All I need are job openings and a great resume and I’ll be in good shape! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that. Let’s explore what employers really look for and why simply possessing a good resume often isn’t enough. Employers look for a combination of competency and culture fit. They need to know you’re likely to do a good job, but they also want a comfort level with your personality.
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Happy Spring! April showers might bring May flowers, but rainy days can also bring some fantastic Goodwill finds. When it’s pouring outside, one thing that always cheers me up is grabbing a cup of coffee and then seeing what sunshine I can find inside my favorite thrift store.
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Since April is "Financial Literacy Month", we thought we’d take a break from talking about money in the billions and trillions (as is the norm here in DC) and instead focus on finances in amounts that are more relevant to most of us. One of the goals for our local Goodwill is to help organizations is to help individuals and families reach their full potential through education, skills training and employment. There are significant barriers to education and work for many people and even once they access a local Goodwill service to support, there often lies another hurdle: lack of financial wellness.
Francisco Arellano came to Triad Goodwill’s Asheboro Career Center for our English as a Second Language class (ESL) and GED program. The free training helped him improve his English reading and comprehension skills. Unlike many ESL/GED students, Francisco always completed his “homework,” which helped him pass his GED test! “Before coming here, I struggled at work every day. I needed an interpreter and there wasn’t always someone available to translate for me. This made learning and working harder for me,” said Francisco. In order to learn more English, I would listen to people tell stories and I kept trying hard to understand what they were saying.”
Carrie is a graduate of Triad Goodwill’s Jobs on the Outside (J.O.T.O.) program. The classes helped her learn how to break down the barriers faced by ex-offenders. “J.O.T.O. allowed me to get the skill set I needed to rebrand myself and get back into the work force. They helped me realize I could pursue the career of my choice,” said Carollee.
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Michigan (SEMI) was recently featured in a video titled The Life of Your Book, showcasing how donated books are recirculated into the community. The Life of Your Book will be featured at the Michigan State Capitol Department of Education, through Lenawee Cradle to Career. When you donate books to Goodwill SEMI you are impacting programs right here in our community.
Maybe you’ve seen the ads on TV, or while you’re out and about: Financial consulting, investment services, portfolio management, etc. It can sound impossible even to a person with a relatively comfortable middle-class income! Those services, though, can extend to anybody, as can the practices of smart money management and building a more secure financial future. Here are a few simple things that you can do.
Easter is only days away now, but it’s not too late to boost your celebration by adding a little something extra. We’ve got ideas for gifts, decor, and dress. So, no matter how you plan to spend Sunday, here are a few ideas to make the most of it…
On Thursday April 19, Goodwill Advocates from across the United States will travel to Capitol Hill to advocate for the issues that matter most to local Goodwill organizations. On this day we are calling on all Goodwill Advocates to send messages to Congress, either through a letter or a social media post, about the important Goodwill issues and to support our colleagues advocating in person. In today’s social media driven world virtual advocacy is becoming a powerful tool to communicate with our elected officials. According to the Congressional Management Foundation, 98% of lawmakers view this communication as extremely important and effective.
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A recent Harvard Business Review article, How to Increase Your Influence at Work, looks at basic strategies for aspiring leaders who are wanting to develop their influence as they move along their career paths.
READ MORE from How Improving Your Soft Skills Can Help You Cultivate Influence at Work
