After a series of temporary jobs, Kathy wanted to find a permanent job that she could do until retirement.
When she was six years old, Kathy sustained an acquired brain injury (ABI) when she fell off her bike and hit her head on the curb. Because of this, she has a cognitive impairment, and she has difficulty processing and retaining information. She understands her barriers and knows that she requires additional time to process information.
When communicating, she needs to focus without distractions or background noise. Kathy also needs additional time to adapt to change and a calculator for mathematical tasks. In addition to her ABI, Kathy has hearing loss and Type 2 Diabetes.
A past participant of Neil Squire programs, Kathy was referred by . She joined the Creative Employment Options program in April to receive assistance navigating the ever-changing labour market.
Kathy started the program by reformatting and updating her resume. She received feedback on her tailored cover letters to improve their readability to catch the eyes of employers. Kathy had extensive work experience in administration and insurance.
She did a good job highlighting her experience and accomplishments not only in her employment documents, but during interviews as well. Kathy gained confidence with each interview she had and the more she practiced.
Kathy networked by cold calling employers she wanted to work for, and mastered following up on applications and interviews.
She learned how to disclose her disability and discuss needed accommodations. She also learned about methods to increase her self-confidence.
Kathy went above and beyond, and was dedicated to finding a job. You could always find her at her desk, hard at work, learning, applying, and networking. She hit the ground running from the moment she began the program. In one month, Kathy applied for over 20 jobs. She is a shining example of how hard work pays off.
The last interview Kathy attended was at a large insurance company鈥檚 office in Regina. As always, she sent a thank-you email following the interview. Within the same week, the employer emailed Kathy back with a job offer which she accepted.
Kathy will start out in a full-time Insurance Administration position. She will be responsible for supporting their insurance team and providing customer service to clients via phone. The company will be recertifying Kathy where she will then transition into an Insurance Broker position. Kathy is beyond excited to start working again. The job has exceeded her expectations.
When asked if she was different in any way since the beginning of the Creative Employment Options program, Kathy replied, 鈥淸I feel] a lot more confident in myself and [have] increased self-esteem.鈥
