Shawn’s Success Story

Shawn came to the Jefferson County Workforce Center as part of the Temporary Aid to Needy Families program, more commonly known as TANF. As a single mom caring for her 7 year old son, Shawn faced many challenges. As a single mom caring for her ailing mother and 7 year old son, she faced many more. Circumstances and life events aligned to put Shawn in the position of seeking aid through TANF in the fall of 2007.

Prior to seeking benefits through TANF, Shawn had a good job at the Federal Center where she managed a very busy mailroom. When her mother’s health worsened, Shawn needed to uproot her family and seek help in another state. This decision forced her to leave her job and try to make a go of things somewhere else. After several months, circumstances changed again and brought her back to Colorado.

A requirement of the TANF program is for participants to attend a Life Skills course offered through the Jefferson County Workforce Center. This course teaches participants everything from how to balance a checkbook to how to cook healthy meals to how to write a great resume. As with any course that is required, there are varying levels of enthusiasm for the work at hand. Shawn was one of those students who took each lesson seriously and gave 100% each and every day. The course lasts approximately three weeks. By the time Shawn had received her Life Skills certificate, she had also earned something just as valuable – a full time job in a field she loved.

Shawn took all the lessons in Life Skills to heart – especially the lessons about knowing what you want and customizing resumes. Shawn knew that she loved to work in a mailroom environment, and spent time each day searching the internet, job boards, and newspapers for jobs in her field. Once she found a suitable job, she set forth to create a resume and cover letter just for that job.

Then, one day, she found the perfect job and quickly put together a strong resume and cover letter. Within a day, she got called for an interview. Even though she was battling a bad cold, she came to Life Skills class each day. She followed the advice of the Life Skills instructor and prepared a chart to outline examples of how she met the need for all the job requirements. She agreed to do a mock interview in order to be better prepared for the real interview. Before she could go home and rest, she drove downtown to make sure of her route for the day of the interview.

Within a week of her interview, she was called back for a second interview. From there, she was quickly put through a couple more interviews before finally being offered the job on the Friday before Thanksgiving. Best of all, she was offered more money per hour based on her previous experience.

Shawn’s success story is a shining example of the adage “You get out what you put in”. While Shawn was struggling to make ends meet for her mother, her son, and herself, she continued to press forward and take the necessary steps toward financial independence. With the financial assistance she received through TANF, she was able to support her family while working to become more financially independent. Her efforts were rewarded with the ultimate prize – a good full-time job.

Another Success Story

Many times physical injury on the job can mean a whole new beginning both physically and professionally. Recently, a job candidate who was injured on the job came into the Jefferson County Workforce Center after recovering enough from his injury to return to work.

Like Shawn, this candidate was willing to log the hours it takes to find a new job. He consistently visited the Workforce Center to send out applications, revise resumes, and get expert advice from the staff. Within four weeks of visiting the workforce center, this job candidate received a temporary job a local company. The job had the possibility of becoming permanent which happened within two weeks of his first day of work.

This candidate was recently back at the Workforce Center to look for another part-time job to help him get back on his financial feet more quickly. He is ever grateful to the Workforce Center and its staff for their assistance in his job search. By putting in the time and effort to submit over 50 applications, this candidate was able to secure a good job using the resources of the Jefferson County Workforce Center.

Your Hard Work + Our Resources = A Good Job

As these stories demonstrate, it is possible to find a good job. It does not happen over night nor does it happen without lots of hard work and consistent effort, but when you come to the Jefferson County Workforce Center and its programs, you have set yourself on a path for success. By sharing these stories of real people who found real success, we hope you will take that first step and visit us today at the Jefferson County Workforce Center.