My Story: Mark McNie

I came to Goodwill Industries of St. Clair County (Port Huron, MI) in September, 2014 via a situational assessment from Michigan Rehabilitation Services.  In 1996 I went into anaphylactic shock after being prescribed an antibiotic I was severely allergic to that put me out of commission for close to three years.

As a result of the reaction I incurred physical disabilities which precluded me from resuming the type of work I had performed previously.  Shortly thereafter, I went through a divorce.  If that wasn’t enough to endure I then faced housing challenges. Prior to arriving at Goodwill I was having an extremely difficult time making ends meet, finding a place to live without a steady income; and faced the reality that I was up against having to not only update outdated computer skills but find a new career. Although I had tried to remain optimistic, I felt extremely discouraged.

Through my assessment, Goodwill discovered I had strong professional attributes in my work ethics and behaviors.  Being an open-minded individual I tried several different job stations.  The clerical job station it provided me computer exposure and clerical training which I had never been exposed to.  My computer skills were thus updated.  Throughout my Assessment Goodwill also discovered I was a valuable team player.  Just prior to finishing my assessment a position came up in the Goodwill’s e-commerce store and I was hired on a permanent part-time basis.

In originally coming to Goodwill I wasn’t sure what to expect of the situational assessment.  In hindsight I would like to share my exposure and recent hiring has brought me great things. The work I do is rewarding and makes me feel like a valued team member.  The position will also put me “back on the map” in terms of my resume. My hope for a brighter future has been rekindled.

I now work for Goodwill’s e-commerce store and am in charge of organizing and cataloguing items that appear online in the store.  I also assist with shipping and receiving, packaging, cost analysis and cost estimating. On day one of my assessment I was asked what my “dream job” would be. I had always wanted to be a cost estimator. My assessment and hard work at Goodwill allowed me to pursue that dream.