Pearl was referred to EmployAbilities Grande Prairie a month after moving to Grande Prairie to be closer to family; she was recently widowed, struggled with a bad shoulder, and was worried about finding employment that would accommodate her physical barriers. Pearl was also skeptical about finding employment during the COVID pandemic and expressed that she knew nothing about online job search or how to navigate virtual platforms.
Pearl had worked in the same industry for years before moving to Grande Prairie and was nervous about changing careers; she was motivated and adapted well, eventually securing employment where she thrived. Pearl managed to find meaningful employment, which accommodated her needs and assisted when she was struggling. Pearl was able to become more financially independent, learn the bus routes, re-engage with the public, and simply allowed herself to become more knowledgeable about new career tasks and the virtual world.
EmployAbilities Grande Prairie assisted Pearl in:
- Revising and updating Pearl’s resume and cover letter
- Learning about the virtual labor market and job search platforms
- Completing virtual workshops, interview preparation, and skill-building
- Navigating a virtual Job Club
- Communicating via email and phone call/text message
- Learning the city and bus routes
“I knew absolutely nothing about online job sites or how to deal with it all, I was totally lost until finding EmployAbilities Grande Prairie,” Pearl says. “I would have to say the best part was just to know I could reach out to Kassi anytime I needed help with online things or anything really, she was a real lifeline for me for sure,” she adds. “With a lot of help from the people at EmployAbilities Grande Prairie I found a job that I love and I’m so thankful to all of you.”
