On a weekly basis I provide job search and resume writing assistance to homeless shelter residents ("clients") who are unemployed and seeking work. Through my involvement I have found that life and employment issues are closely intertwined and essentially inseparable for these clients who face special circumstances, have unique needs, and encounter diverse challenges in conducting their job search. Therefore, considerable energy and effort is devoted to helping clients cope with life challenges and resolve personal issues.
Some of the primary objectives in assisting clients are to help them identify marketable skills, recognize and utilize different job search methods, and focus their time and effort towards shaping a better future. .
Breaking through barriers to assist clients can sometimes be an enormous challenge and usually involves dealing with one or more of the following situations, where clients:
In confronting these situations I stress with clients that to realize any sort of long term success and improvement they must make a conscious decision to take personal responsibility for changing their lives. This means assuming ownership of how they direct their lives, followed by a commitment to taking appropriate action. .
To adequately prepare clients for conducting a job search, I believe it is important to first work towards instilling a positive sense of self and feelings of personal value. Clients are encouraged to start with themselves in terms of making internal changes (by examining and defining some of their basic values and principles) even before they begin their job search. By recognizing their most important values the majority of clients are better equipped to find satisfactory employment: this process helps them understand they are able to make a contribution in their job, can provide meaning to themselves and others through their work, and do possess the motivation and ability to find work with a purpose. In assisting clients, career practitioners may want to provide these basic suggestions to homeless clients to serve as a foundation for moving toward a better future.
If clients are able to successfully begin to make internal changes they can then be encouraged to stretch themselves and make efforts to find work which provides some degree of meaning and purpose for them. Like most people, the unemployed homeless want to contribute to the accomplishment of worthwhile objectives that transcend day-to-day job tasks. Finding meaning in work may be their most challenging need and is one of the most essential components in contributing to personal satisfaction and success. In the course of their job search, clients who are supported in their efforts to establish a strong personal foundation and make changes from the inside out, can better shape their futures and successfully transform their lives.
Tim Lutenski, M.A. in Organizational Leadership and M.A. in Counseling Psychology, is an Instructional Specialist at St. Clair County Community College (Port Huron, MI) and the Director of For Your Career. He teaches courses, workshops, and seminars, coordinates training in career and educational planning, and provides coaching and consultation services. Tim works with individuals, groups, and organizations dealing with career issues, and volunteers in providing career guidance to those with special needs, including ex-offenders, survivors of domestic violence, and the homeless. He can be reached through his web site at www.foryourcareer.com or via email at info@foryourcareer.com.