RSSHow to safely navigate the job hunt
Judy Fishback and Lorena Martinez come from different walks of life, but both now find themselves looking for work. They're among nearly 12,000 people in the county without jobs.Yakima Herald-Republic
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YAKIMA, WASH. -- Judy Fishback is a 59-year-old who moved back to Yakima after being laid off from her data processing job at Boeing, a position she held for more than 20 years.
Lorena Martinez is a 26-year-old who began her job search after losing her job packing fruit for a warehouse two months ago.
These two are among about 11,820 Yakima County residents without jobs, according to April figures from the state Employment Security Department.
Their diverse stories show that job hunters can come from different backgrounds. They may have a high-paying job or one that barely paid minimum wage. They may have a master's degree or no degree at all. They may be seeking their first job or their 20th.
And the diversity in job hunters will continue as companies across the country keep cutting positions during the economic recession.
Martinez once believed that she would work at fruit warehouses for the rest of her life. It's a job she's done since high school, and she ultimately chose to drop out of school so she could keep working and support her family.
But her recent job loss forced her to rethink those job plans.
"You have to be sure of what you want," she said.
In 1983, Fishback left Yakima after getting laid off, looking for better job opportunities. She worked in the billing department for Pacific Medical Center in Seattle, working with state Labor & Industries and Medicaid claims. After five years, she secured the position at Boeing. She thought she would retire from there.
In February, she learned that wouldn't happen. After finishing her last day of work in April, she decided to move back to Yakima to be with her mother.
Fishback said getting back into the job hunt was challenging -- she hasn't updated her resume in years and it's been tough to gauge what employers are looking for. And after making $46,000 with benefits at Boeing, she was concerned about the pay and benefits of available positions here.
"It's hard to go out there," she said.
Both Fishback and Martinez ended up at WorkSource, a joint venture of several state organizations to address employment needs.
Fishback was pleasantly surprised by the job resources WorkSource offered. She remembers when she was first laid off more than 25 years ago that such agencies didn't offer as many resources, such as computer and career development classes.
A WorkSource counselor also exposed her to a variety of different programs for older workers, such as the dislocated worker program, which provides retraining for those who lose their jobs due to plant closures or substantial layoffs.
Fishback still hasn't found a job, but learning about these resources made her more confident about her job hunt.
"I just got to take my time and not be so anxious," she said.
Through WorkSource, Martinez learned how to make up a resume and cover letter, dress for a job interview and assess what skills she has to offer.
The process also made her reconsider her priorities. She wants a better life for her son, including a college education.
"I want him to go to college. I don't want him to do drugs," she said. "He's smart."
But she knew that without a high school diploma, she wasn't setting much of an example. So while hunting for a job, she decided to pursue her GED.
That hard work paid off. She ended up back at a job interview for a fruit warehouse, but this time she would be working as a pallet tag maker, which would enable her to work with computers, something she's interested in.
Martinez thought her new resume better showed her skills and experience to the interviewer.
She hasn't found out if she got the job yet, but she's confident. And regardless of what happens next, the job hunting experience has been valuable.
"I'm going to continue working on my resume, get my GED and get the job I want," she said.
* Mai Hoang can be reached at 509-577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.
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