As unemployment numbers inch toward 150,000 people in Connecticut, job seekers are learning the secret to finding work is to sell their individual skills in a way they may have not even considered before.
That is the message of Tom Wendorff, a retired head hunter and the host of an ongoing series of employment workshops at St. Thomas the Apostle Church on Oxford Road.
Wendorff worked as a executive head hunter in the retail and financial industry in New York City for 16 years, and has placed more than 160 people in high paying positions throughout his career.
The weekly program goes beyond resume writing and interviewing skills and encourages job seekers to identify their strengths through self assessment and group interaction.
The program is based on “The New Canaan Transition Support”, a non-profit support system sponsored by The First Presbyterian Church and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church of New Canaan.
According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, the state has lost 70,200 of its jobs, or 4.1 percent of its workforce since the start of the recession in March 2008. The current national unemployment rate is 9.7% while in Connecticut the unemployment rate reached 8.1% in June.
Wendorff said that there have been approximately 35 attendees since beginning the program in March and many have been able to find employment.
“The idea is not for me to find you work,” he said. “It is for people to discover the talents they’ve been given.”
According to Wendorff, the sizes of the groups vary from week to week, but represent a wide range of job seekers, including former corporate executives, manufacturing professionals, teachers, and stay-at-home moms worried about their spouse’s employment future.
The free weekly workshops open and close with prayer, and have discussions and activities to promote self awareness and individual abilities.
“It is about discovering talents you’ve been given through detailed self assessments,” Wendorff said.
During the group discussion, Robin, who has been unemployed for over a year, said that she had worked as a temporary worker for over a decade and that her job was sent “offshore.” She told the group that she changed plans, enrolled in a dental assistant course and is taking her exam next week.
“This is not a job, it is a new career for me,” she said.
Others who were laid off from manufacturing and corporate positions said they spend their time looking for work on the Internet, rewriting their resumes, networking and attend job counseling at the Connecticut Department of Labor.
Everyone in attendance agreed, “The economy is poor.”
Wendorff said the economic future is uncertain, which is the reason most people have to be open to do something different than in the past.
“People have to find out what their real strengths and talents are and articulate them,” he said. “This program can help them accomplish that.”
Wendorff said the program is non denominational and all newcomers are welcome.
“It does not matter if someone has not been here before, it is all about learning the skills to find a job,” he said.
For more information about the job workshops call St. Thomas the Apostle Church, (203) 888‑2382.
