| Lake Grove Job Seekers

Overview of Our History and Impact

We have been doing this work for over 20 years and have helped thousands of job seekers.

Click here for a quick overview to better understand what we do.

Mentor Our Job Seekers

Mentors work 1-on-1 with job seekers and contribute in other ways to keep our group functioning. Timing: 5-10 hours/week, but flexible. Mentors must live in the Portland, OR metro area and be available to join our Monday Meetings (8:30 AM - 10:00 AM) when possible.

Mentors coach job seekers through the career planning and job search process.
As a mentor, we listen and advise, with the goal of enabling job seekers to eventually help themselves in this process. For example, we do not typically look for jobs online, write resumes, or create a LinkedIn profile; however, we might refer a job seeker to information about these things and share any insights or resources we are aware of.

All are welcome.
While Lake Grove Presbyterian Church is our sponsor and hosts our program and meetings, our mentors and seekers come from a variety of educational, professional, faith, ethnic, and gender backgrounds. All are welcome, whether as mentors or job seekers.

We have fun and are a supportive group of long-term volunteers.
Many mentors are former job seekers who found so much value in the program that they have returned to pay it forward. We are a completely volunteer-run organization that operates in an atmosphere of mutual respect—and fun! Monthly Mentor Happy Hours help us work better together as a group and get to know one another.

We are flexible.
Most new mentors commit to weekly attendance at our Monday meetings (2 hours per week), monthly attendance at Mentor Forum meetings (1.5 hours per month), and mentoring one or more job seekers (averaging 1 hour per week). Mentoring job seekers is conducted at your convenience, making it a very flexible arrangement.

For extended vacations or absences, we either cover each other’s responsibilities or reassign job seekers to another mentor.

We are seeking volunteers who are willing to make a commitment to assisting job seekers. Many of our mentors have been with the organization for years. While we don’t require a years-long commitment, the longevity of our mentor colleagues gives you a sense of their dedication.

Strongly preferred experiences for mentors:

Supervisory, Management, and Leadership Experience. Mentors with solid experience in hiring and managing employees can help job seekers understand the hiring process and dynamics. Besides their own lived experience in this area, familiarity with the thought processes of peers and more senior management helps a mentor offer perspective about how a job seeker may be viewed by those on the hiring team.

HR, Staffing, and Recruiting Experience. Familiarity with the internal or external recruiting and hiring process, especially what goes on “behind the scenes” can be very valuable to job seekers. For example, how to work effectively with recruiters, how staffing professionals evaluate a job seeker’s materials, or how organizations approach negotiations are all important topics for job seekers.

Coaching/Counseling Experience. Mentors with this experience offer invaluable knowledge and expertise in coaching job seekers through the internal turmoil caused when they are out of work, feel they are not in the right career, or are struggling to work through the rejection inherent in the job search process. Emotional resilience is a huge component for everyone in the job search or career transition process.

If you are flexible, collaborative, committed to helping others, and willing to continue broadening your knowledge about job search, you will fit in perfectly!

➡️ Apply on Idealist or come to one of our Monday Meetings in Lake Oswego to learn more!

Becoming a Mentor

You will have help to guide you through the onboarding process of becoming a Mentor. You will be assigned a Mentor Sponsor and also have the opportunity to co-mentor with existing mentors until you feel comfortable with the process. However, we fundamentally believe that, as an experienced professional, you probably know more about coaching job seekers than you realize or give yourself credit for. If you’ve hired or managed employees in your professional life before, you likely possess many of the qualities it takes to become a mentor.

Our work with job seekers is concentrated in three key areas:

The nuts and bolts of a job search in today’s environment
Online tools and resources
Coaching reminders

These areas are all things that you can learn, even if you feel less than proficient today. We’ve never had a mentor join the program who was an expert in all areas at the start, nor would any of us profess to be experts today. What we all are is willing to learn. With that attitude, we can teach or help you brush up on any areas where you may be weaker.

People seeking employment often find themselves in a vulnerable position. They may have been fired or laid off, they may be reentering the workforce after a long absence, they may have been in a toxic work environment, or they may simply want to change jobs or careers. What you bring to the table is a willingness to listen, share alternative perspectives, and encourage persistent effort and risk-taking -- even when the going gets tough.

Provide Other Job Seeker Support

We also have volunteers who contribute by speaking to our group or providing mock interview support.

Email info@jobseekerslo.org to learn more.

Provide Administrative Support

As our group has grown, we have more administrative work to do, and we need help keeping our group functioning smoothly.

This opportunity is remote and takes about 5-10 hours per week. It's perfect for someone taking a career break who wants to keep their admin and organizational skills fresh and develop new skills that might enhance a resume.

There is very limited interaction with job seekers in this role.

➡️ Apply on Idealist or come to one of our Monday Meetings in Lake Oswego to learn more!

Mentor Testimonials

"I have been a mentor at LGJS for nearly 4 years. I came through the program myself as a job seeker in 2008. At the time, I was a member of 6 different networking/job seeker groups. LGJS was by far my favorite and helped me land my dream job at Nike. When I retired from Nike in 2021, I came back to LGJS as a mentor. There is no better volunteer organization for me to give my passions and energies back to helping people and my community than LGJS!" -- Rich L.

"Lake Grove Job Seekers is a great place for professionals who want to give back to the community. If you've ever managed people, worked in HR, or done any type of career coaching, you can become a LGJS mentor. Most of us are not certified coaches, but we do come with relevant experience, hiring or developing employees. We also learn a great deal from each other, and from the Monday meetings, where we hear from experts in job search and career transition every week. LGJS is a fun, healthy, and engaging organization! You are guaranteed to make new friends from both the mentors and job seekers you meet, not to mention play a critical role in getting people back to their professional best. The impact on their sense of self, their ability to support their family, and their ability pay it forward is huge." -- Ellen R.

"Lake Grove Job Seekers is a great organization for job seekers and mentors alike. Mentors are appreciated for the skills they bring, and job seekers find resources and guidance during their job search. While I do not have an HR background, attending the skill builder workshops and the Monday morning meetings brought me up to speed fast. As a life and career coach, I support job seekers, whether they pivot, build resilience, or need to create a plan to move forward toward their next role. It has been very fulfilling." -- Margreet A.

"Mentoring at Lake Grove Job Seekers is a great way to give back to the community. Here, I've been able to help people in career transition, improve my own knowledge and work with a dedicated, intelligent and fun mentor team. And the job seekers really appreciate the assistance and support. If you have hiring experience and want to make a difference, come to a Monday morning meeting and see what we do." -- Stan E.

"Making Real Impact Through Career Mentoring is so rewarding! Volunteering as a mentor with Lake Grove Job Seekers has been incredible! As an executive, I help job seekers navigate their career transitions and build confidence in their search. The impact is immediate and meaningful - watching people grow, develop their professional skills, and move forward in their careers is deeply rewarding. The dedicated volunteer team works together to provide practical guidance and support. If you have professional experience to share and want to make a real difference in people's lives, this is the perfect opportunity." -- Mariek W.

"I was seeking something meaningful and substantial, not just a one-off experience. I can use my professional skills to help people out of work learn how to find a job and provide support to them as they go through the process. I can see that I make a difference every time I volunteer. The job seekers (mostly unemployed professionals) are in a vulnerable place and they so appreciate the help we provide. Plus, it's flexible so I can go on vacation and not worry - our team of mentors work together to support our job seekers. Bonus - it's a fun group of people to volunteer with and we get together socially as well." -- Jennifer K.