Approximately, 140 customers attended the Grand Opening of the Anchorage Goodwill on Thursday, March 17, 2016 according to Executive Assistant Libby Steffen-Schafermeyer.

Goodwill Job Connections has been in Anchorage for two years, providing people with one-on-one job search assistance. This store means Maryland-based Goodwill Industries International Inc. now has a retail presence in all 50 states.

The new store located at 3838 Old Seward Highway, serves as a job training facility and will bring 32 full time jobs with benefits to Anchorage.

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SOURCE: Alaska Dispatch News, March 17, 2016

SOURCE: KTVA Channel 11 News interview with Goodwill Industries Board Member, Steve Fishback.

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We offer SPECIALIZED assistance with resumes, cover letters and job hunting skills for people with disabilities.  “It’s about ABILITIES”, not disabilities. No matter how disabled a person may be, that individual still maintains ABILITIES in another area of functioning. “If you think you can, you CAN!” 

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On Friday, June 8, 2012 – KTVA Channel 11 in Anchorage, Alaska aired a program concerning one college grad’s experience after receiving her degree.

Sheryl Saturnino, age 23, graduated from UAA with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology along with a minor in communication.

“A lot of people are saying now that a college degree is the equivalent of a high school diploma and in some ways that’s very true,” she said. She waited for months for a job, but heard nothing back.

“I think there’s more focus on finishing college and not really what to do after graduating,” said Saturnino.

The most popular fields chosen by UAA students were nursing, psychology and business.

Ms. Saturnino eventually took a job outside of her field to pay her bills. She plans to attend graduate school to become more marketable to employers.

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Our take on this story:

A college degree is NOT a guaranteed admission ticket for employment. Choose careers that are NOT popular but for which there is employer demand. In Ms. Saturnino’s case, the market is flooded with psychology majors meaning she will have more competition from other job applicants. Additionally, Ms. Saturnino did not know how to create and write a resume or how to go about her job search. Strategically, this puts her at a great disadvantage when compared to other job applicants who have acquired these skills. Her plan to pursue graduate school is noble but part time employment in her field for as little as 10 hours per week will carry more “weight” in terms of improving her marketability. This may mean opting for “on call” employment. The national market is also flooded with psychology majors obtaining a Masters and Doctorate Degrees.

In the final analysis, the job applicant who masters the art and science of the resume and the job interview is the job applicant who gets the job!