Employee Development Success Story: Meet Gina

Gina started at Goodwill at the end of 2020 looking for a change from the food service industry. Little did she know that change would be the catalyst for a passionate career where she serves others. Like many, Gina was introduced to career development while working to complete and file her taxes. While working with Goodwill’s Employee Development department, she grew curious of the other opportunities and services GISA had to offer. This led her to strategizing sessions where she began to focus in on her retail skills and actively work toward her first career goal: a promotion to Pricer.

The Dodge Store had fierce competition to fill the Pricer role, and another opportunity caught Gina’s eye. So, she decided to set her sights on a Job Coach opening at the Alvernon store that would help her build new skills and leadership experiences. Gina had heard of Job Coaches and the GSE Program before, but wasn’t entirely sure how they worked, but once she read the job description she was ready to take on the challenge! She created a training plan to become an expert in textile and begin the Certified Monitor training process to supervise Group Supported Employment program participants.

The Job Coach, like most Managers on Duty, is a certified monitor at GISA. Not only does this role help our employee safety and accreditation requirements, but it can also be extremely rewarding. Helping others reach

their goals is a wonderful way to enact Goodwill’s belief and value that work is transformational, and these services can form the foundation of a person’s life. The goal of the GSE program is to help individuals gain the employment skills to obtain a meaningful job in the community based on their abilities, interests, and personal goals. Gina was proud to see this goal come to life and light up the faces of her participants every day.

As Gina’s first leadership role, she took the Job Coach opportunity to fine tune her soft skills and worked with the employee development team to make that process easier by mastering one skill before moving on to the next. Gina will also tell you that she had great managers who challenged her to take on opportunities that improved her communication and leadership skills. Even though they seemed daunting at the time, they have made her the professional she is today!

In February 2024, Gina had made a lot of progress in her finances and professional career, and that stability sparked inspiration to dream bigger and grow even further. She knew she loved working with individuals who have developmental disabilities and wanted to grow her career, so she turned to the employee development team for help. We started with career exploration, dream-storming, and resume building. Gina already had a resume, but she needed to add all the accomplishments she had obtained since joining Goodwill. Since becoming a job coach, Gina had completed five certifications, all important for those working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Those certifications, coupled with her years of experience, qualified Gina for more than she expected in her job search. Multiple organizations responded positively and quickly to her job applications.

“GINA OPERATES WITH RESPECT AND COMPASSION TO DEVELOP HER PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, HELP THEM REACH THEIR GOALS AND HAVE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.” – Quinn Van Renterghem

Gina booked appointments with Employee Development to practice her interview skills and build her confidence on speaking to her experience and certifications. Through this prep-work, Gina tackled those official interviews and conveyed her value to the organizations so well that she had competing job offers from two of them. Both organizations serve individuals with developmental disabilities here in Tucson. When Gina started down this path in 2020, she was looking to better support her finances and make a difference in other people’s lives. But somewhere along that road, Gina found just how rewarding it is to empower others and how that value could be the foundation of her community-impacting career.

On July 12, 2024, we cheered Gina on as she transitioned from Goodwill to start her next adventure as an Employment Specialist at DK Advocates. Gina pulls from the skills she learned as a Job Coach, helping some of her clients with developmental disabilities and is also expanding her skill set by working with other populations in her current role. DKA Employment Specialists have aided those struggling with mental and physical disabilities, homelessness, criminal histories, incomplete educations, substance abuse, and limited work experience. DKA and Gina work closely with their clients to build their work and life skills, gain real world job experience, and improve confidence, independence, and self-esteem. Even after moving into a new organization, Gina is dedicated to continuous improvement and lives Goodwill values every day! Since transitioning out of GISA, Gina has completed her Behavioral Health Technician certification and is already planning to earn more certificates and training credentials that will strengthen her resume and career.

As seen in Gina’s story, having a game plan or intentional strategy can make a huge difference in advancing your career. If you’re interested in seeing where your career at Goodwill can lead, make an appointment with Employee Development and start dream-storming! Any goal worth working on to impact your life will take time to complete, and a year from now you’ll be glad you started today!