Lutherwood Helped me See my Worth

Kris is no stranger to high-stress situations. Working in production in the film and television industry for forty years, she perfected how to handle and thrive in fast-paced working environments.

When she returned to her roots and family in Guelph, she found herself in a position where she had to make a career change.

“One struggle I didn’t anticipate was that after working in one highly specialized industry for so long, it was really difficult for any employers to understand firstly why I left it, and secondly, just what I would be qualified to do now,” Kris explained.

So, in the summer of 2019, she turned to Lutherwood’s Employment Services and with the help of her Employment Advisor Sharron Walpole, Kris thinks she has turned a corner.

“I was feeling particularly bad about myself,” Kris reflected. “I come from a background where my job every day was to make people feel good about themselves and what they were doing. I was supposed to bring everyone else up, and when you discover that you don’t feel good about yourself after spending all those years caring for other people, it’s kind of ugly.”

Kris says Lutherwood has helped her to see the values in her transferrable skills and in building her confidence to go forward into the job market. “They helped me to reassess myself, and honestly that is half the job of getting a job!” she laughed.

She added that where many potential employers saw her advancing age as a deterrent, Lutherwood never made her feel as though it was a challenge.

“The staff here are courteous and highly attentive people that care who you are. They seriously look at everyone regardless of any barriers. Young or old, I would have no trouble recommending Lutherwood’s employment services to anyone that needs a significant boost in their job search.”

Lutherwood has helped Kris find and apply to many exciting job opportunities, and she’s very optimistic about what the future will bring. Ideally, she’s looking for a customer care position at a small family-run business. She would like to put her years of experience to good use taking care of individuals and benefiting a small business. And Lutherwood has shown her that she can follow that dream.

“That is the greatest thing that Lutherwood has done for me. They helped me to recognize the value of what I have to offer in the working world, and that is priceless.”