Spending their careers helping others, Susan Wade and her husband, John, saw a need in their community and decided to reach out to people affected by the recession.

Wade, director of the Career Development Center at Baker University, is busy during the day helping students perfect their résumés and find internships, but by night she and her husband, a psychologist at the University of Kansas, are helping residents from Lawrence with personal searches of their own.

“It feels like this is a really important time to step up and help where we can,” Susan said.

The couple said they were seeing too many people being laid off because of the recession and felt they needed to do something about it.

They approached their pastor about starting a job club that could be held at their church, but be open to the public.

The Career Connections 7 O’clock Club became a reality when it held its first meeting March 2.

Susan said the group has grown from two people attending the first meeting to 10 as of this week.

The club meets at 7 p.m. each Monday at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 5700 West Sixth St., in Lawrence.

The job club focuses on three main areas: practical job seeking skills, networking, support and coping strategies, John said.

Susan said the club has a twist because she can provide more practical help in seeking jobs, while John can offer emotional support after people lose their jobs and during the search process.

“Our personal identity is very intertwined with our jobs, and losing a job can easily affect how we view ourselves,” John said. “Not to mention the loss of the benefits a job provides. Besides income, we often feel a sense of purpose and feel connected to other people through our jobs.”

Susan said people with ample experience, including a doctor, social worker, teacher and even someone with international experience, have approached the club for help.

“The great thing about job clubs is people help each other,” she said.

Susan said 80 percent of all jobs are acquired by networking, and people who attend the job club not only use the resources provided by Susan and John, but by each other.

While people attending the job club tend to be professionals ranging from their mid-20s to mid-60s, college students can also attend such events, but should also think about things like career fairs, Wade said.

Senior Sarah Schmid attends events sponsored by the CDC that allow her to broaden her networking skills and meet future employers.

Schmid has two potential interviews for jobs after graduation, but has applied for many positions, which is why she’ll keep using resources such as the CDC and searching on her own, she said.

“It’s just frustrating to be putting your résumé out there and no one’s calling you back,” Schmid said.

Wade said people in the job club are vying to attend career fairs with employers present, which is why students need to take advantage of all their resources Baker and the CDC provide.

A Career Exploration Fair  will take place from noon to 4 p.m. April 15 in Collins Center and provide great opportunities because about 30 employers, alumni and graduate students will be present to share their experiences, Susan said.

“It’s a full-time job, finding a job,” she said.