Job searching is a complicated effort. It is nearly a full-time job even in this market! Our guests are experts and their non-profit agencies know how to support job applicants through to job attainment.

By the end of this episode, you'll understand the value of nonprofits in supporting your job search and how to find those resources.

Our guests are Jami Phillips, an Employment Consultant for New Directions Career Center, and Malka Bendor, a Career Consultant and Workshop Facilitator for Jewish Family Services, both located in Columbus, OH.

Job searching is a difficult process, and often job seekers do not have the resources or information needed for a successful job search.

Nonprofit organizations exist to help the community; many are successfully supporting job seekers in Central Ohio, saving time and money.

We talk about the changes in the job searching process over the past few years.

What has kept clients from gaining employment? How have their needs changed?

Plus, which populations are most at stake?

And finally, Jamie and Malka look into the future and talk about what we should expect in the next 3-5 years in the job search process.

We would love to hear from you.

Give us your feedback, or suggest a topic, by leaving us a voice message.

Email us at hello@lookingforwardourway.com.

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And of course, everything can be found on our website, Looking Forward Our Way.

Recorded in Studio C at 511 Studios. A production of Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.

Copyright 2024 Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson

Malka Bendor is a Career Consultant and Workshop Facilitator at Jewish Family Services in Columbus Ohio. Malka brings over 10 years of experience in assisting Job Seekers to reach economic self-sufficiency by providing Job Search Strategy skills and tools. In her capacity as a Career Consultant Malka has worked with multiple generations and ensured their journey would be filled with emotional and professional support. She is very proud of the JFS Job Search Community which meets Virtually for continuous growth opportunities and meaningful networking.

Jamie: We need to keep our clients, um, ahead of the game as we're learning about what the trends are and what's out there. Um, passing that along, I think technology being probably the biggest piece of that, that, um, I can't really think of too many jobs that you don't have to have some bit of technical aptitude to be successful doing it.

Brett: We are looking forward our way from Studio C in the five One One Studios. That's in the Brewery District just south of downtown Columbus, Ohio. This is Brett carol and I have a really great program in store for you for this episode, featuring two of the best nonprofits in central Ohio with missions to support job seekers.

Carol: Brett, we have so much information to share with our listeners today. Job searching is such a complicated effort and it is nearly a full time job even in this market. Let's welcome our two guests for today. Jamie Phillips is an employment consultant for New Directions Career Center and Malka Bendor is a career consultant and workshop facilitator for Jewish Family Services. Both are located in Columbus. Thank you both for coming to see us today.

Malka: Thanks for having us. Hello.

Jamie: Great to be here. Thank you.

Carol: Thanks, Jamie. And Jamie's coming back. She's podcasted with us in the past, so we're glad to have her back.

Brett: Yes. And before we get into programs and services, um, let's ask each of you about your own stories and your background experiences and what brought you into the employment arena. Uh, Jamie, why don't you start?

Jamie: Sure. So I actually started many, um, moons ago. I won't give you the date, but, uh, right out of college, started, um, recruiting for a national search firm called Management Recruiters. I was there for about 15 years. Um, I took a break, um, when I had a young child at home and a husband crisscrossing the country, um, but quickly realized I needed to stay in the field in some capacity. And I knew about New Directions, so I actually volunteered with them for almost nine years. Um, my role opened up about seven years ago. Unfortunately, it was just a really good time and a really good fit to, um, become a permanent employee with them. So, um, that's kind of my history with there. I still get to help match people to great, um, employment opportunities, but, um, this just takes it to a whole new level. Being able to join our clients on their journey, which it truly is, um, and helping watch them from the minute they walk through the door, um, to securing that opportunity. So super rewarding melta.

Malka: Um, so I've been with Jewish Family Services for about eleven years in different capacities, and I've actually worked with different generations. I started my journey in a grand based remote position, working with college juniors and seniors, uh, at OSU, preparing them for job search and focusing on helping them land jobs in Columbus so they would stick around. That was the goal. And then my next project at our office was, um, helping post college young professionals who had spent time abroad, and they needed to come back and find jobs in the US. So we help them from abroad, find jobs here. Uh, currently I work with Dislocated professionals as a career consultant and workshop facilitator. But prior to my life at JFS and by the way, I got this job because I reached out to Jewish Family Services. Ah. Eleven years ago, I worked as a print broker, an account executive for a company called The Printing Network. We were a female owned business, and I got to manage different size print production projects. It was an amazing job where I learned, really the business landscape of Columbus and fell in love with paper, ink, and an industry which brings brands to life. So, my business background has really helped me in bringing different perspectives to job seekers.

