Out of work? Consider a job club

With two masters degrees and a Ph.D. in organizational development, jobless and strategizing on how to make ends meet is not where Reeta Hoskote thought she’d be at this stage in her life.

Unemployed for 16 months, Hoskote said she’s not shopping, eating out or spending money on “fun stuff.“

“If you look at how long I carry on before money starts coming in, it can’t keep going out, out, out with nothing coming in,“ she said.

Determined to find a job, Hoskote joined hundreds of others unemployed at a job club in Naperville, Illinois.

With the search for full-time employment being a full-time job by itself, the job club provides hope, reduces stress and provides networking opportunities.

For many, job clubs not only help a person realize that they’re not alone, but they also provide information on job openings that many people might not know about.

Therapist Joy Maguire-Dooley came up with the idea for a job club more than 15 years ago to help ease the stress of unemployment.

“We need hope.  We all need to be there for each other,“ Dooley said.  “That is the beauty of it.“

Maguire-Dooley said the key to finding the next job includes getting out of the house and clearing the mental hurdle of depression and negativity that sets in when unemployed.

Dooley said, “I always tell them because my name is Joy, you can’t have joy and negativity in the same room.  So when they come home, they know there’s going to be some laughs but some serious networking.“

Hoskote said she’s staying optimistic and motivated by listening to those who have already found jobs.

She said, “I’m sure one day I’ll be in a position to help other people, and I’ll do the same thing, so that is what helps.“