‘Helping Hands for Hard Times’ can assist on multiple fronts

Published 9:57 pm Monday, February 8, 2010

SNOHOMISH — Doug Hehn never expected to find himself in this situation, one of the 10.3 percent of workers in Snohomish County who are unemployed.

With an engineering degree, a resume that included work at Boeing Co. and Paccar, Inc., Hehn, like many workers, thought his future was secure.

Then came the day he was called into an office and heard words that every worker hopes they’ll never hear: “We had to make a tough decision.” After 13 years, Paccar was letting him go.

“It’s a mind bombshell, I’ll tell you that,” said Hehn, who just turned 48.

Six months later, in March 2009, he landed another job, this one as an account manager with a small firm that distributes electronic and photographic equipment cases.

As the economy brought sales to a skid, he was laid off from that job in November.

Three events scheduled this week on Wednesday in Everett, Thursday in Tulalip and Friday in Lynnwood, have been organized to help the tens of thousands in Snohomish County, who like Hehn, are unemployed.

Called Helping Hands for Hard Times, the resource fairs bring together more than 25 nonprofit and public agencies to provide employment counseling, job search assistance, financial aid information for training, personal finance consultation, housing, health care and childcare resources and other support services.

The events are being held in part because this recession is different that other economic downturns, said Sue Ambler, president and chief executive of the Workforce Development Council of Snohomish County. The group uses government and private money to increase competitiveness and help increase employment.

In previous economic downturns, job losses often hit a specific group or groups or industries, she said.

“It hit every single industry this time,” she said, and all types of employees, including managers, administrators and high-income workers.

She said she’s heard reports that middle-income families are applying for food stamps and other public assistance, many for the first time, so they don’t know what social services are available.

“They may be able to navigate professional systems, but health and human services are another thing,” she said.

That’s why a number of groups, including United Way of Snohomish County, government agencies and other nonprofits joined together to organize the resource fairs.

To be invited to participate, groups had to agree to have help available on site, said Deborah Squires, a United Way spokeswoman. “We didn’t want it to be purely informational with agencies that have huge waiting lists,” she said.

That includes workshops to help with resume writing and updating their resumes, she said.

Hehn said one of the things that’s helped him most over the turbulence of the last two years is the assistance he’s gotten from WorkSource. The government agency provides a variety of resources to the unemployed, including help with resume writing and identifying current work skills that can be used in other jobs.

He admits he wasn’t initially excited about being referred to WorkSource, saying he thought it was just another government agency. He said he was surprised at the variety of services available.

“Going in there has been very positive,” he said. “They package it so if you’re a blue-collar worker, a professional, advanced in years, or if you’re not blessed with people who can help you with resumes, they help you do that.”

Hehn said that one of the lessons he’s learned over the past two years is the importance of building a professional network.

Among the steps he’s taken is participating in a WorkSource professional networking group in Lynnwood. “I always thought networking was schmoozing, but it’s critical to have a network,” Hehn said. “If no one knows you’re unemployed, your odds of getting a job are pretty slim.”

Competition for jobs is fierce, he said, with as many as 900 applicants responding to job postings. “Regardless of your skill set, you’ve got to get out there, frankly, not dwell on your situation,” he said.

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.