This was not my first experience in the Deseret Industries (DI) training program. I had worked and trained at DI prior to serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When I returned from my mission, I ran into a manager of our DI and he mentioned that I would still be welcome to receive additional training. I didn’t expect I would need to return to DI; however, my current job had cut my hours, so returning to DI became a wonderful opportunity. I once again found myself working in the small-as-is department and then I became a cashier. I was told that I had a lot of influence keeping other co-workers on task and productive on the job.

I told several of my friends about the DI training program, and they applied. One of my friends was super self-conscious and hadn’t had a job in a few years. She did really well at DI and worked her way to becoming a team lead. Another friend, who was less-active at church, became more active and chose to serve a mission partly because of the amazing spirit that surrounds all of us who serve at DI.

After four or five months of hard work and being super responsible, I was asked if I would like to participate in a business partnership. This is a program where the DI pays our wages at local businesses for a short time while we train with them. I had hoped for this opportunity and was happy to participate, but I didn’t really know what job I wanted. I have a college degree, but it is not in a field I wanted to pursue. I told my job coach that I thought working in a library would be best, since I like to read, so that is where I went to do my business partnership. I was at a library for four months, and it was great.

It is really hard to get a full-time library job. When I completed my business partnership, there were openings at the library where I served; however, I didn’t get a job because there were applicants with far more experience than I had. I spoke with the director about how I might get more experience, and he suggested that I volunteer. That is what I did. I decided to return to DI and spend the next several months volunteering at the library.

After another attempt at securing a position at the library, I didn’t get the job. I decided to move forward and found a job as a co-teacher at a daycare. This was something that actually went along with what I had studied in college. It became a job I really liked—so much that I put off volunteering at the library. It had been months, but the library did eventually call to offer me a position. It was difficult to leave the daycare job, but it’s been super great having an official library job.

With the contacts I have made through this experience, I have the references and encouragement to enroll in graduate school and begin a degree in library science. Without my DI experience, I would have never realized that the library was the perfect place for me.