For the Disabled: Helpful Inmates
Corrections or additions?
These articles were published in U.S. 1 Newspaper on July 7,
1999. All rights reserved.
Job Seeking for 2000
When the Professional Job Roster shut down last month,
it was the end of an employment epoch in Princeton. Founded in 1968
by faculty wives at Princeton University, the Roster was fueled by
dedicated volunteers, and as everyone knows, dedicated volunteers
are a scarce commodity now.
Also, in the ’90s, the process of hunting for a job got much more
attention than before. Every issue of every magazine, it seemed, had
an article on “How to survive down-sizing.” Everybody and
his sister were writing paperback books on job hunting treatise.
Compare this proliferation of career tips to days of yore. The benchmark
“What Color Is Your Parachute” book (the one that preached
“do what you love, the money will follow”) was published in
1971. Then, there weren’t that many other good jobhunter books available.
Now, MarketFair’s Barnes & Noble bookstore has no less than 12 full
shelves on the subject — plus six more shelves on such related
subjects as creating a resume and picking a career.
The Internet also contributed to the demise of the Roster, which formerly
attracted dues-paying members with its treasure trove of information
about jobs in hard copy form. Now most of the jobs can be trolled
for on the ‘Net. For free.
But those stories in magazines and those listings in cyberspace lack
one vital ingredient. They cannot make a particular suggestion or
extend a personal hand of support to an individual jobseeker. That’s
where support and networking groups can help. These groups, also,
are run by volunteers, but compared to the Professional Roster they
are less labor intensive, partly because they involve group meetings,
not individual consultation.
Jobseekers was founded in 1982 and meets weekly at Trinity Episcopal
Church on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. That’s every Tuesday, even during
holiday weeks. https://www.trinityprinceton.org. You can count on at least one volunteer moderator (most
often founder Niels Nielsen) showing up (E-mail: pmcnielsen@aol.com). The meetings alternate
between networking activities and workshops, led by volunteers. At
the next meeting, on Tuesday, July 13, U.S. 1’s Barbara Fox
will give the workshop.
On what topic? Fox says she’s going to delve into the U.S. 1 Newspaper
Survival Guide index to find a selection of tips and package it as
“The Best of U.S. 1.” For instance, she’s partial to the tips
in Peterson’s “The Ultimate Job Search Survival Guide” by
Paul L. Dyer (Peterson’s, 1998. $14.95). Then there are some
good books by area authors, including “CareerXroads,” a compendium
of job-hunters’ websites by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler,
also at https://www.careerxroads.com. Mark Dorio, an industrial
psychologist who has a consulting firm in Titusville, has written
three guides, including “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting
the Job You Want,” published by Macmillan’s Alpha Books. Nick
A. Corcodilos is a headhunter-turned author with a hard-hitting
volume “Ask the Headhunter: reinventing the interview to win the
job” (Plume Books).
Now for some specifics, drawn from Fox’s list of Worst Case Scenarios:
Don’t be pompous about your past. Rip those cherishedbut dusty awards from your resume, no matter how much they meant toyou at the time. If you are 40 years old, your employer does not needto know you were an Eagle Scout or that you were Employee of the Month10 years ago. Instead, look to the future. “To a manager,”says Corcodilos, “it doesn’t matter what you know or what youcan do if you aren’t enthusiastic about doing it and motivated todo it well.”Don’t whine about a changed technical world. If you didn’tneed computer skills before, you do now. Practice your typing everyday. Yes, you can learn keyboarding skills. Then ace those computercourses. “Invest time in redesigning yourself,” says Dorio,”so that, rather than applying for a job, you market yourselfamong the pool of employers who need — who desperately need –remarkable individuals with great transferable skills.”Do careful research. “You should arrive at an interviewknowing the company upside-down and inside-out,” says StevenGraber , editor of the New Jersey JobBank directory. In CareerXRoadsa recuiter points out that everyone can do the “easy” researchon the Internet but that to get a competitive advantage you shoulddo some sleuthing to get facts about the company that only an insiderwould know — and then drop them into the conversation, cover letteror interview. (One way to sleuth is to do the company name word searchin the U.S. 1 archives at https://www.princetoninfo.com).Don’t be too rigid when negotiating your salary. Maybeyour expectations are too high for the field you have chosen. Maybeyou were overpaid in your last job. Maybe your future employer likesto allow leeway for fat raises. Find out. Salary information is outthere, if you look hard enough. As Dyer says, “The job offeringthe highest salary may not represent your best deal.”As for the “What Color is Your Parachute” book, it is stillpopular and has a new edition every year. MarketFair’s Barnes & Nobleorders this book by the half dozen, and the warehouse has 356 copiesready to ship. Yes, it’s still very popular. After all, everybodystill wants to be told that — if they do what they love, the moneywill follow.Top Of PageJob NetworkingJobseekers, 33 Mercer Street, c/o Trinity Church, Princeton08540. Niels Nielsen, coordinator. 