Career Prospectors and Jobs Assistance Ministry

Transcription

1 Career Prospectors and Jobs Assistance Ministry Member Newsletter: Spring/Summer This issue highlights the results of the programs and services provided by Career Prospectors and the Jobs Assistance Ministry (JAM), servicing the greater Richmond, Virginia area. It takes an engaged and giving community to help individuals find a new career. We are grateful to the many people and organizations that generously provide their expertise and time to help us help others. Thank you! 4/1/2014

2 A Message from Our Leaders Dear Colleagues and Friends, Welcome! We at Career Prospectors and the Jobs Assistance Ministry (JAM) are thrilled to share with you the latest results of the programs and services we provide to talented individuals in career transition that help build their capabilities, grow their network, and find new careers. Whether relocated, terminated, downsized, or looking for a new opportunity, our services are available at little or no cost to our members. It takes an engaged and giving community to find a new job. Our work could not be done without the generous support of business leaders, coaches, trainers, and organizations that provide their expertise and services to help make the job search process a little easier for our friends in career transition. We are also grateful to the many employers who connect with us to learn more about our people, share their job openings, and hire our members. We thank you for your ongoing support. It takes commitment and purposeful execution to reach successful outcomes. We are proud of our job seekers and the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring to the marketplace. Each day they demonstrate an unwavering desire to achieve results by exploring new career paths, overcoming challenges, sharing with others, and landing exciting jobs. We applaud your dedication and hard work. We encourage you to help pay it forward. Whether you are new to the job search, you want to share your expertise with others, or you are a hiring manager/recruiter seeking talented individuals to fill positions, please feel free to contact us via Meetup or LinkedIn Groups. We are open to explore new ways to partner with you. We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you much success in your journey. Sincerely, Charlie Wood and Ed Landry 1

3 About Career Prospectors: Established in 2002, Career Prospectors is focused on helping people find new job opportunities. Whether a recent graduate, relocated, terminated, downsized, re-entering the workforce, or employed and looking for a new opportunity, all are welcome - there is no cost to join or attend our group. Career Prospectors presents the latest methods, tools, and techniques used in searching for and landing a new job. At each meeting, we network, discuss what we have done during the past week to further our individual job searches and career objectives, and offer each other suggestions on how to improve our chances for success. We also help one another with contacts, interview practice, job leads in both the public and private sectors, and much more. We have expert speakers and coaches who discuss various topics, such as how to work with Human Resources professionals and recruiters, improve resumes, build networking skills, and optimize the power of social network - aimed at landing a new job. We also help one another build our confidence, creativity, and skills in workshops, such as using the power of social media LinkedIn, Twitter in the job search, Excel training, and others. 2

4 About the Jobs Assistance Ministry: Established in 2008, the Jobs Assistance Ministry (JAM) offers all of the services a job seeker would receive at a career transition/outplacement center. Sponsored and funded by St. Michael Catholic Church, JAM has been able to achieve its goal thanks to the many talented volunteers, who include Human Resources leaders, career counselors, business owners, authors, and so many others. In addition to weekly skills development workshops, JAM provides resume reviews, one-on-one mentoring, mock interview practice, career counseling, special workshops, and pastoral care/counseling. We also work collaboratively with a number of churches, ministries, and organizations. While we have been able to offer professional services thanks to expert volunteers, JAM is first and foremost a ministry, and job seekers recognize and appreciate this purpose. At Career Prospectors and JAM, we are proud of the spirit of camaraderie and goodwill amongst our members. We respect and value our members diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we focus on creating an environment that is encouraging, friendly, and supportive. We are honored to be servicing the greater Richmond area. Our work could not be done without the generous support from our community business leaders, companies and other key partners. We are grateful. Thank you. 3