Malka: I will, and I want to thank you again for having me here. But also, truly, this is such an amazing community of nonprofits, and the partnerships are incredible. So I feel that we're very lucky and fortunate. Um, the Jewish Family Services, it's an agency dedicated to workforce development and assisting clients in reaching economic selfsufficiency. And we provide career coaching and connections to employer partners, networking, community support groups. And we really have various levels of job seekers. We've got people from entry level to C suite. Um, also what we also provide is support for refugees, new Americans, seniors, and we take care of the Holocaust survivors that still live in Columbus, Ohio. There's about 200 Holocaust survivors. And of course, the goal is for them to live their lives in dignity. And there's a whole team at Jewish Family services dedicated to giving them that life. Um, I can say about our staff that it's diverse and multilingual. I think last time I checked, it's about 13 different languages that are spoken there. Very experienced. And, um, there are really great benefits to working with a nonprofit which includes resources and partners at our fingertips. Right. And a, uh, wrap around approach. And of course, the low or, uh, no cost advantage.

Carol: Right. And two, for our listeners, jewish Family Services is open for anyone in terms of the job search.

Malka: Anybody? Exactly. Sometimes people get a little thrown off with our name, Jewish Family Services, but we serve everybody in the community, and.

Carol: That is true in a lot of the nonprofits. Jamie, tell us a little bit about yours.

Jamie: Yeah, so, uh, New Directions is starting our 43rd year here in Columbus. Um, we are local just to Central Ohio. Um, our mission is to uplift and empower women to achieve and maintain self sufficiency. And our vision is to be the spark that encourages and motivates every woman to live to her full potential. Um, we specialize in helping primarily women, but we do serve all adults, um, 18 and over, um, figure out, based on their strengths, their skills, um, their family situations, what is the longterm career path for them. Um, we do have licensed career counselors on staff to help them figure out three main questions who am I, what do I want to do? And how am I going to get there? So, we serve, again, adults 18 and over. Um, we have a wide, um, range of individuals. Um, we've served people from 18 to 80, um, and everything in between, education wise. No GED to PhD. So we don't really have a typical client, if you will. Um, what would be typical is just people who come to us seeking, um, a change or something better, and that they're stuck where they are. Um, so we do take a holistic approach for career development. Um, we help them through self assessment, exploring their options, goal setting, and then finally the self marketing piece of it. Um, our programs are, um, all on our website, um, to look those up, but they are small group based, um, typically eight to twelve people. Um, we also offer oneoff workshops, um, and then wrap around, um, employment services and career counseling. And then we also do offer additional support services, um, if they are in need, but anything we can do to help our clients, um, meet their end goal.

Carol: Right. And listeners, what Jamie said about m taking care of all adults 18 and over, um, when I had male clients and I thought that there was a program that was appropriate, I call over there and say, will somebody please talk to him? Uh, because there were opportunities, um, that they needed at that point in time. And always remember that you often don't know what you don't know. And the advantage that you're going to hear about today is the fact that these professionals can help you see all those bits and pieces you need to see in terms of your career search.

Brett: Well, ah, although the Pandemic brought challenges, it also brought a lot of new and actually great opportunities. What, huh, has changed for your, uh, respective organizations and how's it made your agency stronger, specifically, like, program services and technology. Jamie, um, can you kick us off?

Jamie: Sure. Um, so, like everyone, um, we kind of got the rug pulled out from under us and took a minute to say, what the heck are we going to do? Um, but we knew that we couldn't leave our clients in alert because they needed us more than anything at that particular time. Um, so we quickly pivoted to a virtual platform, as most people did. We redesigned our programs to fit this new reality. And so, um, even to this day, flexibility and adaptability are the name of the game. Right. Um, what happened yesterday, or what worked yesterday, probably wasn't going to work tomorrow. So, um, we've learned that about our clients and about ourselves. But, um, we really are about the exploration piece. So the Pandemic, um, threw everyone into a tail spin. I don't think anyone was not affected in some capacity. Women, um, in most cases, needed to do something different. Um, they were not only faced with, um, employment or lack thereof, but child care, because obviously all the kiddos were home. And how are they going to juggle that? So the demands shifted in how we delivered our programs. Um, we wanted to make it as easy as we could. So, um, the benefit was that people didn't have to worry about childcare and getting to our location because, um, they could do it from home. So we, um, designed all of our programming that was virtual, that could be done on everything from a phone to a laptop. Because, again, technology, um, is typically a barrier that prevents a lot of our clients from getting to the end goal. Um, but if we knew everybody had a phone and if they could at least participate on that, that was one step in the right direction.

