Judy never anticipated she would start over at this point in her life. Having worked in curriculum development, student financial aid and hotel marketing, she stepped away from her professional path to raise her two children. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always work out as planned and after getting divorced and being out of her field for years, she needed a full-time job to pay the bills. It was then that she sought the help of Jewish Community Services and The Associated network to find full-time employment.

“It’s not easy to re-enter the job market. Life is getting expensive and getting more expensive, and I wasn’t able to make ends meet.”

Jewish Community Service’s Ignite Career Center

Through JCS’s Ignite Career Center, Judy connected with career coach Karen Hammer to help her throughout her job search, from beginning to end.

“Having a coach, having somebody on your side to help process the many steps of the job search was amazing.”

Today’s job market is incredibly challenging for many levels of employment across many industries. Thankfully, JCS could give Judy the skills and strategies needed to overcome barriers that many people commonly face.

With Karen’s help, Judy bolstered her resume, tailoring it to specific job opportunities, updated her LinkedIn profile and received guidance on identifying job opportunities that were meaningful for her. As part of her job search, Judy also attended networking events through Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning’s leadership development program.

Navigating The Job Market

Every week, Judy met with Karen. Together, the two would discuss the previous week, go over next steps for various job opportunities and talk through any opportunities that didn’t pan out. JCS also helps look for opportunities that may not be easily discovered on normal job searches. That’s when an exciting new opportunity presented itself..

“JCS understood me and helped me find something that was challenging,” Judy says.

Thanks to JCS, Judy discovered a grant-funded position as a student financial wellness coordinator with Morgan State University.

“Karen did not stop for me. She gave me everything. And with her encouragement I reached out to the state delegate who introduced the bill.”

The Power of The Associated Network

Judy credits The Associated network for where she is today.

“We are so lucky that The Associated is here, that JCS is here and that there is a whole support network we are a part of.”

Judy looks back on her time with Karen and JCS and is incredibly thankful for the support she received.

“Karen was amazing and stuck with me every step of the way. I am really grateful for her, for her role in my life and supporting me through this. And the work she puts in for all of her clients is really amazing. The work that she, JCS and The Associated do to support the Jewish community overall – it’s amazing.”

If you or a loved one needs assistance, browse the many services provided by Jewish Community Services or contact their hotline to get connected to someone who can help you today.