StepUp Wilmington

Maureen will be the first one to tell you that she owes her recent successes to a number of individuals in the Wilmington community who believed in and invested in her. “It really took a village ever since I stepped foot in Wilmington to get me the opportunities I’ve gotten; I’m so beyond grateful.”

The arts are dear to Maureen’s heart. She worked as a theatre manager in Connecticut, and when she lost her job and moved to North Carolina in 2018 to be with her daughter, she naturally gravitated toward the historic Thalian Hall downtown. Maureen began volunteering and soon befriended the executive director, Tony Rivenbark. But when an error pertaining to unemployment paperwork made officially working at Thalian difficult, and with Hurricane Florence striking at roughly the same time, Maureen knew she had a choice: she could either look for another job or create her own job. So, she chose both.

While she was struggling with interviews, Maureen was simultaneously taking an online course on salesmanship to create her own business. Though she wasn’t initially sure what she wanted to sell, she knew that “whoever comes to my website has to leave it with a smile.”

Meanwhile, Maureen’s job search had led her to StepUp Wilmington. “I knew how to interview in Connecticut, but I didn’t know how to interview in North Carolina. I was petrified. But the mock interview process was helpful! I realized how much I had learned from Job’s Week because by the time I finished, I felt much more confident!” After StepUp, Maureen was offered and accepted a position at CertaPro Painters. But Maureen wasn’t done yet; she still had her own business to get off the ground.

“StepUp regularly checks in on me to see if I’m still doing okay, so I asked my Talent Manager if he or anyone else at StepUp knew of any classes about small business management.” Her Talent Manager led Maureen to Cape Fear Community College’s Small Business Center, where Maureen quickly met its director, Jerry Coleman. Thanks to Jerry’s mentorship, Maureen soon met Christine Vera of WordJack Media. And after some advice, Maureen knew what she wanted to sell: bowties for pets! She found an American-based manufacturer, and when she expressed discomfort with the social media and technological side of the business, Jerry and Christine worked to get Maureen a grant that would include assistance with social media operations for six months. “I give all of these amazing people credit.”

“Go with the process that [StepUp Wilmington] shares with you,” Maureen said. “It was a humbling process. I was very much a ‘I don’t need anyone’s help person’, but everyone at StepUp said ‘let me help you.’ To anyone struggling, let the people that are there who want to share the tools guide you. Let them give you confidence!”

Regardless of if you are someone who is just looking for a job, or if you have a great idea to start your own business but don’t know where to start, contact us at StepUp Wilmington and let us work with you to make your dream reality!

For six years, Ashley worked as a Certified Medical Assistant at Wilmington Health. But after years of working there, she felt that she was stagnating and that her skills weren’t being used as fully as they could be. “I just needed room for growth. I wanted to use my skill set on a broader level.”

But after having worked there for so many years, Ashley found that reentering the process of interviewing and updating her resume was proving to be more difficult than she’d anticipated. This was made all the more difficult by the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the interview process for every job she applied to had gone virtual, something that Ashley was not prepared for. “I was clueless about a lot of it.”

When StepUp Wilmington was suggested to Ashley, she leapt at the chance to learn more. “Everyone at StepUp was very helpful, even down to the volunteers. I was thankful that there were people who took their own time to be there and to help me with mock interviews and other things.” Ashley found that the workshops focusing on how to answer questions during an interview were among the most helpful for her. “I used to guess on interview questions, but [StepUp] made me realize that ‘I’ am the answer. I’ve been in many of these situations they ask about, so they showed me how I can use my experience to answer the questions. I got high praises on my resume and interviews everywhere I applied after that!”

Ashley shared that she owed a lot to her Talent Manager, Alicia, specifically. “I have a habit of taking things personally, sometimes. But [Alicia] always told me ‘it’s not personal’ when an interview doesn’t go well. She told me that ‘the job I want will come to me.’ I’m thankful for that because I was ready to give up. Alicia kept me motivated.”

