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[Back to index of November 2008 articles] Group Offers Guidance, Hope to Job Seekers By Lucy Chumbley
The group that gathers in the upper room of the St. Alban’s rectory welcomes newcomers warmly and rejoices when they leave. Its constantly changing membership comes from all walks of life and sometimes has little in common save a shared goal: Finding work. The St. Alban’s Career Transition Group has been meeting since the economic downturn following Sept. 11, 2001, says facilitator Andrew Ramsey-Moor. Job seekers come to share their strategies and successes, setbacks and struggles and to receive advice, support and encouragement as they seek new employment. Around 200 people have passed through the group since it began, Ramsey-Moor says: Currently it has about 30 members, with up to 15 attending the bi-weekly meetings. Tonight, as the sky darkens and a light rain begins to fall, eight people climb the rectory stairs and settle into comfortable sofas in the lamp-lit room under the eaves. They set down their bags and briefcases, some stocked with hopeful resumes, and bow their heads as Ramsey-Moor says an earnest prayer. Afterwards, he explains the process to a new member – a man who still has a job but is facing imminent layoff – and invites him to begin. “Tell us who you are, where you’re at, what you’re looking for,” he says, and the man takes a deep breath, scans the sympathetic faces of strangers and begins. He describes his current situation and how it might play out. He talks about his options – an internal move within the organization, short-term contractual work – and his fears; keeping up with his child support payments, making his rent. The others listen, nod, ask questions and throw out suggestions. They’ve been there. They are there. “We very much stress compassion,” says St. Alban’s vestry member and co-facilitator Nathalie Bramson: “Outrage on your behalf.” Unfortunately, there’s plenty to provoke outrage, says Sandy Loether, a group alum who has come back to support others through their own transitions: “We’ve had situations where people are fired two weeks before Christmas, over Thanksgiving, and they’re still shell shocked.” As well as fostering compassion, the group insists on confidentiality. “We do ask for and abide by this confidentiality among ourselves,” Loether says. “It’s a small town. You could walk downtown any day and run into someone that works [at a place where a group member has lost a job].” Typically, each member spends about 10 minutes talking about their own job search and particular challenges, while the others listen attentively and then brainstorm together. One member is seeking information about a new career path and considering a relocation, another has found that his U.S. residency status precludes him from applying for certain positions, and others describe their efforts to find employment in the fields of health care, fundraising and IT. With the current economic crisis bearing down, members share information on which companies are hiring and which are failing. A group member offers tips from a recent workshop she attended, “Navigating the Application Process,” and Ramsey-Moor recommends a seminar put on by the Professional Outplacement Assistance Center in Columbia, Md. (http://www.dllr.state.md.us/poac/) In addition to offering its members support and networking opportunities, the group brings in regular speakers on an array of topics, Ramsey-Moor says. He is currently finalizing plans to bring in a member of the parish who works on Capitol Hill to talk about jobs in the House of Representatives and Senate. “I’m really proud of this group and this church for doing this,” Loether says. She found the church and the Career Transition Group when she relocated to D.C. for her husband’s job. “It’s great that God’s behind it, too.” Loether comes back to help because she remembers how hard it was to be unemployed and uncertain and she is grateful for the help and encouragement she received. “There are times when you go up and down. There are times that I was nervous,” she admits. Tonight, she’s not the only one who has come to give back. Another group member found a job six months ago, and has returned with a gift. Reaching into his backpack, he pulls out a small book: “Devotions for Job Seekers; Daily Encouragement Along the Way,” by Richard Malone. Inside the front cover he has written: “Thanks for reminding me that God walks with me through this transition.” As the group members pass it from hand to hand he smiles: a confident, happy smile. The others smile back. They join hands and say the Lord’s Prayer together. Then they head for home. Outside the rectory the rain has stopped falling. The streetlights have come up, and hope blows in on the autumn breeze. Lucy Chumbley is the editor of Washington Window, the newspaper of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. [Back to index of November 2008 articles]
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