IRIS Employment Mentor Program: Rules of Engagement

Congratulations! You’re an IRIS Employment Mentor, which means you will have more impact than you can imagine. You’ll open doors for a refugee which will help him or her now and in the future. You’ll simultaneously be helping your mentee’s family, friends and the local economy. Here is some information to help insure that your volunteer experience is as structured and productive as possible:

What Will Happen:

  • You’ll be paired with an amazing refugee from Africa, the Middle East or Cuba! The pairing will bebased on gender, background and need.
  • You’ll get a copy of the refugee’s resume (hard & soft copies)
  • You’ll have this document to refer to. And you’ll have volunteer time logs to fill out from Laurel McCormack ()
  • You’ll receive an email from IRIS Employment Services with further information about your mentee and the process.

What You Should Know:

  • The refugee is likely to have come to the United States recently.
  • Refugees have stresses and issues we can’t always understand.
  • There could be PTSD or other mental or physical health issues. You should not ask your mentee about this, but be aware that it’s possible.
  • Remember that attitudes or actions that may seem rude or unusual are often the result of different cultural norms. ‘Acculturation’ is one of the great gifts you are providing, i.e.: “To get a job in America you need to be on-time for appointments and look people in the eye when you shake their hands.”
  • Remember your role. Do not give money to your mentee or help them apply for documents or get social services or food stamps (SNAP). Let IRIS know if your mentee is requesting this sort of help.
  • There are English classes at IRIS every day from 9:30 – 12 which you should make sure the refugee is attending!
  • If the refugee has basic conversational English, encourage them to attend Employment English at IRIS Mondays through Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30pm.

What You Should Do:

  • Review the refugee’s resume and get a quick overview from Will Kneerim () or Leah Russell ()
  • Have your first meeting with your new refugee friend at IRIS. Sit down, get to know each other, get a feel for his or her level of English, discuss work histories, or work on work-related English skills, and make a plan (write it down) for your next meeting. You can meet at the home of the refugee, at your office, or any location in New Haven (such as the Library) that you both agree to. Setting clear meetings and expectations is important.
  • The greatest success comes from focusing on a few basic approaches:
  • English language tutoring focusing on employment. Try to pinpoint fields the refugee would like to work in, such as hotels, restaurants or manufacturing. Teach words and terms related to these industries. Practice interviewing skills and pose questions. Talk about presentation; clothes, attitude, eye contact and smiling!
  • Applications. We will most likely provide you with some leads for which you can help the candidate apply, often online, which can be a time consuming process. One application can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to complete. You can pursue leads as well, just document them, and don’t waste time completing on-line applications unless we, or you, have a relationship with the employer.
  • Get out there! Experience is key. Meeting a potential employer is the best thing a job-seeking refugee can do. Sitting in on an interview, if possible, can be very helpful. Walking through the refugees neighborhood, or in a commercial area of New Haven, and looking for help-wanted signs and approaching employers is the best hands-on way to help refugees find employment.
  • Every week or two, update a Google Drive shared document which you’ll be given access to (we’ll need your email). It is a simple word document in which you can make basic case notes, such as “English level is improving and my mentee applied for a job with Dunkin Donuts on Monday and interviewed on Tuesday.” If you have any technical issues, there are different ways we can receive these notes.
  • Check in with Will or Leah if there are any problems or questions.
  • If you ever receive a question or request you’re not prepared to deal with, you’ll be able to refer clients back to their case managers (it’s important you don’t become a resource for all issues).

What You Should Remember:

  • If a refugee can find work and become self-sufficient within three or four months of arrival, it can save IRIS thousands of dollars in much needed funds. It saves money for the city of New Haven, as well as our state and federal governments, which helps our programs and future fund-raising. Most importantly, it is the bridge to a new, better, and more integrated life for someone who is so deserving of those basic gifts.
  • You’re a hero to refugees and the staff of IRIS . . .

THANK YOU!

From the IRIS Employment Services Team:

Will Kneerim Leah Russell

ManagerSpecialist & Instructor

203-562-2095 x215203-562-2095 x216

And our Volunteer Coordinator:

Laurel McCormack

203-562-2095 x211