Goodwill Program: Banking & Customer Service Training

“Goodwill shot my confidence through the roof. It really equipped me to go into the job force. Never in a million years did I think I would work in a bank.”

Clairsean hit one of the lowest points in her life – losing her apartment, her job and sense of security. She also was living back at home with her mom again.

Pregnant with her second child, Clairsean worried about the future and prospects of finding a good job to support her growing family.

“I was completely broke. It was crushing. I had worked so hard to make sure I didn’t come back home. I was so excited and it was all pulled out from under me,” Clairsean, 21, recalls. “The entire situation was disappointing.”

The frustration didn’t last long when the single mom lost her restaurant job of three years. Little did Clairsean know her mom had already “secretly” signed her up for Goodwill’s Banking and Customer Service training program. Two days later, she was interviewing for a spot in the nine-week class.

At the time, Clairsean was ”shocked“ and “sour”  that her mom took matters into her own hands. These days, Clairsean wants to give Mom a “bear hug” thanking her for finding Goodwill, which changed her career outlook and prepared her for employment with SunTrust Bank.

“My mom had wanted to get me out of the restaurant business. She knew how hard I worked and that I wasn’t being compensated enough. I would work all day and come home with $25 in tips,” Clairsean says.

“I had tried before to get out of the restaurant businesses. No one would hire me. I felt I could do so much more.”

By the time the Mint Hill resident graduated from Goodwill, her phone was ringing daily with calls for job interviews – something that never happened before. She had four job offers. Clairsean took a part-time job as a teller with SunTrust Bank off Sardis Road, which eventually became a full-time position.

“I was shocked. Every day, I was getting phone calls (for interviews),” says Clairsean, adding she applied to banking jobs almost daily. “If I knew the name to the bank, I applied.

“My current manager said he’s never seen anyone with banking training before. It gave me the leg up.”

Clairsean says she was like a sponge in the Goodwill program – soaking up the simulated customer service training and banking procedures. She applied the interview techniques, including posture, smiling and being engaged, to her job interviews.

She left Goodwill with renewed confidence and realized her life was about to change.

“All the jobs that were calling me for interviews were so much better than where I came from. It would be a whole different lifestyle – going from a $10,000 to $15,000 job, to a $25,000-plus job.

“If it wasn’t for this job, I would be at a total loss and in the same rut.  I would not be able to take care of my kid the way I should,” Clairsean says. “The job provides everything – daycare, diapers, food, gas money and the little bit I give to my parents.”

Today, Clairsean, who has a 1-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, is focusing on saving money to buy a home and getting a degree.

“Goodwill shot my confidence through the roof. It really equipped me to go into the job force. Never in a million years did I think I would work in a bank,” Clairsean says. “It’s a respectable career. Working in a bank is the ultimate trust. It says a lot about you and your character.”