Jean came to A La Source after losing a job in a meatpacking plant. This job was a great distance from home and required him to be away from his family during the week. Jean’s wife became ill and he had transportation problems which hindered him from making the long commute. He found himself jobless and responsible for child care and hospital expenses.
As a very motivated young man, he was seeking employment. Due to a lack of confidence in his English and him having only basic English skills, he really needed help. When I first met him, he had three job application forms and did not really know how to fill them out. The immediate need was filling out applications, but he really needed a boost in his confidence for the job interview process.
My approach was to coach him in the American culture’s way of finding a job. We filled out the applications together. I also tuned him in on what American employers want to see in applications and interviews. He was amazed at how much we put into the application and why we used certain phrases and descriptions of his qualifications, skills and values. We also had two different sessions of role play where I was the interviewer and he the interviewee.
One of the applications was for a job with the Mile High Youth Corps program. I counseled him to put most of his efforts toward this one application as the program provided GED training, work & training on a construction site, and finally, the promise of a real job at the end of 9 months. There were several interviews and a long orientation process before he could be accepted in the program. With his great attitude, hard work and our assistance, Alex made it. We give praise to our God who through it all gave us strength and courage.
