Client Profiles

Evelyn Spencer

HIRED helped Evelyn Spencer find self-respect and a new career direction after she was laid off from her job as a warehouse worker. She’d worked with other agencies without success, but found what she needed at HIRED.

At HIRED’s job search workshop, Evelyn learned how to create a resume, write cover letters, fill out applications and interview effectively. “The workshops offered at HIRED have so much to offer that a job seeker can benefit from,” she says. “They give you a lot more than any other program out there.”

Evelyn’s employment counselor helped her identify jobs that fit her interests and then to pursue training, which included getting her boiler operator license, for her goal of becoming a qualified Maintenance Custodian. She is now working full-time in building maintenance at the Star Tribune production plant. “Working is fun and I am enjoying the process,” she says. “From my work with HIRED I have gained respect for myself and respect for others. I feel good about myself and what I have accomplished.”

Lynette Carlson

Lynette Carlson had been employed at SUPERVALU for more than 19 years when she learned that her job as a customer service representative in the IT department was being eliminated. The instability and uncertainty associated with unemployment was frightening enough, but what she feared most was that her skills would be too job-specific and she wouldn’t find a position that challenged her.

Diane Henderson, a counselor in HIRED’s Brooklyn Park office, focused on Lynette’s customer service experience and her “very strong organizational skills and an unabashed willingness to try news things.” Diane recommended two computer skills courses to round out Lynette’s IT background, and a class on being a leader and supervisor, which Lynette is quick to point out, has helped her develop more confidence as a manager. A temporary job at Laneco, a small janitorial service company in Brooklyn Park, was enough to show the project supervisor what Lynette could do. She was eventually offered a full-time position as the company’s Operation’s Manager.

Since leaving HIRED’s dislocated worker program, Lynette has taken the initiative to enroll in Spanish language courses to improve her ability to communicate with some of the employees. In addition to continuing her language courses, Lynette is currently looking into taking small business courses.

Lynette said, “When you lose your job in mid-career, you never dream this kind of opportunity will be available. HIRED has helped me challenge myself in new ways that are very rewarding. I have a lot of responsibility here at Laneco, and I really enjoy having the opportunity to work within many facets of the company.”