RSVP Volunteers Reach Out to the Jobless

With the serious downturn in the economy, many people with long histories of employment are finding themselves out of work. In response to that need, April Willey, RSVP Volunteer Coordinator, sent out a letter in December, 2008 to volunteers requesting assistants to set up workshops designed to equip displaced workers and people seeking employment with the necessary tools needed to successfully interview, prepare resumes and conduct job searches. A planning/development meeting was held on January 8th and the first of a series of 3 workshops “Bridge to a New Position” was held on February 11, 2009 at Trinity Transport in Seaford.

Eighteen participants attended the first workshop with six RSVP Volunteers offering assistance covering how to “Overcome the trauma of job loss” and “Maximizing resources for your job search”. Part two of the series was held the following week with the volunteers offering assistance to the participants in Resume writing and the Interview process. The third workshop in the series had volunteers doing “Mock Interviews” and providing one-on-one consultation with participants to review resumes and “fine tune” interview dynamics.

With the sponsorship of DelMarVA SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management), the Delaware Economic Development Office, and RSVP, the series has been repeated in March in Seaford and in April at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center in Georgetown. Additional workshops are scheduled for May in Seaford.

Participants are given a workbook/binder of information and guidance, a certificate of completion, and a real boost to their self esteem as evidenced by the written evaluations. Already one of the participants has secured a full time job and another participant has secured a contract position. If you want more information on these workshops or you wish to join the volunteers that are assisting with this program, call the RSVP office 302-856-5815.