Carol: One of the things we used to tell clients before covet is if you don't have an Internet access, you don't have a computer, you can go to the library. The libraries were closed.

Malka: That's right.

Jamie: Yeah, that's right. So, fortunately, um, we had a whole room of laptops that we used to use, um, for our computer lab. And we were able to loan those out. We were able to loan out, um, hotspots, which we purchased, um, just to make it as doable as we could. Um, but we started with, um, just one off virtual workshops. Um, everything from self care and assessments to resume writing and interviewing. Um, we needed to do something to keep our message out there and to help these people. Um, and then we refitted our traditional, um, ten day program and our E Three program, um, into a virtual world. And so fast forward to, um, two.

Malka: And a half years.

Jamie: Um, we did our first hybrid programming, um, in May and June, um, where we offered three of those classes were in person. Um, we were in the process of moving, and so we used one of the library branches for our in person class. It worked great. Um, the ladies were excited to see each other in the flesh. We still had a few who couldn't physically get there, and we were able to zoom them in, and they didn't miss a beat. So, um, our mission was accomplished. The big fear was that we prided ourselves on people feeling together and as a team, and that there were other people who were going through the same thing. And how would we accomplish that virtually? And we have been able to. And I would say that's one of our biggest victories, um, that we hear from our participants that I felt a sense of community even though they were on a computer screen. And so, um, we've been grateful for that. Um, moving forward, we're always going to keep the hybrid, um, as an option, because we know that there are still going to be those who aren't going to be able to physically get to us great regularly.

Malka: Uh, I'm excited listening to you. I wanted to highlight also that, um, what we were able to do quite seamlessly was to move into Zoom and that we were able to continue what we had in house. The Jewish Family Services was a community that we had built there of job seekers coming together, and we moved it to Zoom. And, uh, it's very interesting because we said, oh, my goodness, how are we going to build that atmosphere? How are we going to build the connection, the love, the relationships? And so what we did was really we invited people to join Zoom sessions. We call it a family, we call it a job search community. And, um, people were jumping on, as they do still today, twice a week. And while we were teaching all the new trends in job search, and really giving them all the job search strategy and bringing in speakers for our meetups, what we were seeing, what was evolving there were these unbelievable friendships and people who were connecting and people that were building these fabulous relationships. And off Zoom, they were doing their own Zooms or phone calls. I mean, we literally have still a group of women who formed a book club. And, uh, these women are amazing women. They were just texting me before I came. Um, and they said that they held each other up. They were able to hold each other up. So we're really proud of the job search community and that we were able to tackle a lot of topics on it, which they were so worried about and scared that we were able to talk about it. But I think mainly it was just being together. It was a safe place. It's a safe place. Plus, I must share with you that we do dance on Zoom, and that's a little bit unique to us. I see that. Yeah. Because I really believe that people have to let it out a little bit, and you're sitting like this and so tensely in front of that screen. So, um, uh, we always have a damn song, whether I choose it or the job seekers choose it. And we boogie before we get started, and the smiles are amazing. I want to suggest it to you. Uh, um you tell Celeste I want.

Jamie: To see your will.

Malka: It is so much fun. Um, and really, truly inspirational, I must say. Um, also, just on top of that, real quick, is that what we were able to gain from this job search community was that people in our room, the professionals in our room, they had come from lots of different positions, and they were able to become speakers, presenters, and sneeze. They were subject matter experts. So many times, instead of bringing an outside speaker to Zoom, we would ask our job seekers to be the speakers and presenters. And it was incredible, because they were bringing all this experience. So I just wanted to tell you that to me, it still warms my heart. Uh, it still exists, of course, but that really turned out to be an incredible, um, opportunity to bring people together.

Carol: One of the things that I noticed whenever I was doing Zoom, in meetings, often when you did a workshop, somebody sat in the back and said nothing. But I think that even though we weren't in the same room, because you could see your picture up on the screen with everybody else's picture, it sort of brought everybody out, and they were able and felt comfortable participating, which they may not have, which is not what I would have expected.

Malka: Yeah. Getting off of video. I'm getting on and showing yourself. It took time, but it happened.

Carol: Right.

Jamie: And I think it kind of leveled the playing field, because everybody had dogs and kids, and someone ringing the doorbell, and I don't care what level of career you were at, everybody was kind of in the same forgetting to turn the mute on, or their camera on.

Carol: Getting the picture off.

Jamie: I feel like it was a leveler for a lot of people. Like, everybody faced the same challenges with Zoom. Nobody was an expert when we started this.

