When I put in my two weeks at the group home I'd been working at back in October, I thought I had another job lined up. I'd been asked to apply to an amazing Behavioral Health Professional for a company that worked in the school systems. I was called and practically sold the job on the phone prior to my interview. The day of my interview I woke up with a bad cold but I was determined to push through and give a great interview. I answered each question by the interviewer as thoroughly as I could. He seemed impressed and I was excited. Three hours later I received an email from his secretary stating that I wasn't a fit for the position I was interviewed for, but rather for a position with evening and night hours(after I told the interviewer that I was in school, taking night classes) and also one that paid a full two dollars less. I was baited and switched and it broke my heart.
After applying to countless jobs, some entry level like bank tellers, and others in my field like case managers or program coordinators, and hearing nothing back from any of them I really started to doubt my ability as a worker and as a person. I started to fall into a depressive state and I couldn't get out of it. I put on a happy face for my family, my fiance and my friends, but inside I was stressed and falling apart. I was starting to realize that I would need to go back to retail just to be able to pay my half of the bills coming in. In the midst of all of this, my car died. Again. I was starting fights with my fiance and my family because I didn't know how else to handle the stress.
Just as I was about to apply to a bunch of retail positions, I received an email from a recruiter at a company called Work Opportunities Unlimited. The email stated that she had seen my resume on Indeed and would love to hear back from me if I thought the position would be a fit for me. After a little research, I emailed her right back to say that I was definitely interested. She emailed me back to set up an "informational interview" so she could explain what my role would be and what the company was all about. The next day we talked on the phone for over an hour and I fell in love with the company's purpose. We scheduled an official phone interview for the next day. My phone interview went really well and she sent me over the paperwork for my references. A weekend went by before I heard anything else. My nerves were back and I wondered where I had gone wrong. As it turns on, my supervisor at my only human services position had quit just a couple weeks after I left so they needed the number for human resources to confirm my employment there. I was, then, given the opportunity to set up an in-person interview with the director of the Portland, Maine office. I was ecstatic. I went out and bought the best interview clothes I could afford(I'm incredibly broke currently). My in-person interview solidified my want to be with the company. The director liked my answers and offered me another interview, this time a field interview. For those who don't know what this is, it was basically me going to a job site and working with a client at their job. I immediately accepted.
My field interview was at Famous Dave's Barbeque in Scarborough. I spent two hours learning the ropes of the job and was asked again if I was interested in the position. I said yes and the director said I would know by the next day at the latest. We shook hands and I went on my way. No more than two hours later was I called and offered a 28-hour position at 12.50 an hour. While it doesn't seem like a lot of hours, I was happy to accept.
But what is Work Opportunities Unlimited?
Work Opportunities Unlimited is a company that helps individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities find jobs. This company with individuals from step one. This means helping them build resumes, learning about their skills, their hopes, passions, and dreams. It means calling businesses around the Portland area to see if they have a spot for a client. It means helping build interviewing skills with clients. It means going to a job site with them and watching them work. At Work Opportunities Unlimited, as a job coach, we don't help them do their job or do it for them, we break it down step by step to help them figure out how to do it on their own. It may mean prompting them if they forget a step or get distracted. It's about being assertive, without being rude, condescending or mean.
For more information about this company please visit their website: http://workopportunities.net/
There you will be able to find job descriptions, job openings and success stories. This company is located in nine different states. If you are looking for a part-time position, please consider applying!