609-924-2277; fax, 609-924-9140.Home page: https://www.trinityprinceton.org.This self-help group is designed to assist persons of any faith orwho are involved in a job search or contemplating a career change.Volunteer coordinators provide a supportive atmosphere where participantscan explore the possibilities open to them. Meetings are every Tuesdayat 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church’s Pierce Hall on StocktonStreet. There is no charge.Professional Service Alumni Association, 453 B ClosterRoad, Box 941, East Brunswick 08816-9998. Jerry Walker, president.609-655-3804; fax, 609-860-2891.An incorporated non-profit self-help association of professionals,membership $50, meetings usually on first Wednesdays at East Brunswicklibrary.Professional Service Group Workforce NJ — Divisionof Employment and Training, New Jersey Department of Labor, 28 YardAvenue, Room 209, Trenton 08625-0954. 609-292-3417; fax, 609-292-6618.Jessie Breccia, facilitator. Patricia Reed, manager.A network of unemployed professionals organized under the auspicesof the State Department of Labor who pool their talents in their jobsearch. The state provides PSG members with free use of computerscomplete with Internet hook-ups, facsimiles, telephones, and postage.New members are required to attend one week of seminars starting withan orientation usually held on Mondays, followed by workshops on skillslike networking, cover letter/resume writing, telephone use, and interviewing.After that, members are expected to provide at least three hours oftheir time each week to the good of the cause by conducting the seminars,contacting employers about job leads, or providing office support.The PSG self-help concept was established in 1989 in New Brunswickby a group of unemployed professionals who gathered to talk aboutthe effects of unemployment. The concept flourished and now thereare 12 PSG locations operating throughout the state, including NewBrunswick, 732-418-3304; Westampton, 609-518-0275; Bloomfield, 973-403-1815;Cherry Hill, 609-489-3680; Dover, 973-361-1034; Hackensack, 201-329-9600;Morristown, 973-631-6327; Phillipsburg, 908-859-0400; Pleasantville,609-677-1469; and Vineland, 609-696-6293.MCCC’s Career Counseling and Job Placement, Student Center,SC 229, 609-586-4800, extension 3304, E-mail: careers@mccc.edu.Professional career counselors Jack Guarneri and Gail LaFrance offera counseling and testing program for $190.Project Re-Employment, sponsored by the Jewish Family& Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County, offers week-long workshopsfor developing job search skills. Ten people in managerial, technical,or professional fields can attend each of the workshops taught byspecialists from the Department of Labor at the JFCS conference wing,707 Alexander Road, Suite 102. The program is free but preregistrationis required. The next session is July 12 to 16. Call 609-987-8100.The Job Club, c/o Princeton Unitarian Church, Cherry HillRoad, Princeton 08540. Susan and Jack Guarneri, co-facilitators. 609-771-1669;fax, 609-637-0449.September to June, seminars on first Mondays at 7:30 p.m., also supportgroup on second Mondays, free, open to the public. The next date willbe Monday, September 13, at 7:30 p.m.Central Jersey Job Developers Association, Box 533, NewBrunswick 08903. Dorna Silverman, chair. 732-745-5300 extension 4201.fax, 732-745-5325.Client service and professional organization, monthly meetings andbulletin, annual job fair. Third Thursdays starting in September.Top Of PageFor the Disabled: Helpful InmatesAs Bart Jackson’s cover story in this week’s issue suggests(see page 14), the authorities are on the prowl for smarter ways ofmeting out punishment. Another program is aimed at making the transitionfrom prison to the outside world a more productive experience.The Progressive Center for Independent Living (PCIL) in conjunctionwith the New Jersey Department of Corrections has developed the Renovationsfor Access and Mobility Program (RAMP), which involves ready-to-be-releasedinmates in a home renovation project, to enable homeowners with disabilitiesto make their homes fully accessible.PCIL will assist homeowners with disabilities with the entire homeimprovement process, from loan and permit application to final inspection.The homeowner must pay for materials and labor will be provided atno cost by ready to be released inmates, closely supervised by Departmentof Corrections staff, as part of their vocational skills training.The inmates will build ramps and renovate consumer’s homes to makethem wheelchair accessible.PCIL, an independent living center serving people with disabilitiesin Mercer and Hunterdon Counties, is modeling this program after asimilar one proven to be successful in Bergen County for the lastfive years. Until now work crews of ready-to-be-released inmatesin Mercer County have been doing maintenance and repairs on publicbuildings, trash pick up, and grounds work. Besides providing a worthwhilepublic service, this program will equip these inmates with skillsthey can use in jobs after their release.Homeowners must obtain appropriate permits, have current homeowners’insurance, and obtain financing to pay for materials. PCIL will assistin the entire process. Some banks statewide have set aside loan moneyat low interest rates for qualified applicants. The Department ofCorrections will provide a building plan for the consumer to use inobtaining the building permit. PCIL will also arrange for deliveryof the materials based on the Department of Correction’s plans.PCIL is a community-based, non-residential, non-profit organizationthat represents people with a variety of disabilities. Members, staff,and volunteers have the training and personal experience to know howto live independently and are able to offer guidance to individualson becoming productive members of the community, or on enhancing theiralready independent lifestyle. PCIL offers programs on money management,transportation issues, cooking, scuba diving, and camping.In addition to building ramps, RAMPS has ideas for a variety of accessibilityimprovements, such as widening doors, adding hand railings, and installingelevators. Interested homeowners can call the PCIL at 609-530-0006.Next StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
