Community Partner : Baltimore Job Hunters Support Group Intern : Huiyao Chen Site Supervisor : Janet Glover-Kerkvliet
What is the Baltimore Job Hunters Support Group ?
The Baltimore Job Hunters Support Groups serves to empower older and / or underrepresented job seekers experiencing the trauma of long-term unemployment with action-oriented strategies and supportive networks .
Revised and developed a 100 + page resource guide on employment Prepared presentations on the weekly webinars on workplace topics Developed flipbooks for sponsorship and the organization ’ s 10thanniversary celebration Managed public communication , including compiling sponsorship lists and arranging regular contacts with partners and members
Monday isn ’ t usually the most exciting day of the week for me , mainly because either it symbolizes five more days of work before weekends , or that I simply lose track of time during vacations . However , things have drastically changed over the past two months : I remember every day during the summer period , and I always look forward to Monday . It is my internship at the Baltimore Job Hunters Support Group ( BJHSG ) that does the magic . This opportunity helped get my hands on several intriguing projects that are closely related to and powerfully impact people ’ s health and wellbeing . One of my major tasks was to help revise and improve the 100-page Green Guide by BJHSG , which focuses on information and resources about job hunting while also including abundant support on overcoming personal challenges and thriving with selfdevelopment . While the various governmental and organizational resources have widened my knowledge of the support system regarding the unemployment issue , the population-specific sections revealed to me how subgroups like the elderly , racial minorities , and women have been especially vulnerable to the issue of unemployment and job hunting . This inspired a lot of reflections and new realizations of connections to what I have studied so far in the field of public health and sociology . Another project regarding workplace bullying has also broadened my horizons . As I worked on preparing presentations for weekly webinars and reading through articles on hiring biases and different suboptimal workplace scenarios , I learned more about how the workplace as a social setting could embed and exert subtle or overt threats and harm to people involved . And my studies in psychology , particularly occupational health psychology , have been reemphasized and expanded with finer details and more practicality . All of the above , along with other work I have done , made working during the summer so much fun , and so meaningful . Yet the top reason that infuses Mondays with joy and excitement is my supervisor , Janet . Working virtually after studying online for a year could sound dull , but Janet has eliminated that concern using her loving and cheering charisma starting our first weekly Monday meeting . Every talk is a good talk , and all our communications are efficient and encouraging . And I couldn ’ t ask for anything more heated in this 2021 heat .
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