If you were to talk to DI associate Richard, you would never guess that he lost his previous job due to a struggle with attendance. Losing the job was hard for many reasons—but the ensuing job hunt proved to be especially discouraging. 

“I was unemployed for a few months,” Richard recalls. “I just couldn’t seem to find anything. I was getting a lot of interviews, but nobody was hiring me.” 

Despite the challenges, Richard was resilient. While praying about his situation, he was prompted to speak with his bishop about working at Deseret Industries. The bishop agreed that it was a good idea and referred him for employment in the DI job training program. 

“My confidence has grown a lot,” Richard says of his experience working at DI. “With all the rejections I was getting, I started to think there was something wrong with me, and that I was unemployable. But just being trusted and being given different responsibilities, I have seen that I can learn and expand my skills.” 

As a DI associate, Richard has worked hard to improve his workplace behaviors, such as dependability and professionalism. These and other behaviors are taught to all DI associates as part of the Ready for Work program. 

“I try to be a good example to other employees,” Richard says. “I make sure to be here on time every day, not take long breaks, and not be on my phone while I am supposed to be working.” 

But Richard isn’t just improving workplace behaviors—he is also contributing by using the unique talents he already has. For example, his favorite part of the job is utilizing his language skills to help fellow associates. 

“I speak Spanish, so I’m often asked to interpret for people who don’t speak English,” Richard says. “I enjoy doing that.” 

Richard has also used his experience at DI to hone valuable skills like attention to detail and leadership, which are preparing him for future employment opportunities. In response to his efforts, Richard’s job coach asked him to be a “safety representative.” This assignment includes sharing a weekly safety tip with the team and completing a monthly safety observation to ensure that associates are wearing the proper equipment, using good lifting techniques, and following safe workplace practices. 

“My job coach now wants to train me to be a team lead,” Richard says.

When Richard first arrived at DI, he met with a development counselor, completed a self-assessment, and ultimately set a goal to work toward an operations supervisor job. To prepare him for this career, Richard began looking for training options. 

“I found a program—it’s six courses on business management,” Richard says. “I showed my development counselor, and she agreed that it would be beneficial for me, so DI is paying for me to do the program.” 

Richard has discovered firsthand just how much DI associates can gain from their experience in the job if they are willing to take advantage of the resources available to them. 

“There are amazing opportunities here,” Richard says. 

You can support DI associates by donating gently used items or thrifting secondhand items at your local DI store. Your contributions help associates like Richard create better lives for themselves.