The Deseret Industries  and LDS Employment Resource Services have been a tremendous help to me during my time of need. In 2008, I was laid off from my job as a construction worker. This was a huge blow to both my family and my self-esteem. I felt inadequate because I knew I needed to support my family and I had just lost the only source to support them.

I searched for work, only to be met with disappointment each time. It seemed the job market was so flooded with capable and qualified people that my chances of finding a job were slim. Because I did not have a high school diploma, I felt I was being passed up by more qualified workers with higher education and more experience.

After weeks of disappointment, I received a phone call from a missionary, who volunteered at the Church’s local employment center. She invited me to continue working on my online profile, so that employers could see my qualifications as they searched the LDSJobs.org website. At the end of the conversation, I mentioned to her that I was hoping to earn a GED. She told me that she knew of some resources through the center that could help me reach my goal. I was so surprised; I knew they helped people in many different areas, but I never realized schooling was one of them.

A development specialist from the Deseret Industries contacted me soon after and I was assigned a mentor to help prepare me for the GED test. The three of us met together to set, define, and measure my goals and to set a date to take the test. By setting goals, this slowly helped me increase my confidence level to reassure me that my nerves would not get the best of me during the test.

A few days after I took the test, I found out I had passed. I was so happy and excited that my confidence was reclaimed once again. I am still working with my development specialist, who continues to help me reach other educational goals, such as receiving my contractor’s license. I hope to increase my chances for better employment in the near future.

I now feel more confident about applying to jobs and more capable in the skills and abilities I learned from the DI and Employment Resource Services. I am grateful to work with people from the DI to help achieve my educational goals and opportunities.