean up your act

Amp up your job hunt
Even Tiger Woods has a coach—and we’re betting that (just like us) you’re no Tiger Woods. With a little outside help, your killer résumé or supercharismatic interview techniques could be scoring you a career hole in one.

Do good, well
Nonprofit-sector workers looking at a lot of downtime can add a skill to their résumés at sessions run by Columbia College Chicago’s Community Media Workshop, an org that pushes to focus the media’s attention on underserved communities. Professional do-gooders (or wanna-be do-gooders) can bone up on Branding for Nonprofits, Web Analytics and other ways to get the message across. 600 S Michigan Ave, 312-369-6400, newstips.org, classes range from free to $300.

Talk the talk
The University of Chicago’s Graham School of General Studies offers courses that teach job skills—and job-hunting skills. A class called Improving Interview Skills: For Both Employers and Applicants is a pricey ($115) three-and-a-half-hour workshop, but you’ll come out a more qualified job candidate thanks to practice interviews with feedback from a communications pro. 1427 E 60th St, grahamschool.uchicago.edu, 773-702-1722, $115.

Three to get ready
A three-month membership with the not-for-profit Career Transitions Center of Chicago gets you access to career coaches and entry into the four-part Core Skills Workshop, which teaches interviewing, writing and salary-negotiation skills. Here’s hoping you get to use those negotiating skills, eh? 703 W Monroe St, 312-906-9908, ctcchicago.org, $150.

Search and rescue
The Brighton Park public library branch offers gratis one-on-one job-search sessions throughout August (by appointment), where a librarian walks you through two types of online job searches. 4314 S Archer Ave, 312-747-0666, chipublib.org, free.

Super series
Loyola University offers loads of adult continuing education classes. An interactive, jam-packed workshop series, called Surviving the Current Economy, covers the stages of scoring a great gig, from beginning the job hunt to improving those interviewing skills. The next sequence begins September 12, 820 N Michigan Ave, 312-915-6501, luc.edu, $136.

Speak performance
The Feltre School’s seven-week Persuasive Speaking course is designed for professionals who want to make compelling presentations. Sure, right now, you’re stuck giving presentations to your cat, but think positive—you’re going to need these skills in the future, and they’ll make you great at job interviews. In the small classes (eight to ten people), students give weekly presentations that are videotaped for critique and feedback. 22 W Erie St, 312-255-1133, feltre.org, $480.

“Coaching gets you farther faster and more thoughtfully than you can get yourself. Classes ought to be about articulating your relevance and value to a potential employer.”—Laura Sterkel , director of programs and coaching at Career Transitions Center of Chicago

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