Thanks again to Dave O'Farrell and the good folks at JobSeekers of Peachtree City, for allowing us to share their weekly newsletter:
Jobseekers of Peachtree City - Helping People Find Good Jobs, Close to Home, in Minimum Time
Get out and about. Come to JobSeekers this week. Bring a friend.
If you're not looking, forward this message to someone who needs it.
In This Issue
1. Inspiration: A Check Up From the Neck Up
2. Success Story: Walls Come Tumbling Down
3. This Week's Meeting: Articulating Past Achievements
4. Networking: ABC from 10:15 to 11:30
5. Job Leads: Leads and Links in South Metro Atlanta
6. Contact: Chaplain and Ship's Crew
7. Donate: You Could Help Save a Career, a Home or Even a Marriage
JobSeekers of PTC Website | JobSeekers of PTC on LinkedIn
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1.
Inspiration: A Check Up From the Neck Up One time I spoke to an HR manager who was having a hard time filling a position; the position had been open for more than two months. I immediately recommended of a JobSeeker; he was imminently qualified for the job. She said they had already interviewed him and decided not to hire him. Why?
His attitude. Friends, sometimes the number one thing standing between you and a job is your attitude! Maybe you need to do, as Zig Ziglar says, "a check up from the neck up."
This is good news because it doesn't take years to earn or learn a new attitude the way a college degree, a certain skill set, or specific industry experience would. Your attitude is a decision you make right now. I learned this bit of wisdom several years ago: "Before your feet hit the floor in the morning you make a decision about what kind of day you're going to have." I challenge you to "decide" to have a good day today, tomorrow and every day from now on.
In addition to job search, attitude plays a key role in how we deal with poor health, death, divorce, persecution and financial woes. Here are five examples:
1. An old lady. I read a story once about an old lady who lived in an assisted living facility. As her health deteriorated, it became necessary to move her into a nursing home. She was almost blind. When the day came, her son walked her into the nursing home and down the hall toward her new room. As they approached the door to her room she exclaimed, "Oh I love it! The furniture is so nice and the curtains are beautiful!" Her son said, "Mom, we're still in the hallway." She replied, "I know son, but I've already decided that I'm going to like it here."
2. Bill Cosby. In January 1997, Cosby's only son, Ennis, was robbed and murdered on a Los Angeles highway after he stopped to fix a flat tire. On Dr. Richard Rahe's well-known life change index, the death of your child is worst life change a person can experience. It must be even worse if your child is the victim of a random murder. I wondered how Cosby would ever be able to make people laugh again. I was amazed when he was back at work and as funny as ever just a few months later.
3. Viktor Frankl. Our chaplain, Howard Tisdale, quotes Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) often. Frankl survived the Holocaust, even though he was in four Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz, from 1942-45. His mother, father, brother and wife died in the camps -- from the harsh conditions or the gas ovens. His entire family, except for his sister, died. In Man's Search for Meaning, he wrote about choosing one's attitude: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way ... Even though conditions such as lack of sleep, insufficient food and various mental stresses may suggest that the inmates were bound to react in certain ways, in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone. Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him -- mentally and spiritually." (p. 104-105)
4. The apostle Paul. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked." (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) With this in mind, he wrote to the church in Philippi: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Philippians 4:10-12)
5. You. These examples are great, but do you know who the best example is to those around you? It's you! No only has God has given you the opportunity to grow and to draw closer to him; he's calling you to be a powerful witness in his name. Don't let God down. There are people watching you to see how you bear up under the difficult circumstances you are in right now. Decide right now that you will bear this burden with dignity, that you will overcome any obstacle, and that you will be joyful no matter what the circumstances. You will bless others by doing so, and as a result, will bless yourself.
Rick Warren says, "Life is a series of problems: either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness."
I rejoice greatly that I know you. Along with the other members of the Ship's Crew, we want you to find a job, but even more so, we want you to know the joy of the Lord.
See you (on Friday mornings)at JobSeekers -- where we'll do a check up from the neck up!
