Resume and Cover Letter Assistance

CIAO participants receive training and assistance in customizing resumes and cover letters to the job or jobs that they are seeking. CIAO does not believe in a "one-size-fits-all" approach to job search and participants will receive assistance creating as many different resumes as they require to touch on all of their various employment objectives and skill-sets. Participants will also receive training in customizing their cover letters to the needs of specific employers.

Employability Skills Assistance

All CIAO participants actively seeking employment will have access to employability skills assistance - including training on successfully completing job applications, utilizing various job search sources, preparing for job interviews, dressing for an interview, etc. Our Business Service Representative (BSR) will gladly familiarize participants with his "5 A's to Employment" - Activity, Attire, Application, Attendance and Attitude.

Individualized Job Search and Placement Assistance

CIAO participants have the opportunity to work not only with their assigned Transition Specialist (TS) on their job search, but also with a dedicated Business Service Representative (BSR). Our staff will listen to the goals, needs and desires of our participants as well as look at existing experience and skill-sets to help to develop a customized job search plan. In many cases, our BSR will be able to link participants directly to interviews and placements with local employer contacts.

Career Coaching

CIAO staff are trained to assist participants not only with short-term employment, but also in exploring future career options and goals. This is done through one-on-one employment counseling, group workshops and various career assessments - all based on the needs of the individual participant.

Paid Work Experience (PWE) Opportunities

Many participants who have proven themselves ready in terms of motivation, accountability and employability skills training are placed into a Paid Work Experience (PWE). The PWE (similar to a paid internship) is an excellent opportunity to place a participant into a job setting which he or she may not have been able to land due to a lack of skills, experience, etc. CIAO's Business Service Representative (BSR) will work with a participant and an employer to arrange a contractual opportunity where CIAO pays the participants wages (up to 40 hours a week for 6 weeks) with the understanding that, if things work out, the employer will attempt to hire the person on at the end of the PWE. As such, participants are given an opportunity to prove themselves and their work ethic in an opportunity that they may have not otherwise had - while employers are given a trial-period for a perspective employee.