Career Search Strategy: Volunteer and get exposure

I plan on graduating in August.  As of April 2010 US Companies were planning on hiring only 7% of recent graduates.  That's a mighty small number!  I am not necessarily looking to go to work for a company, but more so an agency.  It's a scary time, that's for sure. 

So for the last couple of months, in the midst of research papers and trials with the Internship, I have been trying to think of some things I can do to make myself more marketable in this job market.  A couple of months ago I went through a training and am now eligible to lead couples through a Prepare and Enrich Workshop.  This is for couples considering marriage or for married couples looking to enrich their marriage. 

Something else I have started to do as a job search strategy is to volunteer with local agencies that provide counseling services.  I am not working as a volunteer counselor or providing counseling services myself, but bringing about awareness of their agency and the services they provide.  I have two goals in doing this volunteer work

• Work along side an agency that may be looking to hire a recent graduate with a Counseling Degree 
• Meet people in the counseling field and let them know who I am

This past weekend I volunteered with the local Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC).  They provide counseling services to women and their families who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  I had a co-worker who utilized their services and has talked for many years about what a great asset the agency is to our community.  The BCRC had a formal gala on Saturday.  Several people donated artistically crafted bras and other art to be sold during an auction.  Some of the bras were modeled by breast cancer survivors who encouraged guests to bid on the art.  I assisted with setting the event up and during the silent auction.  Last year the event outgrew the venue, so this was the first year the event was held at it's current location. 

One of the participants last year died two months later.  A friend of hers designed a bra this year in her memory.  The bra was black with large clear jewels and titled "Diamond in the Rough."  When I met the artist she had goosebumps because she had just seen the display to honor her friend and display the bra.  I met another woman who designed a bra titled "Mystic Nights."  The artist used material she bought in the 1970's to make her husband a shirt.  She never made the shirt, but used the material to create a bra in honor of her husband and brother in law.  She also used glass beads from Czechoslovakia.  It was great to meet some of the artists, hear their stories and watch their faces when someone bid on their bras.  Some bras were signed by Gene Simmons (of Kiss) and other famous people.  Apparently this year BCRC was approached by so many willing to donate bras they had to turn people away.  Their had to have been over 100 bras. 

At one point in the evening the models walked the catwalk and there was a live auction.  One of the models fainted.  There were numerous doctors in attendance who apparently were able to render aid.  EMS responded within 7 minutes.  At a time like that 7 minutes can feel like hours.  Apparently she was breathing on her own as EMS left, however they were performing chest compressions.  This model did not have hair so she had either just gone through chemotherapy or was going through chemotherapy.  Everything stopped!  Shortly after EMS took her to the hospital the other women involved in the auction decided they wanted the event to continue and they did.  I later learned the model was still in ICU the following day.
http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/outandabout/entries/2010/05/23/a_surreal_graph.html?cxntfid=blogs_out_about

Sunday I volunteered with BCRC at a reststop for the Tour de Cure Diabetes.  At this stop we encouraged riders to sign up for the Mamma Jamma Ride in October.  BCRC will be a major beneficiary, if not the sole beneficiary of this event.  At the rest stop we served sandwiches, water, pickle juice, fruit and various carbohydrates.  As of Thursday there was one of 4-6 volunteers and I was the 1.  I was able to talk a regular from the coffee shop I frequent into volunteering and two women from my running group.  Two of three had never worked a reststop at a race.

It was a great weekend.  The situation involving the model did add a somber mood to the weekend, but I am reminded of why I do what I do, because I care.   I met some people and reconnected with others in the counseling community.  I feel as though I accomplished the goals I set out to accomplish this weekend.  Next weekend I will be working with SIMS Foundation at a music festival to talk about the agency and the great things it does. 

The following weekend (6/5) I will be assisting with Sign Up at a Conference on Psychotherapy with Men.  I will also be at a rest stop for Danskin Triathlon.  The following weekend is a fund raiser for Capital Area Mental Health that provides counseling services on a sliding fee scale.