Dear Neighbor,

I have great news for you. There are many excellent free and low-cost job search support groups in the Lake Zurich area. I strongly encourage you to check them out and use one that meets your needs.

My highest endorsement goes out to St. Hubert's Job and Networking Ministry. Although the church is located in Hoffman Estates, meetings are held at various locations including St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church on Buesching in Lake Zurich. Upcoming workshops include: "Resume Review," "The First Ten Days of Your New Job," and "The Truth about Temporary Employment." To learn more, go to http://www.sainthubert.org/ministries/job.html

And speaking of St. Francis de Sales, their Employment Ministry is offering a free Job Search Workshop on Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 17 and 19. Contact the church at (847) 726-4888 to learn more.

Lake Zurich's own Ela Area Public Library provides free individual career coaching appointments with a College of Lake County counselor to assist with professional development and job search strategies. Appointments are required. Call the library at (847) 438-3433 or register online, http://www.eapl.org.

Willow Creek Community Church offers Job Search Workshops on Wednesday evenings in South Barrington. The workshop is for those interested in exploring a new career field or for those who are unemployed and seeking a new career direction. To learn more, go to https://classes.willowcreek.org. I volunteer in this ministry and would be happy to introduce you. The cost is $5 for the manual.

The Barrington Career Center located in, you guessed it, Barrington on 600 Hart Road, exists to provide job search training and coaching services to unemployed professionals. A review of their website at http://www.barringtoncareercenter.com will quickly show you the variety of services they offer clients. Some services include: workshops, networking meetings, assessments, and computer work stations. Check out their "Other Resources for Job Seekers" webpage for links to other support groups in the Lake Zurich area. There is a fee for joining.

My last recommendation is The Executive Network Group of Greater Chicago, http://www.engchgo.org.  The Executive Network Group's mission is to build networking and professional relationships among active members, ENG alumni, employers, executive recruiters and other service providers and support groups. Monthly meetings are held at the Arlington Heights Library. People rave about the small accountability groups that form to keep people focused and moving forward. There is a fee for joining.

Thank you for your question and I hope my recommendations are helpful to you. By working with the trained and compassionate professionals who volunteer with these organizations, you will surely avoid the common mistakes people make in job search and land that job sooner. Good luck!

Your neighbor and career coach,

Christy