Malka: They got a, uh, lot of new buddies and a lot of friends on LinkedIn again, which was also so important. They would have never met each other. But also, everybody was linking, and it didn't matter what background you had or what was your previous position.

Carol: So that technology actually was a boost to networking as opposed to a dampening.

Brett: Very good.

Carol: Well, needless to say, our job seekers have endured incredible challenges, as we just said. How are the challenges to reenter or enter the workforce really being met with those virtual interviews and home offices? Are resumes and other application materials different now? Or are applicants able or not able to upskill when they need to add to their resume base? Um, do you see particular groups of job seekers having more difficulty in their search? Or why? Malcolm, maybe you can get us started.

Malka: Thank you. Um, when you had shared this question, I was giving it a lot of thought, and reentering the workforce today involves getting very comfy with advanced technology. I mean, I think that we all know that, but I think we have a little bit more trust in people now because they've practiced for the last few years, but definitely they have to get comfy with it. And there were a lot of things that they had to really try to manage. Uh, online applications, networking, interviewing, virtually a lot of different things. But I wanted to focus on specifically on a few of the things that you had mentioned, Carol. So, first of all, the world of virtual interviewing. So, virtual interviewing requires, uh, practice, and it's not as scary as it used to be. Um, I think during the last few years, people have gotten much better at it. We're still teaching it, but I'll contact body language, proper lighting, and practicing in advance on zoom with a coach or friend makes a difference. And also, um, for job seekers, depending on the last time that they were in an interview, people felt a little rusty anyways, so practice really helps. Um, I think a lot of people were thrown off by the nontraditional questions that are being asked. I know that we had several M sessions on interviewing, and even one of the ones that we did about a month ago was just how do you handle cultural interviews? That's even new. Um, I think that that's what people are adjusting to. Um, the advice that we give to people is to sort of check your length of time for the interview and that'll help you plan shorter or more detailed answer. And keep in mind that we always tell them the interviewers are humans, and so they're a little bit nervous as well. Um, and I guess most important that we share with people is that, look, employers are hiring because they have a problem. Can you solve the problem? That's basically it. You got enough, you can solve the problem. Um, home offices. You had mentioned home offices. I think that we all learned how to build and deal with having home offices. But, um, I think today people, we try to help them really understand what it means to work remotely, to pick a space in your house, to prepare it correctly, uh, and to make sure you've got good lighting and Internet access. And we actually offer a session at Jewish Family Services on best practices for successful, uh, remote working experience. And I think that helps people when they think out where to work in the house resumes. Um, you also had mentioned, okay, so I think if we all had to vote and you could see us, we would say that resumes cause a lot of anxiety, even before covet, uh, resumes do. Um, but truly, what people got most anxious about was preparing a resume for the applicant tracking system. And I think the applicant tracking system got a bad rap because applicant tracking systems are here for a reason. They help in recruiting and hiring. But a lot of people felt like, oh my gosh, the applicant tracking system is going to automatically weed me out, and I'm going to get kicked out, and I'm going to blame the applicant tracking system. Um, the good news is that through interviewing and meeting on zoom with HR professionals, a lot of them still read resumes. I mean, it doesn't weed it out necessarily. Um, it may, but it depends on the applicant tracking system that the company is using, which you can research online. But for a lot of the HR professionals we talked to, they still read the resumes. And so that's the good news. We're trying to decrease some of that. They're so worried, everybody that anxiety around it. And, um, also one thing that we really want people to know is that professionals prefer to know sooner than later if you have the skills for the job. So when you're working on your resume, nurture the top third of it. Nurture the top third, and don't be afraid of the ATS, please.

Carol: It's real estate. Location, location, location. And the top third is so important. Do you think that with the applicant tracking systems, is it different when you're looking at large organizations? I mean, really large organizations, as opposed to small, medium sized companies? I think HR does a lot more at that level than when they got literally thousands and thousands of applications coming in.

Malka: Yeah, absolutely. Small and medium sized companies may not invest in an applicant tracking system. The large organizations have made it a must, and they have to. But it's so much more than the resume because they want to be able to go through the whole candidate experience. They want to use it for different purposes. I remember speaking with an HR professional and said, malk, we turned off that part of it. We don't weed out any resumes, really. We use it for other reasons. And so I think what we were trying to do is help people understand what's behind it, and we actually walk them through what an applicant tracking system does. We also, um, really encourage people to use job scan. And there's so many platforms out there to help you check your resume and make sure that it's set up correctly. And people can follow guidelines. There's specific applicant tracking system guidelines. They're not hard. They're going to break down for you what you need, your font, your font size, where you know different things on your resume, and it'll tell you what to do and what not to do. Okay. Follow it. Um, right. That's what we try to relieve that stress.

