#4 - Overcoming Employment Challenges During COVID-19 with Ellen Fernandez

SUMMARY Ellen Fernandez is a vocational counselor and vocational rehabilitation counselor for more than 30 years. Her job is evaluating her client's ability to get back to work. Susan and Ellen explore the dynamics of reentering the workforce and the many factors that workers face in today's environment. They also discuss how hard it is to find a job right now, but how the economy is going to bounce back as it has before and will again. ------------------------------ HIGHLIGHTS [00:52] Susan introduces Ellen Fernandez, and they talk about her job of assessing people’s ability to work and where they would be best. [06:02] Ellen shares information about the best places and times to apply for a job and goes into detail on how to look. [18:49] Ellen explains how economic change effects when to find a job and how to deal with that change. [21:42] Ellen and Susan discuss how COVID has and still will effect the economy, job openings, and human beings in general. [27:20] Ellen goes into detail about her job responsibilities as a vocational counselor. [35:36] What you can do to find the right job for you during a divorce. ------------------------------ QUOTES 6:32 “I would say definitely, if you need a job, just get a job. Even if you've been out of work for a long time or you've been furloughed, you need to keep food on the table. It's important to just apply for something.” 19:15 “You'll look back on this terrible experience five years from now and you'll remember how difficult it was, but be so glad that you have gotten out of the situation and forward and things are different and often better because change often does bring out something better.” 26:18 “I think that this situation has called upon all of us to be creative and to figure out solutions.” 35:06  “Some places are paying $15 an hour for lower-skilled jobs. But oddly, some jobs that require a bachelor's degree or master's degree, like working in social services only pay that $15 an hour.” 38:32  “It is hard to find a job and it's discouraging because if you were looking for a job way back when, you could go in person, which is hard to do now, it's mostly applying online. You often don't even get a response, so it feels very much just discouraging.” ------------------------------ RESOURCES Ellen Fernandez: 321-777-2692 Email: efern338@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/ https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/divorce/

Om Podcasten

This is Susan Chesnutt of The Chesnutt Law Firm. This is my podcast From Foster Care to Family Law: A Child Welfare Focus. I was raised in the foster care system, I was a child abuse investigator for the Department of Children and Families, and now I am an attorney practicing family law where my passion is to focus on the best interests of the children involved. In my podcast, I will be meeting industry experts exploring the seemingly impossible scenarios that families often struggle to manage. Each episode will include insights and concepts from professionals that deal with these issues.