Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Overview of JobAssist
JobAssist was established in Kemp Mill in 2003 to help our neighbors find jobs. JobAssist remains primarily of, by, and for Kemp Mill. We are all volunteers.
Even though the economy is in excellent shape, we are still approached, on average, by one new client a week –more than 50 over the course of a year.
There are some typical reasons why job-seekers approach us. Some just earned a degree (from high school, college, or graduate school) and are looking for their first job. Others have been working in one field and wish to switch to a different field. While others just moved, or are planning to move to the area. Unfortunately, some are looking for a new job through no fault of their own.
Our clients range in age from their teens to over 70.
How we help our neighbors
We help our clients primarily in the following ways:
-- providing contacts for networking
-- working to improve their resumes and LinkedIn profiles
-- strengthening their interview skills
We do not approach potential employers on behalf of a job-seeker.
Our resources are limited--in terms of both time and expertise. To use a medical analogy, if someone has a medical problem, their local urgent care may have the resources to solve their problem. But, in some cases, the urgent care does not have the right resources, and they would need to go to a specialist at a hospital. In the world of job search, we are like the urgent care. Some people’s job-search problems are beyond our capacity to solve.
How you can help your neighbors
You can help us help our neighbors in two ways. First, if you know of vacancies in your organization, please let us know about them, so that we can publicize them. By alerting us to vacancies, you have no obligation to interview or hire our clients. Second, you can be available if we ask you to make time (usually 20 minutes) for an informational interview. Such interviews can help job seekers learn more about your field or your employer.
Kol HaBirah articles
We have regularly contributed articles to Kol HaBirah since its founding in early 2017. These articles covered resumes, LinkedIn, interviewing, federal jobs, and other topics. You can find them on the paper’s web site (www.KolHaBirah.com) by searching “KempMillJobAssist.”
For further information
Please email David Marwick (DMarwick@JobAssist.org) or Max Rudmann (Max.Rudmann1@gmail.com).
Thank you for your assistance!