Hire Ground: Unemployed parishioners find help in job search
By Charles Paolino
Correspondent
Tom Delcore has been there — three times in the past eight years.
“There” is out of work, and that is where Delcore was when he joined the Employment Ministry team at St. Matthias Parish, Somerset.
The program was launched more than two years ago by Deacon John Radvanski and parishioner Terry Seamon. Since then, the unemployment rate in New Jersey has grown to more than 7 percent. The trend was evident when nearly 50 men and women attended a recent workshop.
Meanwhile, parishioners have started a similar ministry at Immaculate Conception Parish, Annandale.
Both programs address networking — personal contacts — and issues such as preparing résumés and developing interview skills.
The ministry at St. Matthias developed after Deacon Radvanski first discussed the subject with the pastoral staff, and Seamon brought it up with the Pastoral Council.
“Our pastor, Father Doug Haefner, asked me what would I think about starting a ministry to help people who are job hunting,’’ Seamon said. “Father Doug is a visionary pastor. He is always attuned to the ‘cry of the poor,’ which can have many manifestations, including people who are out of work.
“The idea was ahead of its time and now, with the economy what it is, we’re right in the ‘sweet spot’ of what people need.’’
“We started talking about it in the fall of 2005,’’ Deacon Radvanski said. “And then I lost my job in January 2006; Terry was also out of work. … We did some networking online and in other ways to find out what’s happening, who’s doing what in the field, and we started reaching out to people.’’
The outreach included distribution to parishioners in May 2006 of a yellow “Employment Ministry Interest Card’’ that stated the goal of the program: “to help people to help themselves in various employment-related situations.’’
Those who filled out the cards were asked to list their experience, which could include work in human resources but also could include unemployment itself. About 36 people responded, including Delcore, an HR specialist.
“It was great for me when I was unemployed to get involved. It’s even more important now that I am employed,’’ Delcore said. “I’ve been on both sides of it. I’ve been in HR for 37 years, so it was a chance to take what I knew and use it and be helpful.’’
In June 2006, Julie Burkey, coordinator of the Christian Employment Outreach Program at Seton Hall University, South Orange, conducted a formation program for the team, and she participated in the formal opening of the program in January 2007. Burkey continues to assist the ministry, which meets from 9 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month. She spoke at the group’s Feb. 7 meeting, and she conducted a formation program for the ministry team on the same afternoon.
“Some of the people when we first started out were very withdrawn, kind of disoriented … as far as their job search was concerned,’’ Delcore said.” But coming here and just talking to other people, some of them become more comfortable. People who are not comfortable talking to strangers become comfortable because it’s not a job situation, it’s not an interview, it’s not even a formal networking event.’’
Delcore said many participants also feel more confident after going through an exercise such as a group résumé critique.
The ministry at Immaculate Conception began more recently.
“This is the fourth time I’ve had this situation,’’ said Ed Reitter, who lost his job last year. “I thought that in this economy there probably are other people struggling. Maybe I can give them some insight. I put it in the bulletin and talked it around a bit.’’
The ministry, which meets for about an hour on the third Saturday of each month, began in September.
“Two women in the parish who have consulting jobs in HR have volunteered to do training,’’ Reitter said. Both ministries encourage participants to maintain their spiritual lives while they struggle with concrete problems.
“Ed leads us in a prayer experience at the beginning of each meeting,’’ said Jeff Howard, who was the first to respond to Reitter’s invitation. “It gives you a chance to contemplate your situation and get your mind and your soul in a very peaceful place. It’s very beneficial.
“After that, we share what our past and current experiences have been in job searching, the frustrations that go along with that, and offer each other advice and support.
“We try to do some networking, share contact information, constantly stay in touch with each other. If I come across any jobs that seem like they might be suitable to people in the group, I forward that information to them.’’
And in an atmosphere that seems increasingly bleak, Reitter had some good news: “So far, out of the six guys that came in the first few meetings, two of them have jobs already.’’
For more information
The Employment Ministry at St. Matthias Parish, Somerset, meets 9 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of the month. Contact Deacon John Radvanski at DeaconJohn@smpo.us or Terry Seamon at thseamon@yahoo.com, (732) 828-1400, ext. 130.
The Unemployment Ministry at Immaculate Conception, Annandale, meets the third Saturday of the month. Cindy Miceli will give a presentation on interviewing skills on Feb. 21 in the Upper Room following the 9 a.m. Mass. Contact Ed Reitter at (908) 832-7678.
Sidebar:
Job seekers advised to research employers and to network
Julie Burkey is coordinator of the Christian Employment Outreach Program at Seton Hall University, South Orange. She was the featured speaker at the Feb. 7 meeting of the Employment Ministry at St. Matthias Parish, Somerset, where she offered some practical advice.
Burkey emphasized that even in a poor economy there are companies seeking to fill jobs, though not necessarily advertising them. She identified the worst methods of finding a job, including mailing résumés at random, answering ads in trade journals and newspapers, and applying through Internet sites such as Monster.com.
With respect to those heavy-traffic sites, she said, “You may as well play the lottery. You have better odds of winning a million dollars.’’
The best job-search methods, Burkey said, are research and networking.
Her specific suggestions for job seekers included:
• Asking for job leads from their friends, family members and acquaintances — including acquaintances made at these ministries.
• Making an inventory of the skills and accomplishments they can pitch to prospective employers.
• Researching companies they are interested in, including the person with the authority to hire.
• Calling or visiting those companies.