Jamie: And I think in the market that we're currently in, um, for a good number of positions out there, employers can't rely on those systems necessarily, because not everyone is going to take the time to customize their resume, and that person may have exactly what they're looking for. And those employers can't afford to let someone slip through the cracks, if you will. So I'm hearing from the employers that I work with that they have to put eyes to those resumes because, um, especially for really specialized roles, they can't afford to let someone slip through. Um, I talked to an employer today who put a position out there, um, and I feel like she said, um, she got, like, six responses, and she was like, I have to go through those six with a fine tooth comb to make sure that I'm not missing someone. So I think people are a little hesitant to apply for some organizations because of the fear that it's just going into a black hole. So we encourage them. What's the worst thing that can happen? If you don't apply, you're never going to hear. At least if you do apply, you've got some chance of hearing from that employer. And it's kind of their market right now. So the chances of you hearing something are better than exact.

Malka: Not absolutely right.

Brett: Um, well, employers are having a difficult time finding qualified candidates. We touched upon that just a little bit here. But it's also retaining current staff. Has your respective agency shifted its connections to employers? Possibly found new opportunities, methods, or programs to connect employers to clients? Jamie ah. How are employers working with New Directions?

Jamie: So, um, our base has expanded greatly within the last several, uh, months or so. I, um, think employers are seeking out nonprofits because they see that we do workforce development and gosh, we might be working with someone who's really qualified. Um, our client base has shifted in the last ten years. These are professional individuals that are seeking our services, and so there's that. But I think employers, um, know that they need help right now. I mean, the traditional ways that they've gone about recruiting, they're at a standstill. I have recruiter friends that aren't even spending the money to post jobs on, um, Monster and Career Builder anymore, because people have got a bad taste in their mouth over some of those dropboards from past experiences. Um, so LinkedIn is something that they rely on, um, resources like ourselves. Um, I think that they feel that we can present them qualified candidates, um, at no cost, because, um, if they're working with a recruiter, there's going to be a sizable cost for that service. Um, and I feel that they know that that person has gone through a process to get to the point where we feel that they're qualified enough to present them to that employer. Um, not that the employer is my client, like it used to be when I was recruiting, but I still feel the same way. I want to make a great impression on them and to have them want to return to New Directions to contact me when they have those needs. So I want the person that I'm going to show them to be the best possible candidate that I can present to them. So I feel like they maybe are feeling like they're getting a little more, um, customized approach, if you will. Um, we're not just firing anybody out there because there aren't a lot to fire out there. I, um, think that, um, employers are viewing social media differently as well. They have to, um, they have to be smarter than their competition. And, um, we've tried to encourage employers to offer a little more flexibility, maybe, than what they have. Is there the possibility that this person might be able to work remotely or hybrid? Um, here's what's holding them back from being able to really accept this great job with you, because they don't have the child care that they need, or the bus route is not the easiest. They have to take three buses to get to you. Um, so I think employers are a little more open to listening. Um, and if they really like someone, how can we make this work versus we're going to move on to someone else? Because there may not be someone else to move on to.

Carol: Absolutely. When you mentioned, uh, an employer had six candidates, a friend of mine had six positions open and had a total of two candidates. So they're not going to just step away, but it also has to work. What is their problem and how can you meet that problem? Very good.

Malka: I think what's also been interesting also is that, uh, the goal is to stay connected with the HR professionals. And a lot of them have been moving around different companies. It's very interesting. We're getting a lot of messages like, I moved from this job to this job to this job. And so also we see some movement in there and just reminds us of how important it is that we have to stay in touch via, uh, LinkedIn or email with these professionals that were close to us at a previous company and see if we can help them at their new company. So I think that that's really something that I've seen recently. I'm like, oh, you're here. Oh, you're not there anymore. It's kind of ideal, right?

Carol: The HR reps tend to move a bit anyway. Yes, but, uh, things have changed a lot. Um, and I'm. Guessing too. They are a bit burned out because it's been so tough over the last couple of years. Are there other kinds of things that you've seen employers doing to attract clients that you think are really good ideas? More benefits and flexibility of schedule, that sort of thing. But is there anything else going on out there that would be a good message to our employers?

Jamie: Sign on bonuses, um, for roles that I don't think you would have ever gotten a sign on bonus for in the past.

Malka: Um.

