We’d like to think appearance doesn’t matter during the job searching process.  Whether you get the job should be based on your qualifications, education and experience, right?  Truth is, a clean, professional appearance is not just aesthetically pleasing, but it can also tell your future employer a lot about you as a person.  Make the right choice with your wardrobe and you may have a better shot at your dream job!

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you’re looking through your closet for that perfect interview outfit:

Empire College is just one of the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! coalition members in Sonoma County ready to prepare taxes for free if your income was less than $50,000 in 2011. Are you in Mendocino or Lake County? There are sites open with volunteers ready to prepare your taxes. Call 2-1-1 (or 1.800.325.9604) to schedule an appointment.
 
[Thanks to our friend Donna Zapata at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for this post!]

Flowers, balloons, candy, and Take Heart cards for the students – it is so nice to be able to give something so simple that brightens a person’s day. And we love seeing all the balloons bobbing in the classrooms!

Congratulations to Empire College's founder, Henry Trione, on his latest recognition - Citizen of the Year by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce.
 

Everyone has had a job where they worked with that one person – you know, the one who dresses inappropriately or the person who takes casual Friday to a whole other level.

The year 2011 has marked Empire College’s Golden Jubilee – 50 years of providing the citizens of Sonoma County with specialized, career-focused job training and legal education…and the businesses of Sonoma County with a prepared, skilled workforce.
 

How many times have you heard the old cliché “overworked and underpaid”? If you are a member of today’s workforce, chances are you’ve heard many grumblings that signal a need for some time off. While you can’t always control how much you’re getting paid (that’s a whole other topic), taking time away from work is important for several reasons. First of all, you don’t want to burn out, especially if you’re working in a career that you love. It’s hard enough to take your mind off work, even on vacation.

Last night one of our Empire College students in Business Law lost $50.  Andie called on her instructor Mona's cell phone, distraught and asking Mona to look around her seat in Room 206 to see if she had dropped it there or in the “bus stop” outside.  The cash was not in either place.  They both agreed she had probably suffered a loss. 
 

At the Board of Supervisors meeting this morning, Empire College was commended for 50 years of providing high quality business and legal educational opportunities in Sonoma County. Supervisor Shirlee Zane (who is familiar with Empire's community outreach on behalf of the Council on Aging) presented the Gold Resolution to Empire's founder, Henry Trione, and President Roy Hurd.
 

Empire College – in coordination with the Sonoma County Flu Task Force, local area hospitals, and community health centers – will once again be providing the community with a Flu Shot Clinic held at Empire College, Saturday, December 3, 2011 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.).