“I live in Santa Monica, and I was looking for a way to volunteer in a more meaningful way than just a one-off experience,” shared Chrysalis volunteer Karen about finding Chrysalis three years ago. Karen started looking at nonprofits in her neighborhood, adding, “When I found out exactly what Chrysalis did, I thought it was phenomenal. The idea of teaching people how to get a job and learning the impact that job could have on someone’s life was amazing.”
Karen originally put her professional background in marketing and advertising to use by providing resume writing assistance and interview preparation services to clients. Today, Karen teaches “Job Prep 3: The Interview” and draws upon her experience conducting mock interviews to inform the curriculum.
Karen shares that one of the most important things she imparts on her students through
the class is the importance of preparation. “You have to take the job hunt seriously, and you can’t just give it – or really anything in life – half effort.” She also hopes that “one of the things clients get from me and from the other volunteers is somebody who looks them in the eyes and really cares about them. Because we all know there are many people who come in with barriers to getting back to work, and all they can think of are the negatives. So if we do anything right, I think it’s that we get them to pull out the positive.”
For Karen, unearthing the positives of volunteering at Chrysalis is less challenging. “One of the best, warmest feelings is when the bell rings and a client gets to celebrate that they got a job. The first time I got a personal callout from a client for the help I gave them was an amazing experience. I love volunteering here. It’s been life-changing for me.”
At Chrysalis, we love to celebrate the ripple effect that a job has in the lives of our clients, volunteers, and staff. Thank you, Karen, for empowering our clients to get on a pathway to self-sufficiency!