As the get-a job, lose-a-job, get-a-job cycle goes, Jan Harrington of Morton Grove is looking, and Colin Annetti of Park Ridge just landed a position. In this Labor Day-inspired "Getting A Job" series, Patch today looks at how local people are navigating the job market. 

Jan Harrington is looking for a job, and she knows it might not be as easy as the last time she was in the market, six years ago.

She's a graphic designer who has worked in publishing during her career, including her last position as production manager of Students Publishing Company, which publishes a student newspaper and yearbook at Northwestern University.  

"I'm looking to get into a solid company that's not in publishing that will be a secure job environment," she said. 

Earlier: Jobs Available Locally, 9/2

She was laid off, like many in the publishing field, two months ago. During the time she's been looking, she has noticed one big change from her search six years ago--the fact that nearly all employers want online applications now.

"You compose a cover letter and attach a resume. But you still have to go through their process of applying on their site. For some sites it's short; for others, it takes a long time," she said. "You never know whether someone will actually look at it or not."

Get news and job listings form Niles-Morton Grove Patch or Park Ridge Patch in your email. It's free.

She is finding that there are a fair number of jobs to apply for, though some are labeled "new posting" when they're not actually new, leading to a perception there may be more jobs than there really are, she said. 

One job seeker networked, with good results

Like Harrington, Colin Annetti was seeking a job, but with different qualifications. He earned a degree in sociology last December, and worked at an independent movie theater in Chicago for a few months. 

When he left that job in May, past networking proved to be useful.

"I worked at the Park Ridge Chamber (of Commerce) for three summers, so I knew Joann Arnswald (the branch manager for the Park Ridge branch of Village Bank and Trust)," he said.

She hired him as a teller, and once he learns that role, he'll be trained as a banker, he said.

"Here there's room for career advancement," Annetti said, adding he's glad to be able to make the monthly payments on his college loans.

The new job also has another perk--he can walk to work.

"It's a community bank," he explained. "I live three blocks away."

Join the conversation! Like Niles-Morton Grove Patch or Park Ridge Patch on Facebook