Training builds confidence and motivation
Jeff earned an Internet Marketing Certificate after a layoff. In short order, he landed a remote job for a global corporation.
A print management professional, Jeff gained digital skills with an Internet Marketing Certificate. It showed employers he was keeping up to date.
Joy…the feeling when your contract gig goes permanent.
Elation...when you learn the job pays more than your previous position.
After a layoff and a lengthy period of unemployment, Jeff could finally experience a sigh of relief – and a healthy dose of joy and elation. After hustling contract jobs to pay the bills and improve his resume, a company hired him as a permanent employee. “In the end, I was able to make more money than my last full-time job and benefits started right away,” says Jeff.
An accomplished professional in the print management and marketing industry, Jeff had climbed the ranks to a dream agency. After the company lost a major customer, however, he was let go along with 20 other people. During the pandemic, he faced a series of additional layoffs and work changes.
Reflecting on his experience with workNet DuPage, Jeff says, “I have enjoyed my time with the program. It gave me the confidence and motivation which was missing in my life due to being unemployed for a lengthy amount of time.”
As a midcareer professional with most of his experience in print marketing, Jeff needed to update his skills to show employers he was staying sharp and relevant in a digital world. A workNet DuPage WIOA grant enabled him to earn an Internet Marketing Certificate – at no cost. “Having a certificate helped versus a program,” Jeff says. “I was drawn to the Computer Training Source which provided access to Adobe Creative Suite. In the printing and graphic arts industry that was huge, that was thousands of dollars to access because you’re a local student with them.”
Jeff says the training made a difference, “It showed companies I was willing to put in extra time to learn a new industry at my age and not give up. The biggest result was helping me to stay positive, although it was very difficult at times.” His persistence combined with the support from his workNet DuPage career coach, Mark Dennison, funding for training, and resume services paid off.
Jeff is now happily employed with a remote job as a project manager for a multinational corporation. Responsible for over 300 stores, he handles digital, TV, radio, social media, and billboards throughout Michigan, Southern Indiana, and parts of Pennsylvania. As a key liaison between agency and internal resources, now on the job, he’s gaining experience in broadcasting, social, and digital, something he didn’t have before.
Reflecting on his experience with workNet DuPage, he says, “I have enjoyed my time with the program. It gave me the confidence and motivation which was missing in my life due to being unemployed for a lengthy amount of time.”
