My Story: Everardo Jaimez

Everardo Jaimez is a recipient of the 2016 Michael W. Haley Graduate of the Year Award. The Michael W. Haley Graduate of the Year Award Program by Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc. (Triad Goodwill) recognizes participants who have established positive changes in their life through new career choices.

I was living in hotel rooms and making ends meet working in the construction field building bridges when I packed up and moved to Greensboro, NC with the prospects of starting a new job.  Soon after arriving however, I learned that this job would not be coming through.  I quickly spent all of my savings and unfortunately had to move into a local shelter.

Even though the times were tough, I was not about to give up. I soon went to the local Triad Goodwill and met with their Career Development Services experts. They worked closely with me to craft a resume that highlighted my extensive customer service bilingual skills and experiences. To help increase my chances of finding a job, I made sure that I took advantage of all available resources Triad Goodwill had to help me. I used the computers to search for potential jobs, worked on mock interviews and attended career fairs to meet with potential employers. I was always willing to help others in the computer network room and used my positive attitude to lift others’ spirits.

Everardo Jaimez Dec 2016It was when I had my third interview with a potential employer that I received a great boost for my confidence – a voucher for an interview suit. I prepared one last time with my friends at the Career Development Services and got  some final advice for the interview and one week later, I found out that I was now going to be working as a Bilingual Customer Service Representative for the City of Greensboro! I work with the local residents and help them on a wide range of important issues.
My favorite thing about my job is helping people. I thank the people at Goodwill® for giving me the support and help that I needed to overcome homelessness. They were always there to encourage me to never give up!