Employment & Education
Want to get involved in the Employment and Education Department? Here are some of the things we do!
Job Search Assistance
Resume Support + Interview Prep
Employed Member Support
Transitional Employment Program
...and so much more!
How can NorthStar help you find work?
NorthStar assists its members in pursuing employment, education and/or training in the community. Services provided by the club's Employment & Education Department are tailored to each member's needs. For the most part, we assist with resume and cover letter development, searching and applying for jobs online, and contacting employers, but we can and do provide a range of other services and supports to members.
Participating in our "Work Ordered Day" helps members get started on the path to employment. Working in the clubhouse is like working a volunteer job; you can build skills, stamina and confidence in an environment that is more comfortable and forgiving than most employers can provide. To avail yourself of the services of the Employment department, you have only to ask for help.
Employment & Education meetings are Mondays at 3:00pm. Any NorthStar member can become a member of the Employment Team.
A member said this about NorthStar and the Employment Department in particular:
"When I arrived at NorthStar, I was in early recovery, depressed, unemployable and hopeless. I lacked self-confidence and was just all around lost. I sit at my desk today (in a recently acquired job) a totally different person.
From my first day at NorthStar, I "felt" a vibe that brought me back day after day. NorthStar gave me a place to go where I felt safe and useful. I began rebuilding my self-confidence with the help of the membership and the volunteer tasks I took on in the clubhouse. The clubhouse provided opportunities that supported my mental health recovery. It took a village to get me where I am today. It was with the help of the Employment Department that I obtained a job as a Peer Navigator."
Employment & Education Department Work of The Day
How can I, as a member, support others to obtain employment or educational support in the clubhouse. What work is available in the Employment Department?
Using all of your experience in obtaining employment yourself, you can be extremely helpful to other members who are looking for a job. As a member working in the Employment Department, you can:
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Help other members with drafting effective resumes and/or strong cover letters
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Assist members in finding jobs using indeed, or similar job search engines
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Help other members complete their vocational profiles
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Assist members in developing an educational plan and/or completing the FASFA application for educational funding.
In addition to assisting other members with searching for jobs and/or developing educational plans, members can perform administrative or organizational tasks in the Employment Department such as:
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Entering data into the Employment Database
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Filing
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Maintaining contact with employed members
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Developing employment related brochures
All the tasks and activities listed above are only a partial list of all the things the Employment Department works on. You, as a NorthStar member
Become a NorthStar Employer Partner
Saves you time and money: NorthStar pre-screens and refers skilled employees to companies saving them time and money. Working with NorthStar eliminates the need to advertise and do exhaustive interviewing.
Helps retain effective employees: NorthStar staff work closely with company supervisors to ensure new hires are satisfactorily trained and performing to the company’s expectations.
Ensure workflow continuity: NorthStar provides continuous support to new hires both on and off the job site.
Tax Credit: For many NorthStar candidates, the Federal tax credit program called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is an added benefit to the company.
To find out more about becoming an employment partner, please contact Bill Waters at bwaters@northstaror.org or 971-271-7273.
What an employer said about a NorthStar member who he hired: "I have had a wonderful experience with Doug and his employment at Walgreens. Walgreens has been a good experience for Doug and having Doug here has been a good experience for Walgreens. Doug came to us very quiet and timid and from there has become very talkative and has become a favorite of many customers. One month Doug had the highest number of high scores for customer service that month. Doug was also employee of the month one month. Watching Doug grow into this job has been very rewarding for me personally. I also really appreciate Doug for his willingness to listen to my constructive words and his prompt attention to what I'm coaching him on."
-Andy Frost, Walgreens Manager