GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Paul Jackson is a recent graduate who didn’t feel like he had a lot of direction. He enlisted the help of a career counselor at the former Job Corps Center in Gainesville to start searching for work.
After working with his counselor, she recommended Paul talk to a Staffing Specialist at CareerSource North Central Florida. Paul took her advice and was eager to learn more about what other career options might be available to him.
“We started talking – she was around my age, so she kind of understood what I was going through,” says Paul.
When asked how his life compares with how things might have been just a year ago, Paul answers without hesitation. “Oh, there’s no comparison, whatsoever. This has actually gotten me out of the house and moving forward, and actually being focused,” he says.
Working together, Paul and his Staffing Specialist prepared a resume and applied for an internship position with Phalanx Defense Systems, a Gainesville-based small business that develops and manufactures safety equipment for emergency first responders and other defense and protection-centered organizations. After he had applied, Paul attended the industry-specialized Advanced Manufacturing job fair hosted by CareerSource NCFL a few days later.
At the job fair, Paul was able to meet James Coats, founder of Phalanx Defense Systems. James is no stranger to working closely with CareerSource NCFL to find hard workers and vetted talent for his company.
“We absolutely use CareerSource, 100 percent. It’s my hope that they continue this program because most of the people that we ran through this [internship] program, we’ve kept. That’s an amazing percentage” James says.
Thanks to STEM Ready, a paid internship program provided by CareerSource NCFL and USDOL, Paul was able to participate and gain valuable work experience.
Paul has nothing but positive things to say about his time working with CareerSource NCFL. “[My Staffing Specialist] was amazing! She walked me through everything; her communication was stellar. I never felt like I was being ignored or not helped or assisted with the goals I wanted to work on,” he says.
With support and training from the team at Phalanx Defense Systems, Paul has gained a number of valuable skills and has found a place with a company that appreciates his work and dedication.
Paul has some advice for those considering working with CareerSource NCFL: “I definitely recommend doing it. It’s life-changing! You won’t regret it. As long as you put in the work and effort required, people will see that and give you a chance.”
Paul’s story, like the countless other job seekers that CareerSource NCFL has helped, is unique. Thanks to his commitment to himself and his career and continued hard work, Paul has a bright future ahead.