Easterseals Internship Program Leads to Career Success for Kristen

When Kristen of Wakefield needed help finding a new job, her Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission counselor directed her to the Easterseals Career Skills Training program in Boston.

First, Easterseals specialists worked with Kristen to determine her workplace skills and what she wanted to do. Next, she was trained and became very proficient in the latest Microsoft Office software programs. She also attended job-readiness workshops, where she learned how to provide excellent customer service, work as part of a team, demonstrate leadership, write impressive cover letters, and master interviews.

Kristen was a little outside of her comfort zone in some of the workshops but she never gave up.

A few months after her training ended, Easterseals arranged an unpaid internship for Kristen at Third Sector New England, an organization that helps nonprofits involved in community service and public life.

Kristen’s disability makes her uncomfortable in new situations but once she settles in, she shines.

In fact, Kristen did so well in her internship that she was hired as a part-time marketing associate within three months. A short time later, she applied for and won a permanent part-time position with additional responsibilities. She now works on press releases, media relations, and social networking projects.

“From her very first day, Kristen has been an important contributor to our team and organization,” said Jackie Cefola, a nonprofit center program manager at Third Sector New England. “She diligently balances our department’s many immediate needs with our long-term objectives. She accomplishes every task with a high level of skill and an enthusiastic attitude. She is a real pleasure to work with and we feel very fortunate to have her on our team.”

Cefola called the Easterseals internship program “a huge win-win for our organization.”

“By working with our intern, we were able to access free office assistance to immediately get things done quickly and efficiently,” she said. “We were also able to prove a need for long-term help and we were extremely lucky it worked out that our intern could join our team as staff.”

Kristen also is happy with the guidance she received from Easterseals. “I can't thank Easterseals enough for all of the help, advice, and support,” she said.

The services Kristen received were made possible by a partnership between Easterseals and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.