Enable High Contrast Mode
Disable High Contrast Mode
Success Stories
Angelina’s Story
Angelina had been out of work for over a year due to the pandemic. Living in a transitional residence for women in recovery, Angelina felt depressed and anxious. She knew her five years of being clean were in jeopardy unless she could find consistent work.
“My friend gave me the name of Bottomless Closet. She loved her resume and her experience of being coached. I had an ‘okay’ resume, but I wanted a ‘great’ resume,” explains Angelina.
Angelina worked with her Career Coach, Teresa, to update her resume. “I immediately felt hopeful and empowered,” Angelina recalls. “My new resume was a powerful tool in fighting off the negativity of my low self-esteem. It proved to me that I am worthy of success.”
Angelina’s coaching session with Teresa helped her to approach her interview feeling “comfortable and confident” – something she hadn’t felt in a long time. For Teresa, working with clients like Angelina has been a high point during an isolating time: “In some small way I feel as though I have been able to help our clients gain the confidence to navigate the disruption that has come about in the workplace because of the pandemic.”
Two weeks after Angelina’s appointment with Bottomless Closet, she was hired as an Office Manager at a health clinic. “I jumped up and screamed with joy,” Angelina says, “I know the services I received from Bottomless Closet put me in this position. This is not a job; this is a potential career. Previously, I was earning wages to survive, now I will be making enough money to live.”
Sandra’s Story
In 2020, Sandra was laid off from her position as an administrative assistant at a catering company – a job that she had held for 14 years. Part way through a Bachelor’s Degree and with children to care for, Sandra found job seeking challenging, but she made time to attend a Bottomless Closet online workshop where she was inspired to sign up for our job-readiness services. This past April, she had her first remote Interview at Home appointment with her Career Coach, Linda.
“Linda made me feel very comfortable,” Sandra says. “She really valued my input when it came to interview questions and my resume. She did not write everything for me.”
Linda was impressed by Sandra’s ability to juggle her many commitments. “Sandra had a lot on her plate with work, children and school. She is someone who is incredibly organized, competent and able to multi-task,” she recalls.
Sandra’s efforts did not go unrewarded and she was hired as a bookkeeper for a property management company! She has been able to start off on the right foot by availing of Bottomless Closet’s Curbside Pickup service. “Thank you, Bottomless Closet,” Sandra says, “now I have my wardrobe to begin work, and I look forward to attending more virtual workshops.”
Janelle’s Story
One woman who has succeeded thanks to Bottomless Closet programs is Janelle. A client since 2015, before the pandemic, Janelle was working on her journey towards self-sufficiency. Through attending Bottomless Closet workshops, Janelle gained the confidence to go back to school. At the start of 2020 she had just completed her Bachelor’s Degree and was excited about the new career opportunities that were about to open up for her. But right after Janelle graduated, everything shut down.
“It was hard for me but I needed to take a step back and comprehend the reality of COVID and how it changed everything so quickly beyond anyone’s control,” Janelle recalls. “I did my best to keep my mental health in check.”
Having her career plans so ruthlessly derailed and being plunged into homeschooling her teenage son was not easy for Janelle, but she worked on staying actively learning through Bottomless Closet’s online workshop program, Upskill at Home and being the best parent possible in the situation.
“Bottomless Closet’s remote workshops gave me a sense of normalcy and brought us together as peers online,” Janelle explains. “The Health and Wellness Journey workshop series gave me tips on keeping my mindset positive by learning how to cope with negativity. That series helped me out so much!”
With few job opportunities available, Janelle signed up for temp agencies. As the film and television industry reopened, Janelle was shocked and thrilled to be offered a job registering actors for COVID testing on set. “I know this job was meant for me and I enjoy every single moment of it,” she says, smiling. “I work on various TV production sites. Every day is a different adventure.”
As Janelle continues on her journey to better herself, she stresses the importance of Bottomless Closet as a support to get her to this point: “Being able to return for clothing once I was employed helped me feel confident and ready for the workplace. Thank you, Bottomless Closet for being able to continuously help women like me with workshops that give valuable information and structure we constantly use in our daily lives.”