GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kathryn Swatman walked into CareerSource North Central Florida, looking for one thing: a job. But CareerSource NCFL offered her something that she wasn’t expecting. And this changed everything for her.
“Opportunity Quest–it’s kind of changing your mindset to think more entrepreneurially. I really enjoyed it,” she says. “First, when I came in, I didn’t know why I was being signed up for an entrepreneur class. All I was doing was looking for a job.”
Opportunity Quest is a 4-week business and entrepreneurship training course that covers topics from self-employment foundations to business goal creation and everything in between. The unique benefit of the course is the shift in perspective from thinking only as an employee to understanding the mindset of a business owner. CareerSource NCFL notes that program participants often return to the workforce to earn higher wages or begin their own business.
For Kathryn, she discovered that the mindset shift taught and modeled in Opportunity Quest could be applied to all areas of her life. She explained, “It taught me a lot about myself in corrective action thinking and the ways to help myself progress.”
When Kathryn came into CareerSource NCFL, she expected to be pressured to find work quickly.
“It was a lot more positive than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a lot of pressure of ‘you have to find a job,’ ‘you need to get employed,’ ‘we need you to follow these rules,’ but it was very laid back.” Kathryn discovered.
CareerSource NCFL acts as a network for employers and employees alike, connecting each group to a multitude of resources that are beneficial to all. Through hiring events or training sessions, the center strives to equip every person and business representative with tools that will benefit their future career and business goals.
Kathryn knows that Opportunity Quest changed her outlook on life and shifted her career perspective. She says, “Even if you’re not looking to start your own business, I think this would be a great class to go. It’s very eye-opening–something that you can implement in your daily life.”