by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer

February 12, 2009

In a sign of the times, an unemployment workshop held this week at a local synagogue attracted a standing-room-only crowd.

The group included attorneys, not-for-profit executives, freelance writers, and high-end salespeople. There were individuals who had worked for major pharmaceutical companies and for clothing retailers. The bulk of the attendees were probably in their 50s, but there were plenty who could safely be called senior citizens, and more than a few whose milestone birthdays are still to come.

Over 125 people packed the room at Congregation Agudath Israel of West Essex in Caldwell for the Feb. 10 Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest networking seminar. Lisa Chenofsky Singer, an executive and career coach recently hired by JVS, gave pointers on refining the two-minute “elevator speech.” (Do mention the field you are in or seeking to enter, say what separates you from others in the field, give an overall statement of your accomplishments, and, finally, offer some details.) Arne Salkin, JVS vice president and an account executive at TransWorld Systems Inc., provided a guide to effective use of the Internet networking tool known as Linked In. (Don’t use your personal e-mail address; do link to as many people as possible.)

And then they networked. For three minutes one person gave a 30-second pitch to the person sitting directly across the table; when the bell rang, they switched. At the sound of the bell three minutes later, they moved on to new partners. It was speed-dating for the unemployed set. Cards were exchanged, notes taken, hands shaken. And when the seminar ended, plenty of people kept right on talking.

Given the state of the economy, said JVS executive director Len Schneider, he was not surprised by the number of people in attendance. Caseloads at JVS are up by 50 percent in the last five months, with 214 clients seeking direct help from the agency.

Still, he acknowledged that it was the largest turnout by far they’ve ever had since they started running similar programs 10 years ago. “The largest attendance we’ve had at one of our programs prior to this is 75 individuals. It’s quite telling,” he said.

Schneider has also noticed some striking trends among those seeking help from JVS. “Because of the industries affected by the current economic crisis, many more people who represent higher-level job positions are coming to JVS,” he said. They are also older.

“We’ve had a tripling of the percentage of people over the age of 55 who come through our doors. Largely, it is people who are approaching retirement or who are in retirement, negatively impacted by the loss of their pensions, 401(k)s, and fearful for their financial security.”

People are coming out of retirement and going back to work “because they can’t make ends met,” said Schneider. “We’re serving people up to and including the age of 86 who are literally active in the workforce and seeking job opportunities.

“This is a very trying and challenging time,” he said. “Fortunately, we have the resources to step up.”

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