“Priceless.” That was the word 2022 IT graduate Jeremy Buncum used to describe his experience at Goodwill. “Incredibly thankful because I wouldn’t be where I am without Goodwill.”
Jeremy is still considered a fresh face at the City of Charlotte, where he began working as a Business Systems Analyst in October 2022.
“We are tier-two technology support for the applications that our HR systems teams utilize. If they need a new system for free HR, our role would be to identify which applications meet their requirements, determine what their requirements are and vet those different vendors that could provide those requirements,” Jeremy shared while explaining his role.
Before coming to Goodwill, Jeremy was working in logistics, but was in desperate need of a new job because of the overwhelming stress it was creating for him and his family.
“With the kids, me having to work overtime a lot and just the stress included with that job – it spilled over at home. As much as we like to keep it separate, especially when you’re working from home, it’s almost impossible to do that,” Jeremy said. “The company I was in was large but where we were it was kind of stagnant. I just knew that I wanted to do something more and have more technical skills.”
While passing by Goodwill, Jeremy learned about Goodwill University, Goodwill’s training division designed to help develop the skills needed to launch a career, and enrolled in the Business Analyst course.
“In the course, we learned how to conduct tests for different websites, do some programming and write codes,” he said.
After completing the Business Analyst course, Jeremy wanted more training, so he came back to Goodwill University and took another IT course. This time he enrolled in the Data Analyst course. While taking that course, Goodwill also helped him find a better job, with increased pay and a better schedule. Although Jeremy was not working in IT, this job provided him a lot of the skills he uses today in his current role.
“It was literally a data analyst role, but they didn’t require you to perform it in a data analytical fashion,” he explained.
Jeremy has had a smooth transition into his new IT career thanks to his Goodwill Career Navigator, David Washam, who Jeremy described as very supportive and understanding.
“David’s been awesome, and he’s always been available,” Jeremy said. “He was there to support me throughout the process, not just through the hard stuff, not just resume writing or my elevator pitch, just keeping me encouraged throughout it all.”
Training courses, like the one Jeremy took, are available free of charge thanks to donations and purchases made by shoppers at Goodwill retail stores.
“My mom is like the Goodwill Queen,” Jeremy proudly shared. “Ever since I was a child she’s constantly donated to Goodwill. All her clothes come from there.”
Jeremy has also begun donating to Goodwill and hopes his donations help transform the life of a future participant.
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