It Worked for Me!

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What Do You Do When…

What do you do when you’re middle aged and you lose your job after 12 years with the same employer?
  
Richard Burch faced this particular dilemma when he was laid off from Eastman Kodak, and determined after extensive consideration that while he had skills, he did not have the credentials that would make him stand out to potential employers.   
 
To remedy this he consulted RochesterWorks! staff. After extensive consideration and assessments his transferable skills were reviewed and career counseling was provided. An educational program was recommended that would allow him to utilize existing skills in home and industrial repairs, but would also provide him with the credentials employers value.    

The program he chose was an Associate in Applied Science in Construction Technology. He successfully completed this program in May 2009.   As a successful student at MCC he also earned the American Society of Civil Engineers Student of the Year Award for 2009.  This is a reflection of the hard work and perseverance Richard brought to his studies.  
 
As a successful graduate Richard is full of praise for the support and assistance he received from RochesterWorks staff. “The personal effort and guidance my Career Services Advisor provided me with was instrumental in my success. It’s people like my Career Services Advisor who make a traumatic experience of losing a job seem not so overwhelming because I know that he’s in the fight for me. In times when the economy is so bad, and people are trying to cut their taxes and government programs, I would say that RochesterWorks is a necessity for our community.”  
 
Richard  has been conducting an energetic job search and expects an offer of employment any day now.  

8/09