Success Takes Hard Work and a Career Coach who cares
“I needed good housing – safe and secure, but to get that I needed a solid job. And I realized right away I needed help,” Beth admits, “and I’m glad I could work with my Career Coach, Anthony.”
Beth connected with E&ES through the Chicago Department of Support Services (DFSS) searching for help with more stable housing, overcoming her job search obstacles, and getting the help she needed through the Employment Placement Program.
“I didn’t have professional clothes, I didn’t know how to interview, and I didn’t even have the money for transportation to interviews!” Beth says, “and besides all that I had a background that didn’t help me.”
Coaching her through the initial assessments and beginning her job readiness training, Beth was all-in – showing-up, participating, and ready to learn.
“We covered barriers to employment, the value of a job, succeeding in the interview, being prepared and what to wear, and we even talked about the kind of interviewing questions I would be asked and did practice interviews, and we even created my resume.”
Working with her Career Coach through this, Beth found the encouragement and real help she needed – including a financial awareness workshop with the E&ES nonprofit partner, The Journey Forward, and the support of a voucher for new business clothes and shoes for her interviews, a CTA Ventra pass, and hiring events with E&ES partner employers.
After several interviews with great Chicago companies, Beth received an offer from a hospital to work in food service and earn more than $18 per hour.
Today, Beth says she’s very busy, her work is going well, and “It’s just what I hoped for. Thank you!”
This program is funded by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
