Event inspires older workers frustrated by job search

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Siggy K. Letheby (right), a recruitment coordinator for the U.S. Department of Labor, speaks to job seekers Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011, during the Mature Worker Re-hired and Re-inspired Event at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Ill. | Matt Marton~Sun-Times

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Updated: November 20, 2011 8:38AM

JOLIET — Liz Lenard is having a difficult time in the job market after losing her job amid a nationwide tidal wave of layoffs.

Lenard, of Bolingbrook, had a professional and trade association management position. Now she works two part-time jobs while seeking full-time work.

After being laid off, she would spend eight to 10 hours a day applying for work. She did not understand why she received no feedback after applying for so many positions.

This is the experience of many people as the national economy continues to lag.

“Everybody’s in the same boat, receiving no feedback. It’s all dead silence,” Lenard said.

On Tuesday, Lenard attended the Mature Worker Re-Hired and Re-Inspired Event at the City Center Campus of Joliet Junior College. The audience got tips on seeking employment — and a message of encouragement. There are jobs out there, and older workers have skills that are valuable in today’s economy.

The event was sponsored by the Workforce Services Division of Will County, Joliet Junior College, and the Workforce Investment Board of Will County.

After getting resume help from the Workforce Services Division, Lenard has noticed that she has been getting more feedback in her job search.

Job market

Mary Szelenbaum of Joliet also has had a difficult time in her search for employment after a job loss.

She had worked in the health-care field, and her position was funded by a grant. However, that grant was not renewed.

She then spent a year in a graduate-level fellowship at the University of Illinois-Chicago. She was interested in working with families of children with disabilities. After her time in school, the job market has been tough.

In the past couple of months, Szelenbaum decided to reinvent herself and seek a job in training and development, or a continuing education instructor position.

“The difficulty in the job market today is that each online application takes time, each focused resume takes time — and then the particular cover letter,” Szelenbaum said. “I’ve worked three or four days pursuing one particular job. It’s very time consuming.”

Horace O’Kain of Shorewood took a few years off to assist with a relative’s medical needs. His wife worked while he took on care responsibilities.

“When it came to returning to the workforce, it became a challenge,” he said.

O’Kain got a job with the U.S. Census Bureau. He was one of the first local field workers hired for the 2010 Census, he said. The staff went from five field workers to around 1,000 workers and then back down to only three. O’Kain’s job ended when local field operations finished. The office shut down a few weeks later.

O’Kain said he was one of the last ones to go. He was a crew leader who supervised as many as 17 people, and he also worked on his own, he said.

Since the census job ended, O’Kain has had difficulty in the job market.

“There wasn’t a lot out there that I felt comfortable with, that paid a reasonable salary and benefits,” he said.

He sought a job in sales and retail management, the type of job he had before he took time off. He suspects that the gap in employment before his census job caused difficulty.

“I’m reasonably sure I got culled from a lot of those jobs because of the gap,” he said.

Help in the search

One speaker at Tuesday’s event was Courtney Hedderman, associate state director for AARP, the prominent organization providing services and advocacy for people age 50 and older. Hedderman gave several job-seeking tips, including:

Assessing yourself: Step back and ask yourself, “What do I really want to do?” The question actually goes deeper than that.

“What have you done? What are your skills? What are your interests? What are your hobbies? What are you passionate about? All of those things, all rolled up into one,” Hedderman said.

Job description: On your resume, be more descriptive than just listing a previous job title. List what your actual experience and skills were to perform that job. What did you do on a day-to-day basis? What did you do on an extraordinary day?

Appearance: No matter what the position is, look your best.

“I was at a job fair not too long ago, and I saw people who were dressed in jeans and shorts and things like that. And, literally, some gentleman came in, and he had a tux on,” she said. “Now, I’m not suggesting you go get a tux or a ball gown. But I’ll tell you, he definitely grabbed attention, a lot more than the person who had shorts and gym shoes on.”

Develop a “brand” for yourself: Develop a strong network, promote your skills and talents, and have a business card. Be careful that your e-mail address and your voice mail message have a professional tone.

Available resources

The Plus 50 Workforce Center, at the City Center Campus of Joliet Junior College, offers career programs and promotes mentoring, volunteering and learning opportunities. Call 815-280-1500, or visit www.jjc.edu/info/wd.

Also, the Career Cafe is a weekly networking group sponsored by the Workforce Services Division of Will County.

Career Cafe is at 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday in Room 519 of the Joliet Junior College Renaissance Center, 214 N. Ottawa St. To reserve a seat, call Mary Gajcak at 815-727-4444, ext. 143, or e-mail mgajcak@willcountyillinois.com.

Tuesday’s event was organized by Mary Gajcak, business liaison with the Workforce Investment Board, and Kelly Lapetino, workforce skills manager at the college. The event was open to all residents, not just participants in the above programs.

For more information, visit www.aarp.org and www.willcountyworkforceboard.com.