Arlene Newman will be sharing her job search tips May 4 at Baruch College.

When Arlene Newman, founder of Career Bound Success, was hiring director at The Leading Hotels of the World, a Baruch College student sent her a résumé for a summer internship.

While the student had a stellar background, Newman dismissed her after catching a few spelling and grammatical errors on her CV. But the girl’s professor called Newman, told her the applicant spoke English as a second language and convinced her to give the college junior another chance.

Newman later hired the hard-working student for a full-time position and now uses the story as an example of how presentation is vital to snagging one’s dream job—and not getting glossed over by hiring managers swamped by other candidates.

“The cover letter and résumé should be error-free,” said Newman, who will be imparting more of her seasoned knowledge to job seekers in her “Fundamentals of a Successful Job Search” course on Friday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Held at Baruch College, the course is open to the public and costs $99 to enroll.

Through personal anecdotes and hands-on exercises, Newman will cover everything from online networking skills to the importance of attitude in the job search.

“The job search is all about networking, whether online or personally,” said Newman, pointing out that employers will trust the recommendations of other employers far more than job search engines such as Monster.com.

Yet, having an up-to-date LinkedIn profile—especially one outfitted with keywords about skills and descriptive job information—can also catch the eye of recruiters.

“It’s all about distinguishing yourself—determining your strengths and what sets you apart,” she said.

Newman said presentation during the interview itself—whether over the phone or in person—is also important. For example, applicants should have a firm handshake with eye contact, sit up straight and smile when talking, she said.

Newman will also talk about honing personal image and projecting a positive attitude—which some applicants inadvertently lose as they become frustrated by the job search, she said.

One of Newman’s clients was stuck in a job search limbo for nine months, she said, before landing a job.

“I helped her hone her ‘elevator pitch’ to be more succinct and to the point,” said Newman, who will be helping every student in her class craft their own spiel to present to employers.

She will also include advice about the post-interview process, such as sending a hand-written thank-you note rather than just an email.

“It differentiates you from every job seeker,” said Newman, who has hired applicants who took the extra effort to give a personal touch.

Newman worked as director of human resources at places such as the Food Network, Leading Hotels of the World and Jaeger Sportswear before founding Career Bound Success in 2010. Located on the Upper East Side, the company specializes in equipping college students, alumni and professionals with the skills they need to land their dream job—advice she carries to her career seminar at Baruch.

“A lot of people will get out of the seminar a sense of confidence,” said Newman.

Every week, the students—ranging from recent college grads to graying retirees—trickle into the upstairs of the 92nd Street Y. It’s a nursery center by day, and home of the Unterberg Poetry Center’s Writing Program by night. They undergo writing drills, bounce lines off of each other and listen to the likes of Victor LaValle and other famous writers render literary strategies.

Like an MA creative writing program, they meet in intimate groups of eight to 10—but aren’t confined to a full-time course load or any particular formula of writing.

"People really feel encouraged to find their voice, and not conform to a specific style," said Alexandra Wilder, associate director of the writing program.

Since 1939, the writing program has offered classes that provide students of all ages the chance to hone their skills as writers, often bringing in guest speakers such as Toni Morrison. 

While introductory workshops are open enrollment, advanced poetry and fiction workshops are notorious for their selective admission process. Most classes receive around 30 applications, but can only accept eight to 10 students, said Wilder. 

Those that do make the cut fork over about $410 each for an eight-week workshop, complete with a 90-minute class every week. A unique option of the program, said Wilder, is a course in which students meet one-on-one with an instructor every week after the initial group meeting.

To apply, students must submit a manuscript submission of no more than six pages of poetry, or 15 pages of prose. 

The courses—offered for the fall, spring and summer semesters—draw in new and experienced writers alike. Some, like the poet and writer Sapphire (author of Push), have already left their mark in the literary world before applying. 

Armed with a collection of unpublished poems, Sapphire applied to the writing program in 2010, enrolling in Marie Ponsot’s Manuscript Workshop. "I wanted to be with someone whose work I really admire," Sapphire said of the prolific Ponsot, 85, who has been teaching the course for 15 years. 

The course focuses specifically on the development of a poetry book, interlaced with writing exercises and talks on aspects of literary theory. "I enjoyed just listening to one of the finest literary mindsets talk," said Sapphire, whose poetry collection American Dreams was previously trumpeted by critics as one of the strongest of the ’90s. "Marie’s workshop really encouraged me."

Other participants had scarcely dabbled in poetry until taking courses at the 92nd Street Y. Oboe player Jane McKinley signed up for a class on a whim in 2004, drawn in only by a desire to tackle the new craft. 

"I hadn’t done any creative writing since high school," said McKinley, who just published her first series of poems, Vanitas. "I decided, ‘OK, I’ll go with poetry.’ Then I kept doing it, and it just kind of took on a life of its own."

Poetry struck a chord in McKinley, who found that her musical sensibilities easily lent themselves to the pacing of the writing. Her progress was bolstered as her instructors’ positive pedagogy. Instructor and Nation poetry editor Grace Schulman would point out a strong line of poetry, and emphasize that McKinley should bring the rest up to that standard.

"We weren’t told what to do; we were told what was strong," said McKinley, who lives in Princeton but comes into the city once a month for a poet’s group. 

"I felt an affinity with Grace’s writing, and the subject matter," she added. 

On a Wednesday afternoon, Sapphire contemplated hopping on the train from her Brooklyn home, returning to one of the Y’s writing courses. "I’d love to do it again," she said. 

Manuscript submissions for admission to the summer session of the 92nd Street Y Writing Program are due May 5 at 5 p.m. For more information, visit 92y.org.