The U.S.'s largest online job site and the largest private university in North America are teaming up to bring New Orleans job seekers a career fair that goes above and beyond just offering job opportunities. CareerBuilder and University of Phoenix are putting New Orleans job seekers in touch with professional resume writers, image consultants and networking experts to help them retool their job-hunting approach and make themselves more marketable to employers.

In addition to job opportunities and career retooling sessions, best-selling author, educator and businessman Stedman Graham will offer a keynote address to attendees. Graham will share how his systematic approach to success, based on advancing life goals and aspirations, can help people become leaders of their own lives. Graham will also attend a special breakfast with University of Phoenix alumni and students and will hold a question-and-answer session after his address.

The "Build Your Career" event in New Orleans is taking place tomorrow at the Sheraton New Orleans, 500 Canal St. With the unemployment rate in Louisiana currently reported at 7.4 percent, there is an existing need for out-of-work professionals to hone their skills in order to find a new job in the increasingly competitive job market.

"This is one of the toughest job markets in the nation's history," said Randy White, General Manager of CareerBuilder Career Fairs. "A key way to be successful in your job search is to repackage your skills and experience for a variety of employers, so you can maximize your visibility. Our fair will have experts on hand that can help job seekers build a stronger resume, prepare for interviews, expand their networks and pursue further education to open the door to new opportunities."

Leading employers such as AAA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security, Wal-Mart, GMAC, Harrah's Casino of New Orleans will be on site in New Orleans to recruit candidates for job openings.

"In these challenging economic times, University of Phoenix is committed to helping local residents find new career opportunities and develop new skills for job security," said Brent Lyons, vice president/director of University of Phoenix's Louisiana and Mississippi campuses. "Ultimately, we want to help our future business leaders step into management roles and make greater contributions to the growth and development of the New Orleans area."

While attendees make the rounds to meet with recruiters, they can also visit career makeover stations for one-on-one advice:

Regroup - Creating an Image and Developing Presence: Learn the keys to help you make an impactful first and lasting impression. Ensure that the image you convey during your interview not only reflects your authentic self but also is consistent with the "image" you convey through your resume.

Refresh - Microsoft Office Tech Tips: Get a refresher on the latest version of Microsoft Office, learn how to build an impactful resume in Word, use PowerPoint to present yourself, take away tips for Excel and bounce questions off a skilled software trainer.

Rebuild - Interview and Resume skills: Find out how to create a resume that best represents who you are, create different versions of your resume to give you flexibility to respond to different jobs in the shifting marketplace, plus the do's and don'ts of social media as it relates to your resume.

The New Orleans "Build Your Career" Fair is the first in a series of career retooling events being hosted by CareerBuilder and the University of Phoenix featuring Stedman Graham that will extend through the fall. Other upcoming locations this year include Charlotte, N.C., on November 6, and Chicago, Ill. on December 8.

About CareerBuilder ®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States, with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 32 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to HR consulting. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company and Microsoft Corp. , CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Through flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning, students achieve personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. During the quarter ending May 31, 2009, 420,700 students were enrolled at University of Phoenix, the largest private university in North America. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world.

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SOURCE: CareerBuilder; University of Phoenix