Ayuba quickly moved through the eligibility and suitability phase and was registered within weeks. His first empowerment activity was mock interviewing with the Michigan Works! team. He enjoyed the interviewing activity and requested additional opportunities to increase his skills. Ayuba also gained valuable tips for a professional résumé, as well as how to complete cover letters and online job searching. Now he felt ready to begin the job search process.
While Ayuba had all the right tools to land a job, he was not initially successful. He continued to press on applying for accounting openings but just wasn’t getting the call. It appeared that Ayuba had the minimum education but seemed to be passed over due to a lack of experience and he became discouraged.
The Michigan Works! team’s new goal was to work together with Ayuba and find a paid work experience that would help him gain the real-world job experience.
The Young Professionals’ Placement Specialist arranged for a 480- hour paid work experience with Macomb County Government ’s Fi-nance Department in an auditing position. Michigan Works! paid Ayuba minimum wage while the Finance Department offered an opportunity for skill development in the workplace.
During the training, the employer reported that Ayuba was doing very well. He understood processes, asked the right questions and even caught some input errors. Ayuba was very happy working with the finance department and felt he was gaining valuable skills for a future job.
As he worked at his temporary assignment, Ayuba continued to job search with the assistance of the Young Professionals’ Career Development Facilitator. Together they updated his résumé with the skills he gained during the work experience and continued to put in job applications.
Finally, Ayuba got a break as one of the many job openings he applied for resulted in a call. He soon inter-viewed and then was hired as an auditor with the Internal Revenue Service. Ayuba began the full -time position, with benefits included, as an IRS agent on August 19, 2019. His patience, experience and education all finally paid off.
