Excel in the workplace with COEFWD.com: Success stories

	Kathy McFarland was referred to Center of Excellence for Workforce Development (COEFWD) not long after she lost her job at BMG when they shut down her department. She was employed for several years, so the disappointment was great and the economy not so great. Kathy struggled with finding a job. We both did together. Her life challenges included a disability that affected her vocal chords and made it difficult to articulate clearly during job interviews. For more than one year, she aggressively pursued job opportunities with little success. Because of the financial duress she underwent, she lost her home and had to evacuate with her team of cats. It was difficult to find a shelter or temporary housing that would accept her “family friends”. But her motivation, perseverance, her commitment and follow through did not stop her. She found shelter in a local hotel that would accept her pets. At that time, we decided to take a different approach in her job search. Together we attended a job fair and met a few employers directly. While Kathy’s interview clothing was not generally what is expected by employers, one of the hiring managers from Wal-Mart was willing to consider her, based on all that she had achieved in the past and her demonstrated character qualities. They provided further instructions in the application process. And she followed through on everything the employer asked for. Kathy obtained an interview. COEFWD immediately helped her acquire interview clothing through Dress for Success. She interviewed well and was hired for part-time seasonal help. After being on the job for 3 months, Kathy offered to work over-time, holidays, weekends and hours that people could not work. She was willing to go in on days off to help when the company was short-staffed. Her dedication and willingness to go above and beyond did not go unnoticed. Guidelines do not generally allow her job category to work full-time hours, but Kathy was offered a full-time job. Furthermore, she was offered full benefits before the designed eligibility time-frame of one year. This says a great deal about Kathy’s work ethic and what that meant to Wal-Mart. Today, Kathy has been on her job for 8 month. It generally takes Kathy 2 hours to ride the bus to work, but she recently found an apartment of her own and will soon move 5 minutes from her work place, cats in tow. Kathy loves what she does and it shows. She loves the people she works with, gets along with everyone and is a highly valued employee. For this, we can be grateful for the example she offers us all… that hard work, even in the most dire of circumstances, truly pays off. We can thank Wal-Mart for their willingness to give her a chance. Keep up the good work, Kathy!
	Sian is a pleasure to have in our office. Her excitement and desire to be a valued member of the team is refreshing. She has a positive attitude and has been a reliable, pleasant, contributing addition to our office. She has had a short learning curve and while she's only been with us for 3 months, she knows the ins and outs of our work as if she's been with us for much longer. - a Federal Government Agency
	Wini has been with DFAS for 5 months now and has proven herself to be a dedicated, reliable, and hardworking employee. She has been committed to learning our processes, and quickly became an asset to our team. Her calm, quiet demeanor - and good sense of humor - have served her well when things get hectic in the office. I can always rely on Wini to be one of the first employees in the office in the morning, and to always have a smile for the customer. - a Federal Government Agency
	Kevin Rieman is a bright young man, who has taken to his assignments very quickly. He is at a very good point in his training where he is not afraid to ask questions to help him do his job more accurately and in a timely manner. He is becoming a trusted specimen processor, probably one the most demanding and difficult of all other activities in our lab. He arrives at his station on time every day, without exception and goes right to work. His peers and workmates enjoy having him around. Thank you for the opportunity to work with this smart young man. -Kevin's supervisor
	Amanda has worked at Kroger for over three years. Her strong work ethic and positive performance have resulted in high scores on her performance evaluations.
	In the traditionally high turn-over industry of food service, Daniel has successfully held his position at Chick-Fil-A for four years. His supervisors note that he works well with others and always goes the extra mile.
	Emanuel works for the Baxter YMCA as a membership representative. His strong work performance and positive attitude on the job has earned him the respect of his co-workers and customers alike.
	Michael has been successfully employed at Cracker Barrel for over 4 years. His positive work performance has earned him many accolades including employee of the month.
	Ryan has been employed as a childwatch provider at the YMCA for two years. His supervisors are very satisfied with his work and he is one of the children's favorite providers.