By BONNIE CAPRARA
Special to The Oakland Press

Hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan are praying for a job, and some of them, like Rick Carroll of Howell, are turning to churches.

You have to make God No. 1 in your job search, said Carroll, an inventory control stockroom manager whos been laid off since November 2008. You have to have patience and persistence in your job search. It will be on his time.

The Highland Park Baptist Church in Southfield is one of several churches in Oakland County that have ministries that offer job-searching workshops and support groups for their members and others, like Carroll, who are looking for work.

We started our Career Transition Ministry in 2001 after 9/11, said Ron Harness, Highland Park Baptist Church member. A church is like a community hall, and when a person loses a job, people step up to help.

The Highland Park Baptist Church is starting its third career workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Its a 12-week program that covers subjects such as rsum writing, interviewing, negotiation techniques and encourages attendees to network with each other.

A lot of us are sitting at home, and what we try to get them to do is to get them in traction, get them to network, Harness said. The number of jobs available online is very small, and abut 60-70 percent of jobs come through networking.

Carroll and Mary Anne Britton of Brighton attended the Highland Park Baptist Churchs last career workshop over the summer. They continue to meet with three others for support, encouragement and to share job leads and job hunting tips, carrying on the churchs spiritual- and professional-based missions.

The whole beauty is that we connect, connect, connect, said Britton, a supply chain specialist whos been looking for work since October 2008. Were helping out other people and hoping that theyll help others.

The Highland Park Baptist Churchs last workshop, which ended in early August, attracted about 60 attendees. Only 10 percent of the attendees were members of the church.

Such is the case with the Careers in Transition group that meets at the First Congregational Church in Rochester.

Were not trying to convert people; were trying to help people, said Michelle Fisher, Careers in Transition facilitator. About 95 percent of the people we see are not from our church. Some of them come as far as 50 to 60 miles away.

Carroll, who attends the Community Bible Church in Brighton, has also attended Careers in Transition meetings.

Ill go anywhere for help, Carroll said. Every organizations message has been similar, but different. Theres a higher reason for these programs. The people who run these programs arent there because theyre getting paid; theyre there because they want to help. And no one cares if its a Baptist church or a Jewish synagogue.

The Careers in Transition group meets twice a month. Each meeting features a speaker and a networking session.

Fisher said the group has grown since it was started eight years ago.

The need has always been there, Fisher said. Back when we started, wed get about 10 people. Now we get about 40-50 and weve had as many as 80, depending on the speaker.

Church-based career workshops and meetings are offered at little or no cost.

REVIEW: “Finding a Job God’s Way: Moving into the HOV Lane of Your Career” Written by Norm Miller | TEXAN Correspondent Posted Thursday, May 07, 2009

