Elicia Johnson was so grateful for the job search assistance she received from Boise workforce consultant, Alma Welch, she kept her appointment even after she had accepted an offer just so she could tell Alma thank you.

Elicia first met Alma after being randomly selected for an Idaho Department of Labor job search assessment as an unemployment claimant. She had lost her job as an office manager after working with the same company for 23 years.

Alma gave Elicia an overview of the department’s services, discussed her job search progress and recommended resume and job search workshops.

Elicia also received in-depth job coaching. She and Alma worked together on a regular basis, creating a plan that included fine-tuning her resume and engaging in mock interviews. Elicia was nervous about talking with employers in person, so the plan they created included goals for networking and employer contacts.

She was also worried her age was a barrier to finding employment, but Alma had her focus on her skills and knowledge rather than her age.

The strategy seemed to work well and Elicia started receiving calls about jobs. She was excited and put effort into her search.

But at the end of 2012, she fell ill, could not make her appointments and stopped contacting Alma.

After a couple of months, she called and asked if she could come in again. During their next meeting, Elicia said she had been “going backward” and was giving up. She asked if they could resume their meetings and the two worked on action plans through February. Elicia said during that time that Alma kept her going and never gave up on her.

Soon after, Elicia was called for an interview and a short time later received a job offer. The employer told her the minute she walked out of their office they knew she was a front-runner for the job. Elicia made such a strong impression that all of her hard work paid off and she is now a full-time office manager for a Boise business.

Elicia’s message for older job seekers: Don’t give up, even though finding a job can be challenging.

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