The Job Match Re-Employment Project has helped 44 unemployed Southern Maryland residents find new jobs in its first year. The project provides coaching to help participants develop individualized career plans, networking strategies, and compelling personal stories to distinguish themselves to potential employers. Coaching focuses on assessing strengths, creating innovative job search approaches, and setting goals. After a year, many participants have found new beginnings in positions like project managers, lawyers, and contractors, helping them reinvent their careers during tough economic times.

1. S O U T H E R N M A R Y L A N D W O R K F O R C E I N V E S T M E N T B O A R D
August. 2010
Eleanor Nelson, Coach on Call
Job Match Re-Employment Project
Stories Unfold From Job Match Re-Employment Project
“Storytelling is not what I do for a living—it is all that I do while I am living.” Donald Davis
In September,2011, the Job Match Re- us. We have relied on Reinvention, a asking for a job. There is no
Employment Project will complete the book by Brian Tracy, to reinforce the opportunity for a yes or no answer here.
first year of coaching unemployed premise of “how to make the rest of
Southern Marylanders toward rapid re- your life, the best of your life.”
employment. Funded by DLLR from A goal of targeting one person per week
• Storytelling for networking is akin to depositing a
the state to the Tri County Council,
residents of Calvert, Charles, and St. check in the bank on a regular basis. At
Each participant develops a script that the end of six weeks, if you ask for three
Mary’s Counties who fit the following tells a compelling story to distinguish
criteria are eligible: referrals at the end of each networking
their candidacy for a job opening over session, the leads can add up to finding
• Lost job within past year the competition. The difference in, “let that “good fit.”
me tell you a story about how I found a
• Wages earned = $40,000 or more
simple solution to a complex problem,” • Coaching
When a “good fit” is found, we call the is altogether different from a short
participants in job match a success story. Creating a success story out of re-
answer to a list of canned questions.
As of the end of July, we have forty four We practice the script each time Job employment requires drawing a circle
stories to tell about new beginnings in a Matchers meet, a minimum of once a around “in the box thinking.” There
variety of workforce settings: are as many success stories to be told as
week.
there are participants in the Job Match
World Bank, Georgetown Law School,
• Networking Project.
US Navy (3), State of Maryland, DOD
Contractors (3), Manpower Inc., St. Ninety seven per cent of successful Eleanor Nelson, Coach on Call, manages
Mary’s Co. Sheriff’s Office, Merrill career searches can be traced to the Job Match re-Employment project
Lynch, SMECO, Tri-County Council, networking. A networking plan includes: as an independent contractor.
Erimax, Inc. THE SAXON GROUP, 1)prospecting by contacting business
With over three decades of experience
INC, Wyle, etc. (The youngest decision makers who are successful in
in workforce development, including
participant is a project manager at this tough economic environment, and
business ownership, she is convinced
AARP.) 2) renewing contacts through previous
that a competitive job market requires
work affiliations, professional
innovative approaches to achieve
associations, alumni affiliations, and
Job Matchers develop an success in each job search. Effective
community activities, as well as an
Individualized Career Plan: coaches are not in the game. They assess
awareness that every conversation has
talent, consider the challenges, develop
• Assessment the potential for a lead. Listen with the
the winning plays, and set necessary
third ear at all times for business news
We begin with an assessment of each goals to win.
and follow up to gather more
individual that is established in a one-on information. Residing now in Chesapeake Beach,
-one session with Eleanor Nelson, Coach Eleanor serves on the Planning &
on Call. Each individual is given a Once again, we develop a script: “You
Zoning Commission, as Vice President
notebook to track ideas, connections are at the top of my list of successful business
of the Beach Trolley Association and a
and a n ever-evolving plan. This plan people, and I would like to know more about
member of the Bay Business Group. As
suggests a series of steps that can change the way you see the current climate in the a long time member of the Board of
career building time from a daunting marketplace. Can we set a time when you can
Directors of the Arts Council of Calvert
challenge into an interesting adventure meet for a cup of coffee?” Asking someone County, she currently serves as
of exploring the working world around for information is quite different from Secretary. In addition, she is a mediator