Success Story: Erica P.
“I want to work,” was one of the first things Erica told her discharge officer while preparing to leave jail in January of 2023. By February, she was enrolled in Triad Goodwill’s Careers On The Outside (COTO) program and applying for jobs.
Erica learned about the COTO program from a family member and decided to join after struggling to get hired. “I would apply and interview for jobs but would get denied right when they got to the background check,” explained Erica. “I had worked in offices when I was younger, but I liked being on my feet and being up and moving, so I started working in warehouses and had a lot of experience,” but despite her experience, her record was holding her back.
The COTO program taught Erica how to pinpoint her qualities to employers, and how to talk about her past in a way that highlights her future and potential.
“You can hear people’s determination and enthusiasm in an interview, and in COTO they teach that…Not just what to say, but how to behave, and give that eye contact to make the employer know that you want it.”
Erica’s advice for employers who are on the fence about becoming a second chance employer is simple,
“Listen to the person and see past their background. If YOU can get past what they did in the past, I believe you will have one of the best employees, like me – I’m determined to make it work, and I want you to see that I can work hard, just as hard, or harder than someone who may have been with you for 5 years.”
