May Chamber Member of the Month: Career Development Office

When someone tells you to think of the “Unemployment Office,” what do you picture? Do you think of a dark and dusty building, with flickering lights that only work half the time, filled with disheartened people with no hope or vision? That’s how I always imagined it, and I realize now just how wrong I was.

Instead of thinking about it as the “Unemployment Office,” it’s better to reframe our idea of the Kentucky Career Center as THE place to go for employment. Rather than making it your last stop on the road toward finding for a job, let the Career Development Office in Prestonsburg be your first place you go to begin your job search.

The Career Development Office is driven by connection. Trina Allen is the manager and she and her team of talented people work together to connect individuals to not only employers, but training, educational opportunities, and resources to create a qualified workforce.

They host workshops every week on a variety of topics such as how to write an attention-grabbing resume, how to break the silence with an outstanding elevator pitch, and they even conduct mock-interviews to help you be a stand-out candidate. They have a resource room with computers for their clients to use and offer assistance in creating resumes and apply for jobs. They can also provide clients with a private, quiet space to interview with potential employers.

The Career Development Office has a lot of partners to help connect individuals to the right people and resources to help make their career dreams a reality. Trina Allen said it best: “We want to be the first step to the rest of their life.”

No matter if you’re a veteran looking for a job, an ex-felon re-entering the workforce, a student exploring your options, someone just looking to make a career change, or an employer looking for qualified applicants, the Career Development Office at the Kentucky Career Center is ready to help you reach your career goals!

Furthermore, despite its location in Prestonsburg, the Career Development Office extends its services to surrounding counties, ensuring all community members, job seekers and employers, have access to employment resources, job fairs, workshops, unemployment insurance assistance, support, and guidance tailored to their needs.

The Kentucky Career Center – Career Development Office is located at 686 N. Lake Drive in Prestonsburg. For more information, please call 606.889.1772.