NOVAworks

Most Recent Comments

• August 2023 by HomeBiz Mentor
  I was unhappy with the services I received from NOVAworks. They have some valuable services for job seekers, such as resume writing and career counseling; however, they need to improve their administration and quality control. Some of their employees are nice and helpful, but others are incompetent and rude.Their workshops are also inconsistent in quality. Some of them were informative and engaging, but others were dull, disorganized, and delivered by staff members who lacked the simplest presentation skills. I felt like I wasted my time attending them.Finally, their processes, systems, and workflows need improvement. They lead to them providing wrong information, lost opportunities to their customers, among other problems that frustrate their customers. They do not take responsibility for their mistakes.I would not recommend the NOVAworks to anyone who is looking for effective and trustworthy employment and training services.
• April 2023 by J Wri
  In New city hall. Park at the library
• February 2023 by Carla L.
  Excellent services at Nova. I loved all the material that they use and I have learned a lot of excellent techniques that proved helpful in my job search. The various one on one sessions with the career counselors were instrumental in keeping me motivated and hopeful. I am very grateful for the grant I received which allowed me to finish a certificate in marketing management at a time when I decided to pivot my career. Before completing the degree, I already landed a new job doing what I was dreaming of - marketing and events. My income also saw a 30% increase. Nova was a very successful part of my professional journey. I appreciate all the help and guidance, especially to Kim Pham who came along every step of my journey through the certification. We need to celebrate!
• January 2023 by Minh Duong
  Bottom line you still need to land job on your own
• August 2022 by Al L.
  This review is for an incredible support I received from Kim during my career transition in 2019 and to applaud all the work Novaworks does to help people make professional transitions and succeed. After years with one company, I got laid off at the time. I had to juggle a baby, a job search, while recognising the need to upskill. Kim went an extra mile to help me get into the right training program (within last few days of closing application deadlines in December 2019). UC Santa Cruz Extension program made a huge difference on my career trajectory and helped me regain confidence and get back on track professionally. Thank you, Kim!
• August 2022 by Mirame A.
  Very good resource for job counseling and training. I would have not known about programs available if it weren't for NOVA. Great advisors and counselors - and at no cost! A gem of a resource for career planning, job search tools and career planning.
• July 2022 by Marisela M.
  NOVA provided incredible support for my job search and training! By filling out paperwork to indicate I had all other skills listed on a few job postings and just needed this training, I received $6,000 toward a certificate in UX and Web Design from UCSC Silicon Valley Extension. I had become interested in UX Design while working in libraries and helping people with technology. I lost my job in a university library due to the pandemic. I attended all of the NOVA workshops (some several times, since I was unemployed for 1.5 years), received great suggestions and feedback from advisors, and was able to build my Linkedin network with speakers and other NOVA clients. The flexibility to make an appointment with an advisor was amazing!I enjoyed their services so much, I would send other job seekers I met while networking to NOVA. If they weren't in the area, I would send them the link to NOVA's job search plan. I mentioned this in my job interviews and am now working in recruiting at Meta. Because I had experience recruiting clients for NOVA :)
• March 2022 by Miller Time
  I joined NOVA back in 2001 where they essentially kicked me out and sent me to their sidekick organization called Pro Match. This became an auditorium of unemployed people with minimal oversight by the county conducting the meeting with volunteers with poor presentation skills.I registered and should have a membership where it was lost by the administration at the time.
• February 2022 by Ruchi A.
  Nova is a wonderful recruiting agency. They help you at every step of your job search journey. I would highly recommend this as the Nova helped me from resume preparation to getting interview ready.
• January 2022 by Vesna J.
  I have a need to write about Nova services and to make sure people know they are out there for us (unemployed people or people that want to upgrade their skills). I highly recommend Nova. The Nova staff is amazing, every single person is willing to help and to find a way to how help you. Very much appreciate the opportunity they gave me to take required classes at UC Santa Cruz extension. I thank each person at Nova, in this process who "pushed" me and made me obtain a Business Administration Certificate. Keep in mind it is a free amazing service available to everyone who is willing to get a job and move on with their life.
• October 2021 by Tiffany J.
