Connecting Clients to Employment

Mary Crosby, M.S.Ed.

Senior Job Developer

ForKids

Who We Are

Where We Serve

What We Do

What Services We Provide

ForKids Employment Team

Having a team of dedicated employees has allowed us flexibility across the region to effectively assist clients with employment needs.

In the first quarter of 2015 alone, we assisted 38 clients in successfully finding employment.

Searching for employment is hard work, which requires patience, dedication, and persistence.

Clients need us to navigate and encourage them along their journey.

Employment Services We Provide

Employment assessments

Individual and group resume writing sessions and workshops

Individualized employment search planning

One on one application sessions

Weekly Job Huddles

Community job search

Follow up guidance

Referrals to outside agencies

Workshops on Job Retention Strategies

Mock interviews

Interview attire

Childcare assistance

Transportation assistance

Transportation advocacy

He or she who gets hired is not necessarily

The one who can do the job best;

But, the one who knows the most

About how to get hired.

-Richard Lathrop

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

“There are plenty of jobs, eight million of them per month in the U.S.”

“30% of all unemployed persons in the U.S. spend more than a year looking for work.”

“The number of people with part-time jobs who really want to work full-time is 7,400,000.”

Source: What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles

Employment Barriers for the Homeless

Transportation

Childcare

Lack of Education

Lack of Experience / Work History

Health and Mental Health Issues

Criminal Backgrounds

Housing Stability

Guiding Documents for Employment Search

Employment Assessments

Contact Records

Resumes / Cover Letters

Individualized Employment Plans

Follow Up Documentation

Community Job Searches

Bonding Letters

Why more paperwork?

Many clients struggle to remember where and when they applied for a position. They often spend hours completing job applications, but forget where they applied.

Without proper documentation, case managers and job coaches are unable to encourage follow up, help prepare clients for interviews, or know phone numbers, addresses, positions applied for, and names of hiring managers.

Organization is a critical component of an employment search.

Employment Assessment

Upon entry into ForKids, every client meets with a job coach for a comprehensive employment assessment to assess background, training and education, job readiness, and work history.

This allows us to identify client needs and to begin working to combat employment barriers.

Employment Assessment Form

Contact Records

All job coaches maintain an employment contact record for each client that we are serving. This data and information helps support case management and program meetings for clients.

Resume Writing

ForKids has created a client Resume Bank.

Almost all clients need a new or updated resume and cover letter for employment applications.

Clients are required to complete a resume writing worksheet prior to meeting for a formal resume writing session.

One on one resume and cover letter sessions take approximately 1.5 hours.

Did You Know? Burger King requires a

resume and cover letter to apply for their

restaurant.

Resume Tips

Alleviate gaps in employment as much as possible with volunteer opportunities or family care/childcare

Capitalize on every experience

Neat, clean, simplistic formatting that clients can easily update

Keep it to one page

Ditch the objective

Eliminate jobs that were only a few months long

Recent experience should be first

Job Huddles

We offer Job Huddles at one one of our locations every day of the week.

Childcare and transportation are provided by our employment team to reduce barriers to attend.

During Job Huddle, clients attend presentations by employers, receive job lead packets, have access to the computer lab and technology assistance, one on one job application assistance, quick resume updates, mock interviews, access to a phone for follow up calls, and a raffle of incentives.

Applications

Online applications are tedious, time consuming, and require computer literacy.

One online application can take as long as 90 minutes to complete.

Online applications should be taken seriously.

Based on the application and completed assessment, applicants are usually given a rating. Often, hiring managers cannot interview someone who does not receive a proficient rating.

The Assessment Question Trick

Individualized Employment Plans

The Importance of Following Up

Following up is an opportunity to get a name across to the decision maker again, so they'll be looking specifically at the application or resume.

Encourage clients to follow up in person and via phone.

Clients should be professionally dressed with a polished resume for in person follow up visits.

What is going to make a hiring manger pull an application out of a pile of 500?

Community Job Search

Paper applications are quickly becoming a thing of the past, but many small, locally owned businesses regularly post “apply in person” positions.

These are great leads for clients who struggle with technology or have a criminal background.

Community job searches should be planned and organized to maximize effectiveness.

Bonding Letters

Employment Advocacy

Developing and maintaining relationships with ‘partner employers’ has been critical to ForKids success.This relationship building is done by the Job Developer

around the local community.

Establishing partnerships with employers of this nature should occur prior to client need, and be focused on the reputation of the organization and it’s mission.

Recongizing partner employers with incentives specific to your program where possible (ForKids has a childrens art program, for example, and pieces are donated to partner emp)

My Favorite Resources

Craigslist.com – Make sure the posting lists the company name, and that it is a legitimate company.

Virginia Employment Commission – Great info on upcoming job fairs and employment opportunities.

When at all possible, have clients directly apply to the website of the actual company rather than a third party. This increases the chances of receiving an interview.

Contact Information

Mary CrosbySenior Job Developer, ForKids

mcrosby@forkidsva.org(757) 639-1339

www.forkidsva.org

Regional Housing Crisis Hotline: (757) 587-4202

Q&A