The mission of getting job seekers back to work is one that requires a tactical evaluation of critical industries and a proven strategy to tackle, head-on, the growing challenges of the changing Southern California workforce. Orange County residents are in desperate need of reliable, living-wage work. Thanks to our community of supporters, Working Wardrobes provides dedicated career readiness programs that help our clients enter critical fields like healthcare, technology, IT, service, and others.
Working Wardrobes Prepares Job Seekers for Critical Industries in Orange County
Often, clients simply need someone to stand in the gap so that they can get access to the missing resources that they need to secure a job interview. These pieces may be transportation, interview skills, one-on-one coaching, and training. One such client was Noah, who had a Security interview in Anaheim, and needed the help of Working Wardrobes.
Noah is an army Veteran who recently transitioned out of a Homeless Veteran Program in Long Beach and moved into an apartment. Between rent, child support, and a car that needed costly repairs, his job that paid $15 an hour was not going to allow Noah to make ends meet.
Noah reached out to Working Wardrobes’ Career Navigator and Job Developer, Derek Mendes, for help. With the Working Wardrobes team’s help, Derek was able to get Noah access to a computer, career coaching, resume assistance, and access to application portals. One critical barrier for Noah was the cost to get his car repaired so that he could make it to interviews and work reliably. Thanks to the generous support of donors, the team at Working Wardrobes was also able to help Noah with the funds to repair his car and when Noah landed a job interview for a security position. For the final part of Noah’s journey to employment readiness, Wardrobe Specialist Adrianna Ceballos helped Noah get exactly the Success Suit he needed to land the job.
“My visit today at Working Wardrobes with Adrianna was a very uplifting experience,” Noah writes after his styling session. “I am very excited and grateful to be going to my interview today at 11:30 a.m. in Anaheim with the chance to up my pay and career path in Security. Thank you Working Wardrobes for the most beautiful suit in the world! This is a blessing. Thank you, Derek Mendes, for also making this happen!”
Later that day, Noah went to his interview and nailed it, securing a better-paying position than his previous job!
Career Readiness Programs Provided by Working Wardrobes
Working Wardrobes’ programs are designed to help clients tackle the most promising, growing industries in Orange County. Programs include resume critique, creation, or overhaul, skills and personality assessments, certifications, soft skills review and workshops, virtual and in-person workshops, interview preparation, customer service job training and job coaching, among others.
Working Wardrobes has the ability to meet clients wherever they are in the job-seeking journey — whether they want to enter a brand new industry or re-enter an old profession after extended unemployment. From those who newly graduated from high school, to those wanting to come out of retirement, Working Wardrobes has a personal career coach that can guide each client through the process of returning to work.
Support Aspiring Orange County Professionals When You Volunteer
You can see firsthand how Working Wardrobes’ programs support job seekers when you volunteer. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities, and there is a wide range of skills that prove useful to serving our clients.
Volunteers can assist in the donation center processing donations, support clients with workshops or coaching at the Career Success Center or online, participate in corporate social responsibility days with employers/corporations, contribute to planning special events, and more. There are many ways to join our mission to bring The Power of a Paycheck ™ to people across Southern California.
About Working Wardrobes
Working Wardrobes empowers and prepares individuals for the dignity of work. Founded in 1990 by Jerri Rosen, Working Wardrobes serves approximately 5,000 job seekers in Southern California and beyond each year. By providing no-cost assessments, training and certifications, career coaching, individualized employment plans, and wardrobe services, we have helped over 115,000 clients overcome barriers to employment and The Power of a Paycheck™. For more information, please visit www.workingwardrobes.org.