Try sending a letter to an employer to get better results in a job search. That’s what Mark Hovind, president of JobBait.com, suggests. A JobBait program will take place Monday, Nov. 22, at Tacoma Goodwill’s Milgard Work Opportunity Center, 714 S. 27th St., from 1-4 p.m.

It’s working for Valerie Chapin, 57, of Tacoma, who has participated in a previous Hovind workshop. Chapin had 30 years of experience with the Social Security Administration and has been searching for work since summer 2009.

“JobBait with Mark Hovind is an extremely dynamic workshop – you don’t fall asleep in there,” Chapin said. “He has a completely different take – you create a value statement that will tell the employer what you can do for them.”

Hovind focuses on using a value-proposition letter instead of a typical resume to attract the attention of those who make hiring decisions. Hovind, who has worked in a variety of positions from engineer to CEO, ran the successful workshops in Auburn for a year and a half before coming to Tacoma.

The workshops are free, open to the public and take place on the fourth Monday of each month. The next one is scheduled Dec. 27. To register, contact Hovind at Mark@JobBait.com, or call Goodwill at 253.573.6577.

Hovind notes direct letters often are four times faster at getting positive results than through other, more conventional job search efforts. Goodwill provides a job search room with computers and counselors to assist people in their search.

In Auburn, more than 500 people attended workshops, which have been copied nationally. Hovind’s website, www.JobBait.com, provides a variety of tips for people seeking work. Participants are urged to review the website and prepare a draft letter before coming to the workshop.

For Chapin, the workshops have changed how she now goes about her job search. “He highlights the need for a more aggressive approach to getting your foot in the door,” she said.

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About Tacoma Goodwill

Goodwill is a unique nonprofit business. It turns donations and business revenue into programs that change lives by helping people with disabilities or disadvantages go to work. This year, Tacoma Goodwill Industries will help 9,500 people with education, job training and placement so they can become independent self-supporting citizens. Of these, more than 1,000 people with barriers to employment will be placed in jobs in the community. Programs of Goodwill, founded in 1921, are funded through financial gifts, grants, fees, commercial services and the operation of 26 thrift stores throughout Western and Southcentral Washington. Please visit our website at www.tacomagoodwill.org.