The men on the telephones are hard at work. Three of them, constantly punching in numbers, the rehearsed introductions never betraying the fact that they have already done this 30 times.

Hard work. Unemployment is like that if you're not a utilities director who's been sent on his way with a golden handshake.

Everybody knows and dreads the daily grind of looking for a job, that blind fumbling along the path lined with financial and emotional pitfalls.

Some are luckier than others. One of the men sits up straight, his voice expectant. He hangs up with a smile. The tinny voice at the other end of the line has offered an interview.

At the Employment Resource Centre, tucked away on the fourth floor of Gateway House on Finchley's Regents Park Road, there are many stories like this.

The centre was set up under the auspices of Jewish Care almost five years ago to the day and mobilises an impressive range of facilities and expertise with the express aim of getting unemployed Jewish people back to work.

Corrine Mills is centre manager and her energy is indicative of the type of enterprise we are dealing with. Unstinting in her support of the jobless, she expects a trade-off.

"We give 100 per cent and expect our clients to give us 200 per cent back," she declares with a fond smile.

That means clients, who range from the young graduate to the redundant skilled worker to the women returner, must attend a six-month programme.

In that time they will be assigned to a trained adviser and receive expert guidance on, among other things, career direction, composing the perfect cv, mastering interview techniques and starting up a business.

"In lots of ways we are how a Government job club should be," explains Corrine. "The approach is very much client-centred and we are trying to find out what is best for you, unlike a job club where the emphasis is on getting you off the dole and improving Government statistics."

Talking of statistics, since the centre opened in 1993 a total of 2,651 people have benefited from the free service. Of that, 984 have called to say they have found employment. Corrine thinks the actual figure could be double.

"People might think because we are part of a Jewish charity we are insular," she says. "But we are very much in the real world, very carefully orientated and knowledgeable about the best practices in recruitment."

Certainly the banks of computers, fax machines, seminar rooms and shelves of journals reinforces the air of professionalism that pervades the building.

Sophie Sassoon is just one example of many who have benefited from the service that Jewish Care chief executive Melvin Carlowe recently called the jewel in the charity's crown.

She used the centre's resources at an important time in her life. After deciding to spend a couple of years abroad, she was keen to get back into work in London and now has a job in PR.

"It helped me start up again," said Sophie, 26, from Finchley. "It makes finding jobs more fun than rummaging through newspaper articles.

"It's a wonderful, personal service that helped me focus. I'd had jobs before and this gave me the opportunity to focus on how I wanted to return."

o The centre is open from 9.30am-4.30pm Monday-Thursday. Interviews are by appointment. For more details call 0181 343 1818.

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