Job Clubs – Who knew I was a member?

I mentioned a couple of blogs ago that we had two guests at a recent Seacoast Peers for Careers meeting; one was Michelle Hart from NHWorks and the other, Laura Hedges, an intern reporter for the Portsmouth Herald. This was the first meeting at which we had a speaker.

Laura’s follow up article appeared in the Portsmouth Herald on Sunday, August 23, 2009, taking the theme about how “job clubs” are gaining in popularity because of the large numbers of unemployed. You can read the full article at http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090823-BIZ-908230321. While I feel that “empowerment group” better describes us, I do understand the media’s need for an encompassing term for all the different types of groups, seminars, classes, and the like that are designed to help folks find work.

Laura let the voices of the group be heard which really reinforced the healing and empowering capability of the group process when it is done in a surrounding of safety, respect, and joy.

We had agreed that developing a LinkedIn presence as well as advertising those meetings at which we had speakers was something to explore. If the numbers increased, we would adjust. The gift that we have had in the instant camaraderie and trust that developed has empowered us to take that risk in order to help others in similar situations to our own.

… and risk taking is the only way to find opportunities for ourselves as well.

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Labor Day Blues – Well, maybe not so much

While January 1 may be the start of a new year and July 1 may be the start of many fiscal years, ever since I started kindergarten at 4 1/2 years of age Labor Day weekend has been the official end of summer. Old habits of beginning class the day after Labor Day die hard.

In 1982 when I went back to full-time high school teaching, I was offered my job in the middle of August with a promise that I would sign my contract after the opening day meetings the day after Labor Day. Eleven years later when that position was subject to a reduction in force (a RIF), August found me in the doldrums as no position had yet been found.

I found myself reminding God that while I didn’t “really” need a job till the day after Labor Day, He could hurry up any time He wanted to. So, what do you think happened? Although I made frequent visits to the lab in Kittery and started teaching classes the last week or so of August, because the school board met only every other week my appointment wasn’t accepted till the day after Labor Day. And God smiled and gave me a wink that all was right with my world.

A year ago this weekend found me very depressed indeed as I was not going back to school. After so many years of my life functioning around Labor Day, I felt completely abandoned. My life was not the same, and I was lost.

Fast forward to August 2009, and there was still no full-time job in my future. My cries were, “God, are you going to have me go through a second Labor Day with no place to be?”

As you know, last Tuesday I began my 8-hour a week position at UNH. While it’s not full-time, God did answer my on-going prayer. The day after Labor Day (literally) will find me in the classroom.

Happy New Year!

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Back in the Saddle

I started my little 8 hour/week for 16 weeks adjunct faculty position at UNH today teaching four sections of Computers in the Workplace.

Omigosh, did it feel good to be in front of a class after over a year hiatus. I have lots of work to do to coordinate three curriculum areas and the assignments that are in the required text and make sense of it all, but I am very excited to be at the Thompson School for Applied Science doing what I love – teaching!

My heart is full of gratitude tonight.

Is this possibly the new beginning I have been waiting for? I sure hope so.

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