After her time with StepUp Wilmington, Ashley was offered and accepted a position at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She felt that she’d finally found a good fit. “This position was everything I wanted and how I wanted to work. I can see myself in leadership roles now, whereas past jobs had me thinking I wasn’t ready.”

“I’ve been telling a lot of people about StepUp,” Ashley said. “I just let them know that it’s a program that will show you how to present yourself. In my short week with them I learned so much about myself that I really didn’t know. You just have to put yourself out there.”

“I am a worker. I love to work,” said Morghann, a past candidate of StepUp Wilmington. Since graduating from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Communication degree, Morghann has worked in journalism with WECT, and as a radio DJ and Director of Marketing and Promotions with Sunrise Broadcast. And when COVID struck, resulting in her losing her job with Sunrise, she started a cleaning business to keep the bills paid, Morghann’s Meticulous Maid Service.

But, as successful as her cleaning business had proven to be, Morghann was still on the look for a new, steady position. “It was tough; I applied for at least 40 jobs. I was on Indeed, LinkedIn, everything.” Her mom works at the Help Hub in the Harrelson Center, downstairs from StepUp Wilmington’s office, so when Morghann hit a wall, her mom recommended StepUp’s services. “At that point, there was no saying ‘no’ to anything.”

Morghann admits that when she first came to StepUp, she didn’t have the most open mind about the experience. But she also admits that working with StepUp’s Talent Managers was more enlightening than she had expected. “I ended up gaining a lot more than I ever thought I would. Their help with mock interviews really sharpened my skills.”

Morghann also shared that, even after completing Jobs Week, “my Talent Manager, Ashley, stood by my side every step of the way. We had Google Meet chats, she coached me, and she used her contacts to find me job opportunities.” Thanks to the assistance she received, Morghann was offered a position as a Site Payments Associate with PPD after a little under a month. “I couldn’t have done it without [Ashley]; she was a godsend.”

“As a person who had an extensive work background, in my mind I thought I had the perfect resume and perfect cover letter; why did I need more help? But COVID’s effect on the job market made me realize that it’s never wrong to continue to work toward your future and better opportunities. Never think you have everything perfect; you can always learn so much more.”

If you or someone you know is looking to broaden their skills and learn more about how they can score a fulfilling job, contact us at StepUp Wilmington to see how we can best support you.

If you’re someone who gets nervous when it comes to interviewing for a job, don’t worry, you’re far from alone. A survey has found that 92% of Americans are stressed by at least one thing or another when it comes to the process of job interviews.

Before coming to StepUp Wilmington, Felisha would definitely say that she was part of that 92%.

Today, Felisha’s working a fulfilling job and is enrolled at Cape Fear Community College working toward an associate’s degree in Business Administration. But getting to where she is now wasn’t always the easiest journey for her. After being laid off from her position at a law firm, Felisha found that after a nearly decade-long absence from the job search, she’d grown a bit rusty when it came to knowing how to ace the interview. “I just needed to understand what I was doing wrong,” Felisha said. After a chance meeting with a StepUp Talent Manager while searching for a new job, Felisha learned about the organization’s Jobs Week. “I’m someone who is always open for a change; just tell me something new.”

After taking a chance on StepUp, Felisha found that it was exactly what she needed. “[StepUp] was very helpful. Hearing first hand advice from local employers at presentations was great. Their classes taught me how to respond to questions, and how to nail my elevator pitch.”

After graduating from StepUp, Felisha was able to conquer the dreaded panel interview and secure a new job. “I give credit not only to myself but to StepUp. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to work. If you apply yourself 100%, you will get something out of it. No matter what you have or haven’t done, you can pull skills out of it.”

Are you looking for work or a job? Contact StepUp Wilmington to learn how to get an interview, how to impress during the interview, and so much more.

Learn how StepUp ILM has pivoted to address economic development during COVID-19.
stepupwilmington.org/for-participants/get-started-2/