Episcopal Press and News
FORT WORTH: Job-seekers find a working solution through God-centered career workshops
Episcopal News Service. June 2, 2011 [060211-01]
John Cuccaro, Parish Communicator at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Worth
Misery loves good company.
That's how one might describe walking into a Career Solutions Workshop for the first time. An uneasy group of unemployed/underemployed souls wait nervously in DeWolfe Hall at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Some are sitting alone and keeping to themselves while others mill about in an awkward dance of handshakes and business-card exchanges. Every week they appear, newcomers and veterans alike, kindred spirits in experiencing the sting and humiliation of joblessness and dead-end careers. Every week they leave with hope -- and a plan for success in the often-heartless working world.
Career Solutions Workshops are the brainchild of David Rawles, a former Fortune 100 vice-president and author of Finding a Job God's Way. The workshops are conducted in 12-week cycles, covering everything job seekers require to land their dream job. And the classes are free.
In less than 10 years, the Career Solutions mission has expanded to include workshops across the Fort Worth/Dallas area and all over the United States.
All Saints Church is serving as one of the newest hosts of this ministry, providing a welcoming space for worried job hunters. That welcome is embodied by the Rev. Johnson Shannon, All Saints' parochial associate for pastoral care.
Shannon, a former sales/marketing management executive, sees Career Solutions as delivering a blend of "evaluation, consultation, participation, and dedication" that revitalizes and nourishes even the most dejected job seeker.
"And the fact that we include, as an important part of the curriculum, the healing love of our beneficent God, I believe makes this program uniquely inspiring and fulfilling for job seekers," he said.
Shannon has heard many stories of mistreatment of the unemployed by unscrupulous (and extremely expensive) job-training and job-search companies to which people pay money they can't afford only to receive a glorified brochure and less-than-sincere effort to secure meaningful employment. Many of those attending their initial Career Solutions Workshops session are skeptical because they say they feel used, abused and carelessly discarded. But as Shannon welcomes them to All Saints' ministry of career salvation, stoic and shell-shocked faces begin to soften, drawn in by Shannon's faith in God and in them.
"We immediately connect with the participants one-on-one, engaging them and inviting them to play an active, shared role in finding their dream job," Shannon said.
He describes Career Solutions' philosophy of holistic empowerment. "We counsel our students not just in job-hunting skills, but also in life skills and coping skills -- we explore financial, health, spiritual, and social resources, and work closely with them on finding ways to cope and survive during what is frequently the most traumatizing time of their lives."
Career Solutions founder Rawles said the scope of the ministry has expanded over time.
"Initially, our purpose was simply to help people find jobs, and to aid others in finding God in the workplace -- but eventually we began looking at the interwoven nature of job-landing, spiritual growth, and mental and financial stability; the balance that we should all strive for," he said.
Elizabeth Marshall, a Career Solutions alumna, said that the most important thing she learned from her job-searching experience through All Saints wasn't the skill-building, or having the right resume, "it was experiencing the beauty of people helping other people. You can call it networking -- you can call it whatever you want -- but I saw, every week, people reaching out to support others. It was really inspiring."
As with most Career Solutions Workshop attendees, Marshall realized what she calls the "true blessing" of the All Saints' program when she landed her dream job at the YWCA Fort Worth and Tarrant County, serving the homeless and disadvantaged women and children of Fort Worth as a communications specialist.
Marshall said, "I would recommend All Saints' and Career Solutions to anyone in a career transition."
In preparing for a successful job hunt, one of the sharpest tools Marshall and all Career Solutions students learn to craft and hone is their resume. The key to a great resume, Shannon notes, is "aligning content with employers' needs" -- in other words, a first-class resume is not about what a wonderful human being a person is, but rather it must speak to what he or she can do for a potential employer.
Through the use of "value propositions" and "power verbs" applicants tell a finely tuned story of their job worth, which also helps them learn and grow in their understanding and appreciation of themselves -- their talents, their gifts, and their value as children of God, Shannon says.
Jonelle Christian began attending Career Solutions almost two years ago. Armed with a Master of Business Administration degree and a solid work ethic, she was well on her way to achieving her career goals. Then the setbacks started. After a series of professional and personal crises, she found herself jobless -- and clueless.
"The job-seeking world had changed so much since I last looked for work," she said.
She found Career Solutions the way many do, by stumbling upon its doors "kind of by accident." She said she was drawn to the expertise and professionalism of the Career Solutions volunteer staff.
"I was really impressed with the caliber of the expert team they had assembled; and the support of my fellow job-seekers, people who were in the same career and financial shape as me. In fact, if it weren't for some of the new friends I've made through my participation in the group, I think I would have just given up."
Today, Christian works happily as the director of accounting at a fast-growing, mid-level general contracting firm.
"I feel like my life has purpose again," she said, "and I know Career Solutions played a major role in getting me there -- the workshop gives you all the tools you need; the rest is up to your own desire to work and succeed."