Jessica is looking forward to escaping the Buffalo winter and moving to sunny Raleigh, North Carolina. "I spent yesterday pricing out moving companies!" she says excitedly. She needs to move quickly, as her new job begins in two weeks. Jessica is a sweet, energetic woman, with a self-described, bubbly, personality. Fresh out of a master's program, she is moving to Raleigh to start a new job with One Main Financial, located nearby, in Durham. In her new position as a Customer Loan Care Specialist, she will help people apply, be approved for loans, and keep them up to date on their payments. She is excited for the opportunity and it also allows her to move to a warmer climate and be near one of her close friends.
Throughout high school, Jessica made use of the special education services provided by the Williamsville Central School District. She was accustomed to Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) meetings and requesting and receiving other special education services. Jessica has a learning disability that makes it hard for her to concentrate and prone to distractions. This challenge, combined with her detail-oriented work ethic, could have made it easy for her to fall behind. She required smaller class sizes to get the extra attention she needed from her teachers, as well as extended time for testing. "If I had been in regular classes, I would have been a below average student. Special education classes allowed me to be an above average student." The guidance counseling department was responsible for informing Jessica, as well as other students with similar circumstances, about the services ACCES-VR provides, as part of their post high school preparation.
ACCES-VR helped Jessica transition from high school to her studies at St. Bonaventure University. Through her skilled and knowledgeable Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Rheannon Redman at ACCES-VR, she obtained financial assistance to help cover the cost of classes, books and housing. In 2016, she graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication. She remained at Bonaventure for the next four years, completing her Master's in Integrated Marketing Communication in 2020.
Bonaventure holds a special place in Jessica's heart. "The alumni—are basically a small cult," she jokingly muses. "We run into each other all over the place!" Growing up a sports fan, she was taken by the enthusiastic fandom for Bonaventure sports. Being born and raised in Buffalo, she was already a football and a hockey fan; the Bonnies made her a basketball fan. If you need more proof, look no further than a picture of her—a member of a friend and fellow grad's bridal party—posing for wedding photos inside the Reilly Center.
Not only did her interest in Bona sports provide entertainment and social connection, it also helped pave Jessica's career path. During her time at Bonaventure, she volunteered, interned, and worked for St. Bonaventure Athletics in the ticket office, communication, marketing and promotion departments. In addition, she worked for Bona's radio station, WSBU "The Buzz", calling men's home hockey games, and producing Bonaventure basketball games. Someday she would like to return to this line of work, which would allow her to combine her professional skills, and her passion for sports. Who knows? Maybe for one of the basketball teams (Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, or North Carolina State) located near Raleigh.
Upon completing her studies at Bonaventure and beginning her job search, Jessica's ACCES-VR counselor put her in touch with Andrea Todaro of Innovative Placements. They began with a mass resume distribution of Jessica's revised cover letter and impressive resume to hundreds of local employers. This proved extremely fruitful. Jessica received many calls for interviews and was offered a very promising position in radio sales. Unfortunately, that job paid on commission and required a move to Ithaca, both of which didn't appeal to her. Although Jessica was getting calls for interviews, her job search wasn't progressing beyond that stage. "I was getting initial interviews but wasn't receiving call backs or second interviews…" Andrea was there to help. Just like the basketball teams Jessica loves—practicing ball recovery drills and reclaiming rebounds—Andrea helped her perfect the follow-through. This included follow up conversations between Andrea and Jessica after each interview. These debriefs gave Jessica objectives to work toward—an opportunity to reassess, give her confidence, and a reassuring nudge. Following her interviews, Innovative Placements helped seal the deal with employers, assisting Jessica in writing professional thank you notes. Under Andrea's wing, Jessica gained a greater sense of confidence through interview coaching. Both Andrea and Innovative Placements' interview coaching assistant Andrea Samra gave Jessica the encouragement to embrace her go-getter attitude—to be bold, so to speak. "Once I started building confidence, and being reassured in my tenacity, I began landing those second and third interviews and getting offers." This led her to her upcoming position at One Main Financial. "Andrea became a friend too. I just enjoy talking with her and sometimes just call to chat! She always put in the effort, and I am forever grateful for that," says Jessica with a smile.
After nailing the interviews, Jessica was invited to shadow at One Main Financial's Buffalo office. She liked the work and was drawn to the personalities of her coworkers. "It was a nice environment, and a place where I could see myself being motivated to do the job and do it well. I'm looking forward to reducing the stress in people's lives [when it comes to securing a loan] and putting a smile on someone's face."
In addition to a competitive salary, One Main Financial has given Jessica a lucrative contract that includes health, dental, vision, and life, plus a 401K. They sweetened the deal with a $1500 signing bonus! Who says those are just for athletes?
Jessica's first day on the job is January 4th, 2021. She will be in her new place, with her boyfriend, who is relocating to Raleigh with her. She will be a short walk away from her good friend, enjoying the warm weather, and working hard to make herself, and her clients, smile!
— Martin Kilroy, Writer for Innovative Placements