Jamie: Offering up more time off or vacation time. That doesn't necessarily cost them much, right? So, yeah, I think they've had to get a little creative.

Carol: I was talking to an employer the other day, and he brought up a good issue. And this is really particularly for some of our younger job applicants, um, they have that sort of uber driver attitude on working. So they may really like your organization, and they really do want to work there, but after a couple of weeks, that's enough. So either they don't want to work there at all, or they want their own schedules. So they may want to work on Mondays, maybe not. So it's that notion of, I have a schedule I need you to meet. Can that happen? And that's a difficulty that he's been having.

Carol: And that's something.

Malka: So, again, maybe we need to be training people in those conversations as to how to have them right.

Carol: And to have that conversation with a potential employer in such a way that it's not, um, me against you. It's really a working relationship. Let's see if we can make this happen for both of us.

Malka: That's right.

Jamie: And the other thing, I think, that we're seeing a little bit I don't know about you, Malcolm, but a lot of times I get from clients, oh, they're going to think I'm too old, or my experience is too much, or this or that, and we can work with that. But I think employers have a new respect for mature workers because they come with a different set of values right. That they find valuable, again, I guess, if you will. And so not to discount the younger generations coming out, they certainly have a lot to offer. But I think after all that we've been through, there's a lot of benefit to someone that they can count on, that if they offer them the job, they're going to stay for a while. Um, and it's just a different, um, value set and thought process, I think. But I think it's helping people who had previously been worried about that as being a stumbling block for them. Right.

Carol: Part of my, uh, graduate training was actually out of the business school in workforce development and organizational behavior. And then when I went to work at the agency and started working with adults 50 and over, I really loved seeing articles about how things could change and have changed. So the sort of the testament of changing, um, structural changes in an organization actually happened in Europe. And this happened decades ago. It was an auto assembly line. I want to say it was in Germany. I won't remember that off the top of my head.

Malka: Um.

Carol: Where they literally raised the work platform up so many feet and found out that not only was it better for all of the workers physically. They had fewer back injuries. But they put the older workers on one line and the younger workers on another. And the older workers were working faster and. Um.

Malka: Uh.

Carol: They were more accurate. So that sort of got employers looking at little changes, could make a huge difference. The other story that I loved was in New York City, the last factory that actually made men's ties in the country and the workforce. The average age was like late 40s, early fifty s. And the owner was scared to death he was going to be losing all of these workers and he couldn't find people to do it. And again, this story is probably ten years old. He gave every worker a key to the factory and said, as long as you work 40 hours in this seven day period of time, I don't care when you come in. Now, in that situation, there was probably some M coordination, but basically each person had their work stand and could go in whenever. And they made more ties than they could possibly ever need, because it gave the person who needed to baby be home during the day. For taking care of a child or a grandchild or an older parent or whomever had that flexibility. And so it does take a little communication apps to make that happen.

Malka: Absolutely. That in training your HR professionals how to communicate and how to be sensitive to all different, uh, generations that are applying for jobs tend to have an open mind and to see the value. Because guess what? If you hire the right person and, uh, you need a problem solved, they'll solve it.

Carol: Right? We've touched on this a little bit. I just want to make sure we kind of hit all the great ideas so that we make sure our job seekers, here the value they're getting. You did a lot of changes when Covet started on the programs. Now you've started to bring that in person services back in. While you're refocusing on those client services, are you finding something that's more successful while you're communicating with clients? Um, are things better virtual or live? And I think part of my question is coming from it's really hard to keep people communicating with you while they're in the program. You talk to them when they need you, you'll talk to them, but it's hard to keep that continued conversation going.

Malka: We give people a lot of choices as far as how they want to communicate, as far as, um, whether it's on phone or on Zoom or on teams. But we're constantly keeping the communication going. Um, and as far as, uh, having them back at Jewish Family Services, we are working hard on it. We just refit our meeting space with technology to conduct hybrid sessions. So we are trying to, uh, think creatively and trying to get them back in. But I think that the most important thing that we're still doing is managing our relationship with them through different communication styles and really adapting to what they need. So if somebody wants to be on the phone with me, cool. If somebody wants to be on the phone with me or do a Zoom session, great. So, um, that's the way we're sort of, um, approaching it. People are on such an emotional roller coaster, and so we want to be able to say to them, you can call when you need to call. You can text. We try to get back with you as soon as possible. Um, and we're putting in every effort to make sure that people either can come to Jewish Family Services or continue the relationship that we have with them through other ways. It's just, uh, a bit crazy out there right now when you think of it.

