Ed Madera found about PCLC from the public assistance office in Juniata County, which he learned could offer him help with resume writing and job training. Ed, who was unemployed at the time, recalls having trouble figuring out what kind of career would fit him best.
“Even though I’ve had different types of jobs in my life, I was never given any type of exam or anything like that where it told me what I would be better at doing,” he says. “[Taking PCLC’s exam] pretty much reinforced what I already knew, but it’s nice to see that there’s a method to the madness of figuring out what people are good at.”
Ed met with PCLC’s staff, who he says were quick to assist him: “[They] were very friendly and they were there to listen to what…my personal needs were, because everyone obviously has different needs…so that was really helpful. And it also helped me feel comfortable expressing myself to them and letting them know how best to help me.”
Ed quickly enrolled in PCLC’s customer service course, which reinforced numerous crucial points he had learned in his previous customer service experience—particularly, the importance of first impressions and helping customers feel at ease.
“I don’t think I would be successful if it wasn’t for [PCLC],” he says. [They] were very supportive—not only…helping me write my resume, helping me take the proper training that I needed…but they were also there to listen to me as a person, and to me, that goes beyond.”
“You are a person; they treat you as a person. And—each person matters to them, and they try to get you to the point where you can utilize your skills.”