5 What We Have Accomplished Together: We have been working to support our members with the right tools, training, and services. Below are a few highlights of what we have accomplished through our partnership: Help Land New Jobs: 550 JAM job seekers assisted in landing new jobs; nearly double that for Career Prospectors. Weekly meetings: 59 meetings to date: CP/JAM meetings, training programs, Job Clubs, etc. International Coach Federations: ICF certified coaches donate hours to help job seekers. 10 individual coaching relationships held over past months. Accountability Groups: 6 accountability groups. Small teams of job seekers discuss their job search challenges/progress and share ideas/job leads/referrals, etc. Coaching Sessions: 135 job seekers assisted by 67 consultants and 37 coaches. JAM Jobs Club: Launched job seekers club facilitated by career coach, Doug Poynter. Support Groups: 2 support groups meet weekly, each with 8 to 10 job seekers. Professional Roundtables: 3 roundtable groups. Job seekers interested in specific fields Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, Sales discuss job leads, training opportunities, upcoming professional seminars, etc. ICF s Greater Richmond Chapter received the Local Spirit, Global Presence Award for their work with JAM! Toastmasters Club: Launched St. Michael s Toastmasters Club, helping members improve communication and leadership skills. 8 meetings to date. LinkedIn Membership: Career Prospectors (2800+) and JAM (1400+) and growing. These groups provide forums to post jobs, articles and information for job seekers, and serve as a robust network for connections. Career Expo: Career Prospectors and JAM members participated in the RVA Career Expo Professional Job Fair in March Volunteer efforts included: o Recruiting 55 employers and 625 job seekers for forum o Posting and tweeting information about employers and job openings o Training on subjects: Getting the Most of a Career Expo and Supporting Peers and Recruiters o Excellent employer feedback - candidates have been contacted by employers for job interviews! o Stay tuned for information about the next Job Fair scheduled for October

6 Reading Builds Knowledge: Three of our talented volunteers have authored helpful books that are available to members at little or no cost. For information, please reach out to Charlie Wood or Ed Landry via LinkedIn or Meetup. o o o You Are Not Alone: Teens Talk About Life After The Loss of a Parent by Lynne Hughes Hello, Old Friend: A Resource Guide for Career Development by Mike Jones The Art of Finding a Job in The New Economy by Doug Poynter Lynne Hughes Mike Jones Doug Poynter Impact to Members, Partners, and Volunteers: Career Prospectors and JAM work. It s that simple. They deliver support and drive accountability. Their network is extensive, and their care is sincere. You will find you are not alone. You will enter as a student and return as a teacher. There is much to learn and to give with both of these organizations. Drop by for a visit. You ll be glad you did. Mike Jones, President, Core Consulting & Author Connecting with Career Prospectors and JAM has been great with equipping me with tools for resume writing, marketing plan development, interviewing, and networking. An added bonus has been getting to know the members and establishing good friendships. I enjoy using my experience as a resource development manager to facilitate an interest group of IT professionals and to provide leadership to my job accountability group to coach and help build confidence for success. Katrina McMillan, Member 5

7 "I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to join the Career Prospectors/JAM community. It's given me the opportunity to hone my Human Resources skills by developing and delivering training and presentation skills. I've made new friends and been able to help them land new opportunities through resume review and resume preparation. I truly appreciate everything that Charlie and Ed have done and continue to do for those in transition throughout the Richmond area. Jon Thurmond, Member Career Prospectors/JAM - a library, a 12 steps-to-success program, skills training, a support group, a confidence builder, a cheerleading squad, a networking resource, and a taskmaster all rolled into one. What I get out of it in any given interaction depends on what my job search and I most need that day. Sheila DeHart, Member Both Career Prospectors and JAM provide education, and, most importantly, support to job seekers and those in career transition during a highly stressful time. It may sound overly dramatic to say that Career Prospectors and JAM change lives, but to give people hope in trying times is indeed life changing. These groups and their leaders, Charlie Wood and Ed Landry, work together seamlessly. They are among the most valuable resources in our community. I give both Career Prospectors and JAM my highest endorsement." Doug Poynter, Career Counselor &Author 6

8 A Special Thank You: We extend our warmest appreciation to our many friends in the community who offer their services, meeting facilities, and much more for our members. We thank Gary and Cynthia Brittain for volunteering their photography services so our members have superb LinkedIn photos. St. Michael Catholic Church Three Chopt Presbyterian Church Lakeside United Methodist Church Richmond Chapter VA Tech Alumni Association River Road Church, Baptist The Employment Transition Center The Henrico County Public Library The Richmond Public Library University of Virginia Graduate School, Richmond Center Village Bank Virginia Tech Graduate School, Richmond Center And many, many others 7