Carol: After health care issues, employment was the top issue at the beginning of COVID, and things have just spring in here and there in someplace else. Uh, in terms of issues, either companies closed down or employers can't find enough applicants, or things are so expensive, people can't afford to drive to work.

Malka: Those things are happening, and then I can say happily, though, like, recently, we've had several people 55, 60, and 70 years old get jobs. So that just makes me happy because I think one of the great things that came out of Covet was the fact that you really had to increase your networking skills. You had to be brave and go out there and talk to people. And you have to apply, and you have to think out of the box. If you weren't going to go back to a big company, you can go to a smaller company. Like, it's been amazing to see where they've landed. So that gave me a lot of hope. Yesterday, I got a good email.

Jamie: Yeah, you got the job.

Malka: And he's 70.

Carol: There you go.

Jamie: Yeah, I would echo that. Um, we do survey our clients on a regular basis. What do you need, what's working, what's not. And really about half of them want, um, some type of hybrid option. And, um, so we have to meet them where they are, and otherwise we're not going to have any clients. They're going to go somewhere else. And so not that we're going to do Backhand Springs. But again, um, I'll call you. I'll meet you on Zoom. I will meet you in the office. You tell me what's going to work best for you, and we'll make that happen. Um, within reason. Uh, I mean, since Covet happened, we tried this app that was supposed to be our office number that would come on our phone. And I failed miserably at that. And so, um, most of my clients have my phone number, but I offer it up with, um, please just be respectful. If you need me after hours, please text me or shoot me an email. You know that I'm going to respond to that, because you see what hours I do respond to you. Um, but I'll ask that you not call me before eight or after six. Um, we try that, but I can also choose not to answer that phone too. So I need to get better at that. But I think, um, we again, just moved into a new space. So for a couple of months, really, our office was not they couldn't come. It was a disaster. I was trying to pack and move. Um, so now we have a great new space, so we're excited for people to start to come back and, um, be in person again. But I think, again, just that flexibility.

Carol: Is which I think is a really important message. Kind of the goal of this podcast is to talk about what, um, a nonprofit career job search program can provide to both employers as well as to clients.

Jamie: Well, I think that we, um, need to keep our clients, um, ahead of the game as we're learning about what the trends are and what's out there. Passing m that along. I think technology being probably the biggest piece of that. Um, I can't really think of too many jobs that you don't have to have some bit of technical aptitude to be successful doing it. And so we talk about online training. There are lots and lots of free resources out there for brushing up your computer skills. Microsoft, um, Office, Excel, PowerPoint, um, you don't have to be an expert and you don't have to tell them you're an expert. But if you can sell yourself in that interview and come across as confident that you can do it, um, do some of those trainings, you can get some certifications, that's all stuff you can put on your resume. That, again, may help you with those applicant tracking systems if they are looking for that. Um, and it's going to show that you are forward thinking, that you're not just sitting there doing the same thing that you've always been doing, that you are trying to better yourself, you're trying to improve your skill set and you're making yourself more marketable. So I think, um, helping them with technology, I think networking has gone to a whole new level. Um, talking about the benefits of LinkedIn and Facebook. Um, Facebook is not just to share your weekend pictures anymore. I know a lot of people, especially the younger, um, generations who that's how they network both professionally and personally. And you got to hit these areas as best you can, especially if you know that your employer is of a certain generation. Show them that you know how to navigate these platforms. So I think that's big. Um, one of the things that we do, I think virtual interviewing is not going away. I think it's here to stay.

Carol: Um, we do at least at the first cut.

Jamie: Yeah, we do mock interviews as part of our Guess program. And um, we obviously had to do that virtually. Well, guess what? It works a heck of a lot better because that employer doesn't have to get in a car to volunteer to come to my office. That participant doesn't have to come to the office. We don't have to try to find space for ten people to do mock interviews. Um, and so that's worked beautifully. And it also gives them practice in the classroom doing a virtual interview, which they're inevitably going to have. So that's been beneficial. Um, so I think just helping them stay a step ahead of the game, figuring out what are my transferable skills, well, this is all that I've done and this job is totally different. Well, let's look at what you have done, because you've done a lot. So that doesn't mean you can't do that. We just have to help you figure out how to match, um, your skill set with what those jobs are and figure out their lingo and use some of that. Really, that's what it comes down to. Um, I always say I have a 21 year old, and even in the time that I wasn't collecting a paycheck, I learned negotiation skills like nobody's business. I learned how to juggle responsibilities. Right. I learned how to think on my feet. Um, and so I tell those other people who were in that similar situation, you can run a business like, you do it. You do it daily. You just have to figure out what are those key skills that that employer is looking for that you have and bring that out there. So, um, I think just staying ahead of the game, being flexible, um, being willing to learn, I think that we all need to think of ourselves as being ongoing students of life, because, um, when you stop being interested or learning, I think you're doing yourself a disservice there.

