CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The last six months have been a trying time for all of us, especially for the millions around the country and the thousands in the Coastal Bend who have been furloughed or laid off.
"It is one of the hardest things in the world . . . to become unemployed," Monika De La Garza of Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend said.
Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend's front doors are locked right now. The building itself is closed, but it doesn't mean its staff has stopped working.
Like many during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has taken things virtual and it is still here to help the unemployed get back to work.
Carrie Cortez is one of many people who lost her job at the start of the pandemic. She went straight to Workforce Solutions for help.
"They have workshops that you can do to help yourself," she said. "I even revamped my resume during their résumé-building workshop."
There are numerous resources and workshops for those who use their services. One of which is a career counselor.
The career counselor works to help people find jobs tailored to their specific talents.
"They are looking out for you," Cortez said. "She will say 'Hey, this is a good match. Let me bring it to her attention.'"
Thanks to the help of Cortez's career counselor, she landed her first interview since she lost her job in March.
"I was really excited and thankful because this is the lead that my counselor gave me," she said.
The career-resource service is outfitted with even more resources that are built to help get the Coastal Bend community back to work.
There are interview-skills classes, tutorials on how to register with WorkinTexas, the state's unemployment website.
De La Garza said there are about seven to 10 workshops Workforce Solutions currently is hosting.
Taking the first steps to getting back to work through Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend is just a phone call, text or even email away.
The phone number is (361) 882-7491, and the email is info@workforcesolutionscb.org.
