WWEE Success Stories

Alicia will long remember the day she published her resume on the Internet. She posted it in the morning, and there was a response that very afternoon.

Life had not been so promising the year before. Alicia had been laid off her job as receptionist and, due to a high-risk pregnancy, was unable to collect unemployment. In order to support her children, Alicia applied for welfare. Even then, she was unable to make ends meet and had to borrow money from her mother. After the baby was born and his father abandoned the family, Alicia fell into a deep depression.

Just when she felt that her life was hopeless, her caseworker told Alicia about the WWEE agency. She registered for Computer Applications and Career Development (CACD) and arranged day care for the baby. In the four-week CACD course, Alicia enhanced her skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. She created a resume and a professional portfolio. That summer, Alicia graduated with honors and began her three-month internship at Auburn City Hall. In her position as assistant to the personnel director, Alicia prepared a slide show on sexual harassment and discrimination that was presented to all Auburn city employees.

Her post in the personnel department made it possible for Alicia to review city job listings from Edgewood and Auburn. She got referrals from Employment Security, and made extensive use of the Internet to seek job openings and file applications. Then came the day she posted her resume on Monster.com and got amazing results. Alicia was hired by Pacific Office Automation to be their facility manager at Auburn Riverside Hospital. In her new position, she provides technical and operational support for all the office equipment, and regularly supervises a staff of volunteers and work readiness students from the local high school.

Alicia says WWEE taught her what she needed to know to get where she is. She believes the high standards set at WWEE for computer training and career preparation are invaluable to anyone seeking a professional position. In addition, she says that the emotional support she received from WWEE, the advocacy, and the referrals to other agencies and resources that she obtained there were the tools she needed to become successful.