Mimi* was frustrated with her job search. A 35-year old single mom, she thought she had already completed the hard part of finding safety when she left her abusive partner last year. But she had a lot going on. Her abuse had been so severe that the stress caused a stroke, forcing her to rebuild language skills. Navigating this physical recovery while trying to find a job was proving to be difficult. When she heard about WIT’s Vocation Station, she signed right up.
A 9-week summer program produced in collaboration with Temple University Occupational Therapy students, Vocation Station promotes independence by developing meaningful life and employment skills. Mimi attended the virtual seminars and signed up for 1-on-1 sessions each week.
Our Temple OT interns, Margaret Bodnovich and Samantha Pedersen, started off by asking Mimi about her work background and her goals. They looked at her resume and helped her write persuasive cover letters. Mimi had been struggling on her own; the annoying online forms always confused her, and it was hard to make contact with a human instead of an anonymous portal. Margaret and Samantha helped Mimi to do her own research to find points of contact for the jobs she was interested in, so she could make a personal appeal. Mimi came back to Vocation Station week after week, and her confidence grew.
During one of her 1-on-1 sessions, Mimi happened to get a call back about a job in her field. She excitedly took the call with Margaret and Samantha listening in real time. Afterwards, they were able to provide immediate feedback and congratulate her on landing an interview. Together, they helped Mimi write a professional “thank you” email that she sent right away. They talked about interview tactics and how to look professional over Zoom. And guess what? Thanks to the help of Vocation Station, Mimi got the job!
Samantha and Margaret were able to facilitate every step of Mimi’s job process. They had sessions about how to adjust to the workplace, how to manage self-care and the new routine, and how to organize her time as a new employee. When Mimi was struggling with sleep leading up to her first day, Vocation Station hosted a sleep hygiene tutorial. They even talked about how to negotiate questions about her disability, if they came up. The 1-on-1 nature of the program meant that Mimi could get exactly what she needed to ensure her success in her new job.
For many of our clients, leaving an abusive partner or finding sobriety is the first step on a long road toward safety and stability. We know that without a fulfilling job and a steady income, Survivors are left vulnerable. We listen to what our clients need, and that’s why we provide programs like Vocation Station. We look forward to hosting this program again next summer.
Missed this summer’s Vocation Station?
Some of the sessions are available to watch on YouTube:
Vocation Station: Resume Building
Vocation Station: Professionalism in the Workplace
Vocation Station: Interview Skills