Pathways to Employment

Spotlight on Success

Nicole Brand

Nicole Brand participated in the Resource Room Internship program at the Duluth WorkForce Center from June 2007 to March 2008. The Resource Room Internship program is designed to give students work experience to prepare them for entering the workforce.

Brand didn't finish her internship, because she found employment at an intensive residential treatment service for dually diagnosed women with mental illness and chemical dependency. "It's where my heart is," she says.

Brand describes her own disability as "MI/CD." She has had an official diagnosis for about four years.

Brand got a lead on the internship at the WorkForce Center from her Rehabilitation Services counselor. She found her current job while doing her internship. "I was lucky, I was never unemployed."

Brand says her activities at the WorkForce Center really paid off. Her Rehabilitation Services counselor helped her identify her strengths. "I developed a curriculum for www.minnesotaworks.net, an online Web site for job seekers and employers through the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), and had a lot of room to grow while I was working at the WorkForce Center."

Brand utilized the resources available to her while doing her internship. "I networked, took the job search classes and tweaked my resume, trying different keywords on various job search sites to see which words gave me the most hits in the areas I was searching."

Brand also found that working with the clients at the WorkForce Center, assisting them with their own job search, was helpful. "I noticed what worked for them and tried some of those things in my own search."

The life-changing experience Brand has gained through the internship and her new job motivate her to facilitate the same kind of change in others' lives. "I appreciate watching women grow during their stay in our program."

Brand says her co-workers are very receptive to her own disabilities. "Many of them don't have 'documented' disabilities so some are surprised when they learn about my disabilities."

Brand would like to get a bachelor's degree in social work and maybe a master's as well. When talking about future vocational goals she says, "I have a special place in my heart for Rehab Services."

Brand finds her new job challenging. "I am using things I have learned, and it's rewarding work."

To people with disabilities who are looking for work Brand says, "Don't give up! Go to the WorkForce Center and use the resources there. They have lots to offer and jobs may come your way if you know what's available to you."

Reflecting back on her time at the WorkForce Center, Brand says, "I'm very grateful for having had the experience!"