Malka: I agree with everything you said and the journey that people are going on. I think it's going to stay similar as far as prepping, uh, for job search. But I think that also what's really important is that we have to understand that as businesses are evolving all the time, and we also have to understand their process a little bit and sort of think a little bit about where we're applying, why we're applying there, what kind of business are they really give? It also that sense of, like, let me understand a little bit more about business. And I think that will help them stay more realistic, um, as they're pursuing new opportunities. Um, I was thinking it was funny when you said about, um, the crystal ball that you had mentioned, I was like, well, if I have a crystal ball in front of me in two or three years, will the resume be there? Or is it just going to be your online application and LinkedIn all coming together?

Brett: LinkedIn would love that with 800 and.

Malka: Some million people on it.

Carol: If they start doing that, we want a piece of the pie.

Malka: Exactly. Uh, so those are the kinds of things I'm seeing, because look how far we have. Look what we're doing now, where we are now versus a few years ago. Um, and also, I think that in the world of upskilling and reskilling, it's going to be the norm. You have to upskill and reskill. You really just don't have a choice. And that if it's not on your resume or if you're not thinking or talking about it, more than likely, when they look at your resume or they start interviewing you, you might move to that other pile because it's so critical today. They want you to be able to come in and swim.

Malka: Thank you. Um, so what I would share just a few words of wisdom, and I asked a few other of my colleagues, believe it or not, to throw in, uh, a little bit of their thoughts about it, too. Um, well, I would share in a little bit of advice, would be like, don't spend time reliving your past successes. Spend time identifying those successes that can help an employer's needs today. So I thought that was some pretty good advice to give, uh, to stay intellectually curious, feed your mind, uh, stay physically active, and try to surround yourself with people who are supportive. Um, use resources that are available to you. We're all on an emotional roller coaster. Ah, that's a little bit havoc in there. Uh, but there are a lot of resources out there and take advantage of it. And I would say personally, also, just I think people have to be patient. I think that we, um, want answers quickly. We don't want to be ghosted. We want them to reply right away, why aren't they calling us? Why aren't they telling us? Okay, I got rejected, but why? And I think that we all have to try to be a little bit more patient. There's reasons behind that, but patience pays off. Uh, don't ever cut off any connections after you've gone through an interview process, because you know what? You're not in a Rolodex anymore. You're in an applicant tracking system and they keep track of you. They might call you back. Those are my thoughts.

Carol: Wonderful. Thank you, Jamie.

Jamie: So I would say, um, to everyone, you are worthy. You have amazing strengths and skills to bring and values talents to bring to the table. Um, if you need help finding m what works, we are here to help you tell your story. I think a lot of our clients have amazing stories that they are, um, self conscious about, and so we try to help them feel comfortable to tell that story. They're the only ones who can truly do that. Um, we are in a whole new world. Um, as I said earlier, I don't think anybody's any further ahead of the game than anyone else. Um, I heard a saying we're not all on the same boat. No, we're not. I might have a raft, you might have a bigger boat, but we are all in the same storm. And, um, so I think we need to be supportive of one another. We are here to support, um, there are more resources than ever before in Central Ohio. And gosh, I knew we had a lot of great partners in our community before Covet, but I'm overwhelmed with the amount of support that has come from this. And so I truly believe that so much good has come of this last couple of years, um, despite a lot of challenges that everybody has faced. Um, so hang in there, stay strong, be tight, and know that you do not have to face this alone. You have a lot of great support.

Carol: And for our listeners, I was just working on a recent, um, research project and I actually identified 50 agencies in our Central Ohio region, which is eleven counties that provide career services. So there is help out there. And as a listener, if you're not in Central Ohio, we will make sure you have some tips on how to look for assistance in your own community. But I'm hoping that, um, this is what your whistle and Kind, uh, of gotten you interested in utilizing. If your job searching, utilize the resources that are available.

Brett: All right, well, many thanks to Jamie Phillips from New Directions Career Center and M Malcolm Bendor from Jewish Family Services for joining us today. Lesters, thank you for joining us. And do not forget to check out our show notes for contact information and resources. As Carol just mentioned, it's going to be on our website and the podcast episode. The website is looking forward our way.com. We're looking forward to hearing your feedback on this I'm and any other podcast episodes.