David Rawles (Hannibal Books), 224 pages

“Finding a Job God’s Way” offers hope and help for anyone seeking career fulfillment. In the prologue Rawles writes: “We conduct our workshops and seminars to help people learn practical applications to find their dream jobs and achieve their highest career ambitions.”
The book is appropriately characterized by one reviewer as “a moral compass for job-seekers.” Though Rawles offers spot-on advice regarding the gamut of issues related to a job search, his treatise explores and defines requisite aspects of assessing, understanding and applying the God-ordained combination of one’s skills and desires in a manner that offers personal satisfaction and spiritual reward in finding the right job.
Well-salted with sage wisdom from the Bible and advice from seasoned, notable people who’ve succeed in their own career journeys, the book doesn’t view spirituality as an afterthought to one’s career path. Rawles believes spirituality is foundational to one’s career choices as evidenced by the book’s title and the numerous, contextual Bible verses that pervade the pages of his offering.
Chapters are divided into numerical sub-points—58 in all to be exact. Varying in length, the sub-points usually extend from two to four pages, thus increasing the impact and readability of each point. Add to that a concise writing style and conversational content, and “Finding a Job God’s Way” transcends the textbook-ese of similar books because the copy floats off the page as though you’re listening to a beloved friend’s counsel.
In the first chapter, “Healing and Equipping,” Rawles advises readers with sincerity and aplomb on the touchy issue of an unpleasant job history. Simply put, Rawles says to move on—forgive and forget—while noting that anger, bitterness and vengeful attitudes are not the building blocks of a successful job search. In a separate chapter, he suggests ethical ways to handle past occupational unpleasantries.
Regarding resumes, cover letters and interviews, Rawles’ traditional advice offers exceptional practicality. Considering interviews specifically, Rawles’ observations on non-verbal communication in the chapter “Powerful Hidden Language” suggest that eye contact, smiles and enthusiastic hand gestures add energy to the conversation and punctuate one’s words memorably. He further advises that tone-of-voice, leaning forward, and nodding at appropriate times reveal attitudes and the job-seeker’s level of interest.
As is typical with the book, Rawles notes biblical examples to get readers to consider non-verbal communications such as when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, King David danced, Peter jumped from the boat, Jonah turned toward Nineveh, and when Jesus stepped from the tomb.
“Many examples exist in which body language says more than words can ever say,” Rawles writes.
This book offers excellent fodder for youth leaders and parents of teens who want to give high-schoolers the proper perspective and biblical motivation for career choices. It could serve as a guide for small group study regardless of the age of the participants.

Whether preparing for a first-ever interview or looking to leap up the corporate ladder, reading Rawles’ book is job one—which will make finding the next one that much easier.

Networking is key to job searches, author says

By Pat Nimmo Riddle

Special to the Star-Telegram

After working many years in the corporate world, Bedford resident David Rawles has written a book to help people find the right job.

The book is titled Finding a Job God’s Way: Moving into the HOV Lane of Your Career. Rawles, who formerly worked for Disney and GTE, wants his book to help people “who are struggling,” he said.

Even while vice president of human resources at GTE, he was approached by people between jobs or whose children were graduating from school and beginning a job search, he said.

Rawles, 57, wrote the book “basically to help people who are out of work learn how to successfully do a job hunt,” said Elizabeth Oates, publicist of Hannibal Books in Garland, Rawles’ publisher. “It also helps those who want to make a career change find out how to get started.”

The job seekers who are least likely to succeed “include those who haven’t found out what they’re best-suited for,” Rawles said. “It’s like throwing darts at a wall and not having the dartboard up. You’ll hit something, but it may not be where you want to end up.

“Another mistake is made by people who don’t rely on the power of networking. But be careful to make your primary objective what you can give — not what you can get out of a relationship.”

Rawles said that networking is the single best way to land that next career job and is better than all other approaches put together. He said more than two-thirds of successful job searches result from networking, “which connects you in a very positive way to the world around you.”

But prayer is the one thing people can do to help them find the right job, said Rawles, who is married to Frances and has a blended family of three grown sons: Jonathan and Jason Rawles and Greg Wise. The couple also have three grandchildren.

“Those who have had the greatest success in reading the book have caught onto that principle. God wants us to seek guidance in every circumstance, including employment,” Rawles said.

The book costs $12.95 and is available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and many Christian bookstores. In the foreword, John Weber, chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys and director of Athletes in Action, Dallas-Fort Worth, wrote:

“David speaks with great insight, clarity and heart. His years of training and experience in human resources appear on every page. As I minister and counsel with former professional athletes who are adjusting to life after sport, this book will be a gift to help them find their way in one of life’s most confusing and challenging situations.”

Since his retirement in 1998, Rawles has worked with CAREERWORKSHOP Inc., a nonprofit ministry “dedicated to help struggling people find a job God’s way,” he said. “This ministry has become my next great career and will probably overshadow my previous 30-year career in corporate America.”

The ministry is not a part of any church, but Rawles has conducted workshops and seminars at Metroplex Chapel in Euless and twice at First Baptist Church of Euless, his current location. Job seekers are welcome to meet with him from 6 to 9 p.m. every Thursday at the church, 1000 W. Airport Freeway. For information, call Rawles at (817) 354-4864.

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