Seizing the Good

As a college student, Josh was looking for a job to help pay the bills, and found a nearby Goodwill store that was hiring. He never expected the part-time position would lead to a fulfilling career in his area of study.

At a store meeting with former President and CEO Michael Elder, Josh’s manager mentioned he was studying to become an IT professional. Michael shared that an IT position would be opening up soon at Goodwill and Josh’s store manager encouraged him to submit his resume.

“He said it would be a shame for Goodwill to lose me, and I should apply. He wanted to see me succeed,” Josh said. “I appreciate that he pushed me even though it meant he was losing an employee at his store.”

That summer, Josh graduated from UNC Charlotte with his computer science degree, and started his new job as an Endpoint Specialist at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. Josh has been with our IT department since 2016 and has already had four titles in his four years at Goodwill – a testament to his drive and determination.

“My team has taught me a lot about how to be a professional and expand my education,” he said. Josh shared that when he saw Goodwill University was offering a Salesforce class to the community, he jumped at the opportunity to participate. That earned him yet another title – Goodwill’s Certified Salesforce Administrator. “The skills I learned in that class allowed me to help launch a new software called ClientTrack – and really to launch my career here and earn a promotion. The class enabled me to work on something that moved the organization forward,” he said.

If you ask anyone at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus, they all have likely worked with Josh on something different – from the recycling committee to holiday parties – he’s even modeled his Goodwill finds on television. Seizing opportunity is just in his nature, and he says Goodwill makes it easy to be himself and try new things.

“I love what I’m doing here because I’m giving people the tools to do their jobs to help people, and that makes this work really satisfying for me,” he explained. “But more importantly, here I feel heard. People – even chief officers – really put notice on what you do beside your work – how your family life is, your mental health. They’re very supportive of different relationships, and different people. It’s very clear that here, everyone matters.”

Story made possible by Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont