“I’ll do anything that Goodwill asks me to because it literally changed my life in a matter of three to four months. I’m forever grateful and indebted.”
Tiara Clinton is thriving in her career as a Data Analyst for Foodbuy USA, a procurement sector of Compass Group. Prior to her journey with Goodwill, she was laid off from her job as a Mortgage Loan Officer.
“Literally off of Google,” Tiara said when explaining how she learned of Goodwill’s tuition-free training programs. “I had like a lack of funds and was just trying to figure out my next career move by looking up low-cost or free training programs, and Goodwill was one of the first ones to pop up.”
Goodwill offers a wide variety of free employment services to the community, including job training programs in high-demand fields and job search support. After discovering this, Tiara jumped at the opportunity to take the nonprofit’s Data Analytics training program.
“I know that data is something ever evolving. I know that the industry is growing. I know that there’s a lot of room for growth and opportunity,” she said.
But the transition did not come without a challenge. Tiara did not have an IT background.
“I knew it was going to be a challenge because I had been doing sales for like seven to eight years,” Tiara explained. “Learning something new as an adult is always a challenge, but then learning new technology presented a different challenge.”
But Tiara’s persistence paid off. Today, she’s unlocking a new level of Excel each day in her current role.
In addition to learning new skills in the classroom, participants in Goodwill’s training programs are offered wraparound services that include working with a Career Navigator and an Employer Engagement Specialist. Together, they help participants perfect their resume, prepare for interviews and connect with hiring employers – so they can land the job.
Robert Perry, Goodwill Career Navigator, assisted Tiara with resume preparation and still checks in with her to this day, something she really appreciates. And Craig Kalhagen, an Employer Engagement Specialist at Goodwill, has an extensive network that led Tiara to an interview with Foodbuy, where she is now employed.
“Craig sent me job leads literally like two to four times a week, every week, until I got a job,” Tiara said.
Training programs like the one Tiara took are available free of charge to the community, thanks to shopping and donating at Goodwill’s 36 retail locations and more than 40 donation sites, in addition to corporate, community and philanthropic donations.
“When I just think back like a year ago from being laid off, working a part-time job at a grocery store, to now having a promising career where my company continues to invest in me, continues to provide me room for growth and training – it’s just literally every day a full-circle moment that I never take for granted,” Tiara said.
If you would like to help fund Goodwill’s programs and services that we offer to the community free of charge – like the ones that helped Tiara on her pathway to prosperity – consider dropping off your gently used donations at one of our locations or making a financial contribution.
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