Melissa-Ann had heard about Neil Squire through word of mouth and decided to join our Working Together program (now called Creative Employment Options) to find full-time warehouse administration work.

Melissa-Ann was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD), but it was not diagnosed until her late teens, which made school very difficult. She struggled to achieve passing grades and it was hard for her to understand tasks and explanations. She also has very bad anxiety, which can cause her to have anxiety attacks. She knows, however, that she can calm down and refocus if she takes herself to a quiet area to gather herself.

In the Working Together program, Melissa-Ann worked hard, focusing on updating and editing her resume. She learned how to tailor cover letters to jobs in her field of interest.

She worked on increasing her confidence by practicing common interview questions and thinking about past situations that shed light on her positive skills and abilities. Melissa-Ann learned to discuss those situations using the STAR method if asked behavioral-based interview questions and practicing scenarios from previous experience to use as examples.

Melissa-Ann also learned about self-marketing, cold calling, and asking employers for informational interviews. Working through her individual program allowed her to gain valuable experience in her field of interest and increased her confidence to approach employers, ask questions and self-market her skillset.

Going through the job search process, Melissa-Ann initially wanted to get a permanent full-time job in warehouse administration. However, she decided that she wanted to focus on returning to school as she realized that she would need to further her education to find the success she wanted.

Melissa-Ann shared that her experience with Neil Squire has given her the knowledge and confidence to navigate finding employment once she has furthered her education.