Financial services firm Edward Jones is planning to add 77 new offices in Raleigh over the next few years. But to do so, it needs people.

The company is hosting what it's calling a "recruiting event" from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Brier Creek Country Club, 9400 Club Hill Drive in Raleigh. A panel of local Edward Jones advisors will be on hand to talk about their work and answer questions.

The company is based in St. Louis and has 12,000 financial advisors around the country. For more information about the business, go here.

The NAACP and AFL-CIO have teamed to launch the One Nation Working Together Campaign. Their goal: jobs, affordable and safe housing and quality education.

To achieve those ends, the North Carolina chapter will hold a press conference on the steps of the legislative building in Raleigh at 3 this afternoon and a prayer meeting at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill tonight at 7 p.m. Those events will publicize a march on Washington on Oct. 2.

If finding an employer who understands the need to balance work and family life is important to you, then check out the list of the state's Family-Friendly 50. The list is compiled annually by Carolina Parent magazine.

The magazine's staff works with the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill which takes the nominations and supporting data to compile the annual list.

You can see the entire list here.

The state's unemployment rate dropped to 9.8 percent in July — the first time it has been in single digits in more than a year. You can read more about that here.

It's a small sliver of good news and a reminder that  as companies begin to hire - even if it's ever so slowly - you're more likely to get the nod if you're prepared. Ford  R. Myers, a career coach and author of "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," (John Wiley & Sons,) says autumn is a good time to focus on your career. 

"Hiring managers are back in their offices making employment decisions for the fall and early 2011," Myers says.

He offers these tips:

1. Create and control your Internet image.  Whether it's LinkedIn, YouTube or Facebook, every professional should have an online presence. Most employers research job candidates on the Internet before making hiring decisions. Therefore, it is vitally important that you take control of your online identity, and carefully monitor the "personal brand" you're building on the Internet.

2. Tune into the network.  Early fall is one of the best times of the year to make new connections and find new opportunities. With folks returning from vacation and refocusing on work, there are many fall networking events, planning meetings and group happenings. These are ideal environments for productive networking.  

3. Perform an internal career audit.  September is a perfect time to take an honest look at your career — where you've been, where you are today, and where you'd like to go. Identify new goals based on your own definition of career success, take action, and then follow through.

4. Update your career "tool kit." Most job seekers use only their resume as the cornerstone of their search because their other "tools" are weak or nonexistent. But there are many other documents you should have: accomplishment stories, positioning statement, one-page biography, target company list, contact list, professional references, letters of recommendation, and more. These items are important not just to land the next job — but also to maximize your long-term career success.

"There really couldn't be a better time than September to launch a professional job search. Hiring managers are back in their offices making employment decisions for the fall and early 2011," says Myers.
 

Military veterans in North Carolina will receive job training under grants awarded today by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

In Raleigh, StepUp Ministry received a grant of $299,910, while in the western part of the state the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry received a $200,000 grant.

In all, 97 grants totaling more than $24 million were awarded to help approximately 14,000 veterans.

Funds were awarded on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, local public agencies and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. 

The grant monies will be used for occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services.  The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program is the only federal program that focuses exclusively on employment of veterans who are homeless.
 
For information on the StepUp Ministry, go here.

Area job seekers will soon have four new places to go for help.

Four new NC SHARE Network Access Points will open on June 24 at 11 a.m. to offer people help with the JobLink system. Trained volunteers will also offer people help with things like obtaining references, resume preparation and online job hunting.

The four access points are a partnership between Capital Area Workforce Development Board, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Division of Employment and Training, Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and North Carolina Division of Workforce Development. They will be located at:

• Family Life Center, Inc., 909 East Lee St., Smithfield
• First Reformed Church of Cary, 555 SW Maynard St., Cary
• Literacy Council of Wake County, 916 West Morgan St., Raleigh
• The Life Enrichment Center, Inc., 3805 Tarheel Club Road, Raleigh

The Winston-Salem Urban League wants to bring its community outreach programs to Raleigh.

The group is looking at a couple of different sites downtown for its office and is holding a three-day training conference and job fair here next week as a way of introducing itself to the community.

The Claim Your Career Conference and Career Fair takes place Wednesday-Friday in the Raleigh Convention Center.

Print multiple copies of your resume, shine your shoes, dress professionally and put on your best job fair smile.

RaleighHires is holding a job fair in Research Triangle Park on Monday, June 7 at Radisson Hotel Research Triangle Park, 150 Park Drive.  The event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Among the companies sending hiring managers are Aaron's, American Shingle and Express Professionals Staffing. RaleighHires will have a local career expert on hand to provide a free professional resume review.

For more information on the job fair,  call National Career Fairs at (702) 614-9537 or visit their website here. 

Diane Stafford who writes a column for the Kansas City Star recently made these job search suggestions for new grads. They're also pretty solid suggestions for folks who have been out of school for a few years and still don't have a lot of work experience.

—Instead of applying to the same big-name companies that everyone knows and covets, learn about the smaller up-and-comers. Read national business magazines and trade journals, search the Internet, and read your local newspaper and business publications for ideas.

—Be flexible and prepared to relocate.

—Talk to people. Don't just search online. Talk to family, friends' parents, neighbors, former educators, Scout leaders, coaches — anyone who knows you and, presumably, thinks well of you. Someone may have a job lead or be looking to hire someone just like you.

—Don't forget your college career office. They get leads year-round. Use your alumni network, too.

—If your heart is set on a certain employer, try for part-time, temporary or entry-level openings below your skill level or goals. It's a foot in the door.

—If you have no idea what to do, sign up with staffing companies and check out different jobs through your (hoped-for) placements.

—Spell your job hunt with volunteering at social service organizations. Job paths may open, and you'll feel better.