Copyright © 2010 / Dave O'Farrell / All Rights Reserved
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2. Success Story: Walls Come Tumbling Down
We love to hear from you when you land a new position. Please write and let us know how you found your job, what you learned from the experience, and how JobSeekers helped you.
Last week former JobSeeker Darryl led our devotional. He told the story of how Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordon River, how they circled the city once a day for six days, and then on the on the seventh day, they circled the city seven times. The walls of the city fell and they took command of the city. All of this happened to fulfill the promises of God according to his specific instructions to Joshua. See Joshua 1-6 for the story.
At the end Darryl asked, "What's your Jericho?"
Friends, if we have a God who can make the walls of a city fall, then we have a God who can make the walls of our Jericho fall too. This is awesome news for all of us!Darryl, by the way, lives in Lawrenceville. Last year he made the round trip to JobSeekers of Peachtree City 22 times, a total distance of 2860 miles (a nice tax deduction). He kept the faith and did the hard work he needed to do. The walls of his Jericho came tumbling down.
This week's success story comes from David; he came to JobSeekers from (a 72-mile round trip). Things were looking pretty dim for David. He was interviewing with good companies but was not getting job offers. On Friday 21 May he wrote to me and said, "I feel like I'm running into a wall."
Friends, we believe in a God who promises to "never leave us nor forsake us." This phrase appears in three books of the Old Testament and in one of the New Testament (Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57 and Hebrews 13:5). God will never leave you nor forsake you.God didn't forsake David. The walls of his Jericho came tumbling down on Thursday 27 May. Your next job could be seven days away too. Congratulations to both Darryl and David!
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Dave, I got an offer from a (company omitted for privacy) today. They want me to start next Tuesday, the first of June. I was definitely down last week but God opened a door wide for me this week. I had the first interview Monday and the second interview Wednesday.
Thank you for all your help and guidance. I have told a lot of people about the ministry and the benefits of attending. I will attend the meeting tomorrow, as well, to share my story.
Thank you for conducting the encouraging sessions every Friday. I usually felt discouraged before the meeting but left with hope and faith that the right opportunity was getting closer and closer after the meeting. It was. Once again, thanks for all your help.
(name omitted for privacy)
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3. This Week's Meeting: Articulating Past Achievements
This week's session will help you to turn it a notch in your next interview; it will also help you strengthen your resume. You'll learn why RATS are so important to a job seeker -- in fact, you'll learn to love RATS and will want them running around you all the time.
Bring your resume so you can immediately apply what you learn.
Who: All are welcome; the topics are targeted for professionals, managers and executives.
What: JobSeekers is a nondenominational career ministry.
When: Friday mornings from 7:30 to 10:00 am.
Where: First Baptist Church in Peachtree City; 208 Willow Bend Road.
Why: We work with you to find a job, and we walk with you on your journey of faith.
Attire: Business casual. Agenda: 7:30 coffee / 7:45 welcome and devotional / 8:10 introductions and announcements / 8:45 job search training module / 10:00 adjourn to the Atlanta Bread Company
We look forward to seeing you on Friday!
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4. Networking
Atlanta Bread Company
After the JobSeekers meeting, we go to the ABC from 10:15 to 11:30 for an informal gathering. There's no agenda; we just have fellowship and help each other out.
Newnan First UMC Job Networking Ministry
Come join us at our next meeting on Tuesday 13 July 6:00 PM.
Meetings are always held the second Tuesday of each month in the Parish Hall of Newnan First United Methodist Church. The church is located at 33 Greenville Street in Newnan. You may reach them by telephone at 770-253-7400 or click here and select "Job Network" under "Resources" on the left side of the home page. We look forward to seeing you there.
College Park Job Seekers
Have a family member, friend or neighbor concerned that they may lose their job, and they cannot take time off to attend a job seekers group? Attend the College Park Job Seekers Group which meets the first Saturday in every month from 9:00 am – 11:30 am. The next meeting is Saturday 10 July. This is a community service of Living Hope Christian Fellowship, 5885 Mallory Road, College Park, Georgia 770-306-9922.