My Goodwill Story – James Baptiste

No matter what stage of life you’re in, you can always make a career change. At 52 years old, James had been self-employed for quite some time. But it didn’t feel right for him anymore.  

It was a Goodwill® employee who recommended he stop by his local Goodwill career center to see what was possible. James went to Goodwill South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale) and met with a career navigator who guided him through the Goodwill Opportunity Accelerator® (OA).  

The OA framework helped James through the process of updating his résumé, setting career goals and eventually finding a new job.  

James was interested in the HVAC training program offered through Goodwill and even saw himself opening his own HVAC business in the future. It helped that James found the teachers to be supportive and motivating in the process. He completed the training with an industry-recognized certification.  

That certification opened doors for James. After the training, he accepted a job as an AC technician. This was exactly what he wanted. Now, James is in a field he genuinely enjoys, and he’s proud of his ability to make this career change.  

His advice to others wanting to make a change is to “be grateful and appreciative of every opportunity.” 

If you know someone who would benefit from the OA, connect them with a Goodwill career center.