  I'd recommend this office to everyone who is looking for a job. The staff here are very professional and helpful. They will have programs for you to learn new skills to become more marketable. The advisor will also help you with your application, mock interviews and your resume. At first, I was skeptical to use the service. Because I thought I already know how to create a resume, my LinkedIn profile, and how to answer questions for an interview, what is need was just a job. However, I changed my mind after a session with the career and training advisor, KIM PHAM. I purposely request for Kim because I read all the good Yelp reviews about her before I decided to use the office. And yes, the reviews are true and correct. Kim is very nice, fast and knowledgeable. She answers my email in the speed of light. She helps me answers interview questions and make it sound more professional. She also provides insights of what the employers are looking for, so you can prepare for your interviews. To be clear, the office won't directly hand you a job, but they will provide the tools and make suggestions to make you more marketable. You will still need to apply for the job yourself, do the interview, and wait for the results from the employers. If you're lucky, you can land a job after an interview. However, you will also expect that no one will call you back after several interviews. I'm trying to explain this because before I joined, I thought and I expect this office will hand me a job after I fill out my application, it doesn't work that way. However, it's all good now for me now. I learned how to answers questions during interviews to make myself more values and professional. The service here is free for job seekers. I'd recommend this service to everyone and I'd recommend to use Kim Pham as your career and training advisor. Good luck!
• June 2021 by None N.
  Nova provides great services. The opportunity to obtain grants for training is amazing. Most people aren't aware that they qualify. The training advisors walk you through the process and it's a hidden benefit, especially during Covid-19. Their training sessions are very good and they provide much needed support to people in transition. The counselors are also excellent and you can usually get a same day appointment. And Jose is super friendly. Great program and volunteers.
• July 2020 by Jenna G.
  NOVA is a great (free) resource for job-seekers of all ages and all career junctions. I would say they seem to be the most helpful for people who are not as informed on the current job market and skills needed, such as people re-entering the workforce or trying to build their skillset. It seems to skew to an older demographic, but as a young adult I still found their services and programs very helpful. Would highly recommend the workshops, especially for building a resume or cover letter. I walked into that workshop thinking I wasn't going to learn much, but I got a lot out of it. I would also recommend joining ProMatch, which is the professional networking group that runs alongside (but really separate) from NOVA Be aware that you will get out of this service what you put into it - it is a time commitment and you will need to take a few steps to get fully enrolled. The staff at NOVA were always very polite and helpful, and the counselors were generally available same-day or the next day. If you're overwhelmed with the Bay Area job hunting process or just need support & motivation, this is a good start!
• December 2019 by Anna M.
  Pros: at least the computers are free to use and printing as well. At least it is a place that has some resources to start with. They are kind and helpful whe it comes to using their computers (which are fast, thank god!). I only put two stars because this federally funded establishment (yes that is OUR money) misses the mark. I was assigned to one of the counselors who is dangerously tone deaf twice. What I mean is she looks at me like Im crazy for wanting the middle class dream (saving to buy a home you know!? Starting a family etc). She even referred me to an overly impacted mental health estaestablishment for therapy (even though the therapist I paid for back im 2012 referred me to this location). I feel like a pawn just being passed around. And I hate to say it but the woman was east indian, I am pretty sure she would of been quick on her feet if the person was her own kind (typical in the "diverse" silicon valley, but if you are born and raised here the hell with you!) I also brought my BF who was injured in a neglectful job. He is very skilled but heavily tattooed and has missing teeth. When I brought him in all the women looked shocked. I promise you that was not the looked received when I attended. Also I believe they intentially lied on the data when I told them about my new job. I make 16.50 an hr in my full time job. One of the women who offered to fill it out put down $50 an hr....um I wish? But after being referred to a therapist instead having tough REAL questions answered I am forced to look somewhere else and sadly have to leave a serious comment.
• November 2019 by Yay Y.
  Don't waste your time coming here while you can find all the necessary information online. If you are seeking Federal/State Funding, DROP the idea. Besides providing them SS card, Driver's License, and Passport for them to make a copy, those are NOT enough to prove who are are. They requested ridiculous documents, e.g. I-20 that you had some twenty years ago, and give you a number to call for that organization to issue you a certificate...etc. And when you called, that organization's staff was shocked, What the heck... They don't issue such certificate... And when I told them I quit applying and asked to trash my personal data, they said they will keep it in their record for future reference.