Looking for a job? You’re not alone Vocational Services is here to help

Since the recession, many people are finding themselves in need of support – even those who never anticipated needing help to find a job, much less needing financial assistance. And when someone is unemployed, or underemployed, it takes a toll in many ways, not just on finances. For some, unemployment affects social or family life. For others, it disrupts absolutely everything, including just getting up in the morning.

Job loss is serious and can be a very personal battle – but assistance is available. The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island has created a team that works around-the-clock to help. 

One Warwick client, a father with two college-aged children, shared recently, “I felt as if I had no purpose when I was laid off in October [2014]. I couldn’t make college payments for my kids, let alone pay the utility bills, particularly during this harsh winter. When you’re not working nor have a daily routine in place as a result, you have potential, but it is to become your own worst enemy. Over time, you just spiral. We’ve all been there at some point.”

And he’s right – all too many know firsthand that being unemployed or underemployed can turn your world upside down. For this reason, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s “Living on the Edge” initiative has earmarked funding and manpower to Employment Assistance and Vocation (also referred to as Vocational Assistance) to support those in the Jewish community who are out of work, whether due to a layoff, a medical leave, or reentry into the workforce, so that individuals, families and this community can flourish once again.

Plans that fit individual goals

Assistance from the Living on the Edge initiative comes in many personalized forms – volunteers to move furniture, transportation vouchers for seniors who cannot get around easily, counseling, and now, professional navigation through the job-search process with the goal of providing not a head-hunting service but the community resources and tools required for long-term sustainability and self-sufficiency.

Chaired by Susan Bazar and supported by a team of community volunteers, Vocational Assistance incorporates professional networking, résumé-writing workshops, and one-on-one coaching and mentoring, with dignity and respect.

“Those pursuing employment in an already difficult market often need an extra layer of support on their side. Committee volunteers assist with fine-tuning résumés and/or cover letters, practice interviewing skills, and often serve as confidence boosters so clients feel empowered throughout the process,” Bazar says.

The customized resources respond to professional needs and objectives. While the range of prospects differs for each client, the goal is the same: long-term employment.

Since January, when Vocational Services was launched, many job-seekers have returned to work.

“Seeing my goals and professional summary in writing solidified what I know I’m capable of and gave me the confidence I needed to start interviewing. I now work full time in my field of expertise,” reports a Cranston client who reentered the workforce after 13 years as a stay-at-home mother of three. “It’s not just about getting a job. Working with the Jewish Alliance has supplied me with techniques I know I will use for professional and personal successes in the future.”

What’s next

While the top measure of success will be lower unemployment communitywide, the longer-range goal of Vocational Services is to lead the community toward greater self-sufficiency. Success will be achieved through positive and ongoing networking opportunities, partner agency collaborations, and relationships built between job-seekers and a local cadre of trained volunteers, coaches and mentors.

Communication with clients is key to ongoing success. Even after clients have gained employment, regular follow-ups ensure that support does not simply end. Continued contact with each client remains part of the larger plan, and if a client takes a job just to get back into the workforce or to pay bills, Employment Assistance and Vocation continues to help them find a  long-term, career-path position.   

Editor’s Note: Vocational Assistance is part of the Living on the Edge initiative, devoted to providing vital safety-net services and support, promoting self-sufficiency, and reducing barriers and increasing access to Jewish life. To learn more about Living on the Edge and how it serves individual needs, go to AccessJewishRI.org or call 401-421-4111, ext. 411.

JENNIFER ZWIRN is in planning, endowment and vocational assistance at the Jewish Alliance.