With LIFT-Chicago's help, Myron was soon able to obtain health coverage through COBRA, and volunteers also helped him locate another back-up plan when COBRA expired. With his health situation stabilized, Myron asked volunteers for guidance applying for jobs. Though only two years away from retirement, he was not ready to quit working and wanted to feel useful. Having not applied for a job in nearly 40 years, he was bewildered by the process of applying for jobs online. He told volunteers, "You used to go into a prospective job, properly dressed with résumés in hand, and were willing to wait 3 hours if needed because you were at least guaranteed to speak with a person and hand them your résumé. I’m not always confident that recruiters online always get my emails, because some don't send emails back saying so."
LIFT volunteers assuaged Myron's confusion by coaching him through the application process, helping him construct a new résumé and cover letters for specific positions and practicing interview skills. Myron’s diligence and frequent visits to the office allowed volunteers to help him practice using the computer on his own; they referred him to the Jane Addams Resource Center in Chicago for additional computer classes, and he was also able to join their job club. Volunteers also put Myron in touch with Veterans’ Administration and Jewish Vocational Services for targeted employment resources. After a few weeks, he was elated to finally feel like he was making progress toward getting back in the workforce and touched by LIFT volunteers' attention, saying, "Other service providers look at you as a commodity. Here you are treated as a person, with understanding, respect, and dignity. No matter what the problem presented, they are always working with me, always trying to help me achieve my wants, needs, and goals."
Working alongside LIFT volunteers to apply for security guard positions, Myron was able to enroll in armed guard training school, complete two mandatory security certifications, renew his armed weapon carrier license with the state, and obtain his Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC). He is currently applying online for several security positions each week in the LIFT office and on his own and has received several interview requests.
Myron knows that because of his age, the road to employment will be a long one, but he is confident that he is taking the steps necessary to find a job. He says, “My outlook before LIFT was grim, dreary, upsetting, and confusing. I felt pushed out. But since I’ve worked with LIFT my goals are almost complete and I have a whole different outlook on my future.”
