At Jobcase.com, we pride ourselves in being the social platform for every aspect of your working life. The members of our community represent a rich diversity of work and life experiences that we all can learn from. Read on to hear the perspective of our featured Jobcaser – John Herritt (https://www.jobcase.com/p/john.herritt).

John is from Shippensburg, PA and is a job seeker who is also has an active role on the Board of Directors of Helping Other People through Empowerment (H.O.P.E.). He spoke to us about how he uses the community to tackle the tougher issues that he sees while job seeking, along with helping other Jobcasers who are looking for advice.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? John: I’ve been in IT now for about 25 years all together. I’ve also done some substitute teaching and taught night school, and for awhile there, I was a security guard. I also still sit on the Board of Trustees for Helping Other People through Empowerment (H.O.P.E.), which is a drop in and referral center for the homeless men in Baltimore city. I’ve been doing that for almost 11 years!

How did you find out about Jobcase? John: I think I got an email from you, and I got curious. I started checking it out, and uploaded my resume. The reason I keep coming back, is because I noticed you guys tackle the tough issues, when it comes to finding a job. It really shows that most of [the troubles in the job search are] about perceptions. [Jobcase is about] reviewing good interview skills, having good questions to ask the interviewer, and also it’s about people who just get discouraged and just feel like quitting. I’ve been in that position before, and it just feels awful.

You gave some really good advice! What’s your background that allows you to give such great advice? John: I have my bachelor degree in religious studies and math, and I minored in social work and psychology. With H.O.PE. - before I was on the board, I was a client. We deal with the gamut of mentally ill. We have people with addictions, and some people who just made mistakes and bad judgments. And that’s how I partially became homeless. Back in 2004, I made some horrible choices, and the thing is, bad choices tend to force them to make more bad choices. Once that ball gets going, it's hard to stop.

We have contacts with organizations that have job skills training. We work a lot with the State of Maryland’s job training office. We have guest speakers, and they get people plugged in and sometimes, they feel like we need a job coach. When I was on unemployment in 2006, I had to attend a workshop on job interviewing and resume writing, and it turned out to be a really good thing. I learned a lot from it. The reason for the insight is because I lived it - that’s the best explanation that I can give.

The other things that helps me is that I’m willing to go anywhere - I’ve worked in Montgomery, AL; I’ve worked in Dallas, TX; Northern NJ; I’ve done some contracting down in Maryland… heck, I even worked in Sierra Leone...for the State Department working as a security guard. That was a few weeks after I ended up on the streets of Baltimore. I got an email from a company from Alexandria, that they wanted to hire people for an American guard and security technician, so I thought, “I’m at my rock bottom, so I might as well try to get out.” I sent in my resume and about a week later I was in training, and a month later I was deployed.

What type of advice would you give to people when they are down and having trouble with their job search? John: Look at the alternatives. Look at the choices you have at your disposal. Look at the assets, and make an inventory of that, and try to be really honest with yourself. You have to ask yourself, “Where am I messing up?” and “Why isn't this thing going the way I want it to go?”

Also, the job market in some parts of the country is simply horrible. I live in Shippensburg, about an hour south of Harrisburg, and an hour north of Maryland, and there is a lot of need in the service industry. We have a Volvo plant there, and a couple of other industries who make their base here. But they don’t need IT people, they have their IT people elsewhere, so that poses a problem and frustration for me.

What kind of advice do you have for someone who is looking to get into the IT industry now? John: If you are extremely junior level, like if you are just starting out, be willing to start at the bottom and be willing to pay your dues, that would be my main advice.

It seems like opportunities for them are more extensive than they are for those of us who are at the mid-level to the upper levels of the profession. Why hire someone with so many years of experience - because you’ll have to pay them proportionally - when you can hire someone who is willing to work for less?

What would your advice be to mid- to senior- level job seekers who are looking to get back into the industry? John: Persevere; persistence is always good. In my case, it took me awhile to get into the mess that I was in, and it’s going to take me a while to get out. Try to branch out, try to explore other areas of your life. Mine was at a workshop last week. A school district around here wants substitute teachers, so I thought I would look into it.

What do you think of the Jobcase community? John: I think it’s very knowledgeable, and there are people on there that have great skills. I’m actually helping a community member find a job. She forwarded me her resume, and I’ve been forwarding it around to employers around here who I thought she would be a good fit for. The key to looking for a job is networking, and letting people know you need a job and to keep on the lookout. It’s a very small world in some cases.

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