Fay Mason had done accounting work for 11 years, but when her mother fell ill, she left her job to care for her. In 2008, Fay needed to get back into the workforce and sought help from a local agency. “The woman on the phone treated me like I was imposing on her for asking for information; I thought, ‘It’s hard enough trying to find a job in this economy, let alone having someone treat you rudely for seeking help.’” Before hanging up, the agency woman gave her LIFT-Philadelphia’s number. After her first experience, she hesitated to call, but wanting little to do with the other agency, she called LIFT-Philadelphia. There she received a warm greeting, a friendly attitude, and a prompt appointment with LIFT advocates.
Mike, a LIFT-Philadelphia advocate, worked with Fay to refresh her résumé, teaching her about the importance of “action verbs” in her descriptions of her experience. Fay says, “It wasn’t until I began to send out my revised résumé from my work with LIFT that I started getting responses.” When she received a request for an interview, she phoned LIFT for help preparing for the interview. Feeling intimidated and overwhelmed, Fay struggled to get through her session with Danielle, a LIFT advocate, but says, “Danielle was so patient with me. I would start to cry each time she asked me a question, but she worked through each part with me. She gave me tips about highlighting my personal strengths, referring to my résumé to demonstrate my experience, and what I should remember in order to present myself professionally and impress the interviewer.”
When Fay sat down for the interview the next day, she felt nervous, but as she began to answer questions, her practice with Danielle kicked in. Fay says, “When I got to the interview, I sailed right through it with confidence in myself.” Within two weeks, Fay received a call with a job offer. She is now working as a budget analyst for the Health Department in the City of Philadelphia in a “full-time temporary-to-permanent position that fits me like a glove.” In the months ahead, she is eager to become a permanent employee and continue working, and she is also grateful to be able to continue taking care of her mother. She told LIFT, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
