In late June 2021, Vashanun Powell, a resident of Austell, was actively searching for new job opportunities. Having recently moved from South Carolina to be closer to his hometown of Albany, Georgia, he was still unfamiliar with the Smyrna/Austell area. While exploring his new surroundings, he discovered the Smyrna store of Goodwill and the Smyrna Career Center. This caught his interest, and he immediately registered for their services.

Vashanun’s skills, expertise, and work history made him a top candidate for employment. He attended a mini job fair at Goodwill’s Smyrna Career Center on July 29, and he exceeded his expectations by receiving two job offers. Waffle House wanted him to join their team, so he began working there on August 2 as a grill operator. However, after trying the job, he realized that it wasn’t a good fit for him.

He followed up with Surge Staffing, another employer he met at the job fair. He discussed joining their warehouse as an assembler, but the pay needed to be commensurate with the workload.

On August 11, Employer Solutions Resources held a hiring event at the Smyrna Career Center. Once again, Vashanun impressed the employer, and they hired him on the spot! He started working for the company later that day. His determination and perseverance led to three job offers in just two weeks.

Vashanun is grateful for the services offered by the Goodwill Career Center and is thankful to Lead Career Coach Monique Washington for helping him with his job search.