RochesterWorks!, Monroe County’s largest employment initiative, has launched several new features on its Web site, rochesterworks.org to help job seekers connect with more than 8,000 jobs in the region and a substantial range of free services. More Powerful Job Search Function RochesterWorks! has partnered with a new job search firm, Indeed, to provide a highly robust job search tool that delivers more results than the previous search tool used, America’s Job Bank.   The new search function currently connects job seekers to more than 8,000 jobs in the region, a four-fold increase over the previous tool, which in comparison showed about 2,100 jobs in the same region. Indeed’s technology captures jobs from company websites, job boards, newspapers and more.   Executive Director, Matt Hurlbutt, said he first saw Indeed in use in Syracuse as a tool to help keep more young people in the region. “This is a win-win partnership for job seekers, employers, Indeed and RochesterWorks! because the more people we can drive to open positions the more everyone benefits.” Indeed is providing the service at no charge.   “Early response to just one job posting we placed for a Career Advisor returned 40 applications – that’s an exceptional result, and much higher than previous response rates.” said Connie Felder, Deputy Director of RochesterWorks! “We are very pleased.” “The message we want to convey to people of all ages,” added Hurlbutt, “is that there are a lot of good high quality jobs available in the region. This new search tool and our new Online Career Advisor are two new ways we are aggressively addressing this. Our goal is to do all that we can to make sure people know about those opportunities and can connect with employers who are seeking qualified employees. We also view this improvement as a way for young people to find jobs in the region at one Web site, which is critical to bringing people to the region.” Online Career Advisor Another unique feature RochesterWorks! has added to its range of services is a new Online Career Advisor. This secure system, accessible from any page on the site, allows job seekers to chat live with a Career Advisor about any employment related questions they may have and advice they need. It is another way RochesterWorks! is seeking to extend its services to more people and making it more convenient for them at that same time. The new feature was introduced late this summer and since then usage has been steady. RochesterWorks! has trained several Career Advisors to support the system. They are online and available to assist people during normal Career Center hours for several hours each day. If an Advisor is not online, job seekers can still leave a secure message and an Advisor will get back to them. Felder says that inquiries range from wanting general information about services to requests for direct counseling on careers and job search.  “Adults and youth are asking about what services they can access and counselors are also providing job search and career counseling, resume feedback, and advising where the jobs are, how to begin the job search process, and what training opportunities are available and what the labor market is like. We even heard from one individual living in California who is moving to the Rochester area and needed to find a new job.” For these and more services visit rochesterworks.org or visit a Career Center.