Find My Goodwill

Advancing Your Career with Digital Badges

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

All evidence indicates that a degree or professional certificate is the way forward for career and financial stability. The game is changing, though, with digital badges gaining importance in the credentialing world. Read more to see what digital badges are, how they work and how to get them.

Take the Homework Out of Preparing for a New School Year

Stack of colorful spiral-bound notebooks and binders arranged diagonally, with a red hardcover book on the right.

You know that expression “A Sunday well spent brings a week of content”? One could just as easily swap out “Sunday” for “August” and “week” for “school year” and it would still be true. With the right preparation, the back to school season can be a seamless transition from vacation to vocation with minimal tears.

Procrastination: Congress Style

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

Congress left town this week for the month of August. When they return after Labor Day they might just turn around and leave again. Why? Because all the tough calls they couldn’t make before August will still be here when they get back and with even less time to get it all it done.

Four Ways to Try on a Job before Committing

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

It’s normal to not know what to do and change your mind a lot when it comes to careers, especially after graduating from high school. That is why trying on jobs before committing is such an excellent idea. Here are some different ways to do it.

My Story: Shawnteal Turner

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

I was the one hanging out with the gang members on the street corners doing whatever, not really accomplishing anything with my life, you know… not even paying attention to what I was really doing. A friend of mine kicked me in the butt and was like, “You need to get a job, and Goodwill is having a job fair so come on, let’s go.” I went to a job fair at Goodwill Seattle (WA), and then I met Allison Gerttula. She told me about Goodwill’s Youth Green Corps and I was like great, sign me up, and that’s how I got started.

DIY Projects for Kids of All Ages

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

Before I became a mom, I heard a whole slew of gripes from other parents. The one that kept recurring more often than any others was “Kids are expensive!” Creativity becomes imperative for those on a budget who don’t want their little ones to go without the games and goodies that make childhood special, so […]

Help End the Nation’s Prison Dependency Problem

A hand tightly grips metal prison bars inside a dim, empty cell.

In 1971, while struggling to find an exit strategy from the Vietnam War, President Nixon declared a new war – the War on Drugs. He proposed fighting this war on both the supply side, by cracking down on drug pushers, and on the demand side by investing in strategies to rehabilitate people who were dependent on drugs. Unfortunately, drug abuse remains a serious problem. However, tough sentencing for drug-related crime has done little to deter those on the supply side. Instead, incarceration rates have steadily increased from just under 200,000 people in state and federal prisons in 1971, to more than 1.5 million in 2013.

Tips for Narrowing Down Your Career Interests

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

When you first start working, you may try a number of fields and position types to see what works best for you; when it’s time to start a career track, though, it helps to be certain about what you want to do. Here are some tips for narrowing down your career interests and finding the best opportunities for your long-term career goals.

My Story: Kim Rawls

Person in a black vest and tie stands in front of a large neoclassical government building with steps.

Through Goodwill, I was able to start [working] in the e-commerce department. A month later I became the leader in that department which was about to go from a $1,500 revenue to a $7,000 revenue within one month. By December 2013, we hit our first $10,000.

Channel Your Goodwill Wanderlust

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

What’s the first thing you do when you visit a new city? For me, after I’ve settled into my hotel and refueled at a café, I have to track down the closest Goodwill retail store! Since each and every one is stocked with items donated by those who live nearby, individual locations become completely distinct and allow visitors to get a taste for that specific region’s lifestyle.

My Story: Oscar Flores Montes

Portrait of a young man with short dark hair and a gray hoodie, standing against a circular-patterned wall.

I was introduced to the Seattle Goodwill Aerospace Program. One day I was just having lunch at my high school and a friend of mine whose name is Oscar as well, he came up to me and asked me if I was interested in aerospace. He knew I was interested in aerospace, so naturally I said yes.

Careers in Focus: Information Technology

Diverse group of six workers wearing safety vests posing in front of a loading dock.

There is a wide array of career paths in information technology (IT), including maintenance and support, research/development/design and cybersecurity, among others. IT is also a fast-paced industry that is constantly changing, which provides you the opportunity to continually learn new technologies. Here is a small sampling of positions in IT career pathways.