Client Profiles

Rosalee Burke

Rosalee Burke, her husband Jeremy and their toddler recently moved to Minneapolis from northern Minnesota. Up north, Rosalee had on-again, off-again jobs in a casino, but she wanted a more stable life and the opportunities the city offered. It wasn’t an easy transition. Work was hard to find; the family moved in and out of several apartments and shelters. In the midst of it all, Rosalee learned she was pregnant with a second child. Her MFIP case worker provided a referral to HIRED to help Rosalee develop more effective job search skills.

“At the orientation [my employment counselors] helped me work on my resume and practice my interviewing skills,” says Rosalee. “I went on lots of interviews, but didn’t get the jobs. I kept trying and found a job with Bachman’s.”

According to Rosalees’s counselor, “Rosalee is an exceptionally upbeat person, but she’s very, very shy. One of the things we work on when we meet is helping her find ways to be comfortable with projecting a more outgoing personality. In an interview setting, where she has only a few minutes to make an impression, she is at a disadvantage. She has so much to offer, but you don’t see that right away.”

The depth of HIRED’s commitment to its clients is working: “The staff at HIRED is really friendly and very supportive. Sometimes it is discouraging to go on so many interviews, but my counselor is always helping me,” said Rosalee. She is still working hard to balance her current job and family, but with her great attitude and HIRED’s support, she knows she’ll make it.

Kotfa Dama

Kotfa Dama and his wife, Kharviata, arrived in the United States from Senegal with three children and a fourth on the way. Kotfa was an avionics technician in Senegal, but to do the same work in the U.S. he needs an FAA license, for which he is not yet qualified. The family eventually was placed in the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Minnesota’s welfare reform program, which helps families work their way out of poverty by expecting, supporting and rewarding work. Kotfa applied for many jobs, but the application and interview processes were unfamiliar to him, and he had no success.

Kotfa was referred to the Ramsey County MFIP program at HIRED, and attended a two-week job-search skills workshop. He recalls, “We were taught how to fill out application forms and how to pass through an interview, and I started again to apply for jobs. I went back to some of the same places I had applied before, and I got some interviews, and after the first interview I was offered a job.”

Kotfa is now working full-time for Aircraft Service International Group as an aircraft service technician, providing ground handling services at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. He has also taken on a part-time job cleaning for Sun Country Airlines. The family’s income has increased sufficiently that they are now transitioning off MFIP.

He notes with appreciation that HIRED continues to help him with his transportation expenses, and he is grateful for the organization’s role in helping his family find their feet in a new country. He says, “I’ve seen so many people who have made it because they passed through the teaching and the counseling at HIRED.”

Sonja Karbo

Single mother Sonja Karbo had few life options on public assistance. With a referral from her MFIP counselor, she enrolled in HIRED’s MFIP program. “I received tuition assistance to attend Lakeland Medical and Dental Academy,” Karbo says. “After graduation, a HIRED counselor helped me with my job search. It was nice to have somebody on my side like that.”

Within six months of graduation, Karbo obtained full-time employment as a medical coding specialist. She and her daughter found a two-bedroom house and daycare near work. “We’re enjoying a new life,” adds Karbo.