Busy being unemployed:
Job seekers boost their chances by staying active
BY CHRIS BARNCARD cbarncard@kenoshanews.com
Months after her career ended at Chrysler, Marge Gentner was still unemployed, but plenty busy.
“I wanted to do some things in the community while I was off work,” said Genter, of Kenosha, who was on the lookout for a new line of work (in a less-than-desirable job climate) after ending her 31 years at Chrysler with retirement at the age of 53. “I wanted to feel like I was still contributing.”
Apparently, that’s a common feeling.
“We’ve actually had quite a few people who are out of work volunteer with our programs,” said Lauren Zielsdorf, director of Meals on Wheels & More at Kenosha Area Family Aging Services Inc. “It’s certainly been a story we’ve heard: ‘I’m looking for work, I want to stay active. How can I stay a vital part of the community?’”
Gentner took several routes for the Meals on Wheels program, delivering food several days a week. She also keeps the books for her church and mentors a student at Bain School of Language and Art.
“I almost do the job hunting in between the volunteer work,” she said. “The Meals on Wheels is only like an hour. It doesn’t seem like much time at all.”
That’s not to say Gentner doesn’t enjoy the down time a little after 31 years at Chrysler.
“I like not having to get up at 4:30 in the morning,” she said. “It’s been nice to sleep in a little bit. Sometimes my kids need rides to school, and I’m always available for that now.”
But staying busy — even if it doesn’t bring in a paycheck — can bear some important fruit for job-seekers.
“It’s a good way to show employers that you’re not content just sitting around, that you feel like you need to be doing something,” said Diana Ide-Gonzalez, director of training and education for the Kenosha Area Business Alliance.
“I’m in the process of hiring for a couple positions, and that’s what I like to see. Just the fact that they’re motivated enough to do something like this,” Zielsdorf said.
In fact, Gentner recently had to wedge a Meals on Wheels delivery route into a day that included a job interview with Zielsdorf for one of the Meals on Wheels and More jobs, and another interview with the HOPE Council — which hired Gentner to an office manager position shortly thereafter.
While Genter spent no more than a few hours a day in an active job hunt, experts say some of the time suddenly foisted on the newly unemployed is best spent both staying on their feet and making strategic acquaintances.
“Besides just doing your job search, which obviously is No. 1, networking is super important,” said Ide-Gonzalez. “Staying a part of those professional organizations and trade groups you had contact with while you were working is a good way to keep your name in the mix.”
Chuck Christoffersen, secretary for the Young Professionals of Racine, a networking and leadership organization, said the group knows unemployed people are heeding that advice.
“I would say we’ve had an influx of people who are coming to our events because they are looking for jobs,” Cristoffersen said. “You can start networking and looking for your next opportunity. Some people are very active (in the organization) because they find it to be a great resume enhancement for leadership.”
Ide-Gonzalez expects the same for Y-Link, a Kenosha group similar to Young Professionals of Racine. With the support of KABA, United Way of Kenosha County and the Kenosha Chamber of Commerce, Y-Link hopes to recruit professionals looking to take on a leadership role in the community.
“We know there are a lot of young professionals who have moved here from out of state or don’t feel like the know anyone,” said Ide Gonzalez. “It’s an opportunity to meet people — which never hurts — and find a way to both showcase your talents and put them to good use in the Kenosha area.”
Y-Link will host its second event — with plenty of benefit to job-seekers — on Wednesday at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside: “The Four Rs of Marketability,” a seminar aimed at helping people promote themselves and their careers led by Debbie Rudan, vice president and director of professional services for Lee Hecht Harrison, a head-hunting firm with a worldwide recruiting presence.
“For somebody who is unemployed, this is a real opportunity,” Ide-Gonzalez said. “If you take advantage of those opportunities that make you stand out and put you in front of people who may be hiring — instead of spending all day searching a Web site for jobs or sitting on the couch — you’re re-
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY KEVIN POIRIER Marge Gentner, right, delivers a meal to Deanna Hackbarth as part of her Meals on Wheels route. On the hunt for a new career after retiring from Chrysler, Gentner also does accounting work for her church and mentors an elementary school student.
