What do I do for a Living?

I often get asked what my job actually entails; my best response is “I’m a Jacqueline of all trades.”

I thought I would elaborate more about my job description here. Sometimes it is easier for me to write than to speak.

I work for a non-profit organization that is funded by the state of Maryland. My title is “Wheels to Work Coordinator.” Wheels-to-Work is a program that sells cars to individuals with children at a low rate with no interest. The purpose of this program is to give our clients reliable transportation in order for them to get to work. I partner with the Department of Social Services in Garrett County to find these vehicles, and put qualified clients into them. This alone is very rewarding; the majority of my clients are single mothers. There is a special place in my heart for single mothers, but I could write an entire blog about that, so I will save that for another time.

My favorite part of my job is “Pathway Planning”. Clients come in to see me, they tell me their goals, and I coach them to create action steps to achieve said goals. I work in the Asset Development Department, so the majority of my clients have financial goals. I set budgets with them, and encourage them to save and spend their money more wisely. I do encourage them to also splurge every once in a while, just like with anything in life, if you give up anything completely, you will surely fail. You have to allow yourself some flexibility. I build rapport with my clients by asking powerful questions, sometimes they are very personal, but I try my best to make my clients feel as comfortable as they can. I want them to know that I am here for them, and I celebrate their achievements! I get excited when I see them succeed and watch their confidence grow. I know that when I have that client who goes all the way and declares self-sufficiency, I can celebrate the fact that not only did they get themselves to this point, but through my encouragement & support, I made a difference in that person’s life! That’s a huge reward for me. I do realize that I can’t change a person. They have to want to make those changes themselves, they have to want to improve their own lives, and achieve their goals. It doesn’t matter how much I want it for them, if they are not willing to make the sacrifices and the changes they need to make, then I can’t force them to become independent.

I don’t just help my clients, I also help my co-workers. We all have very important jobs, and they all require lots of time, hard work, and dedication. If there is anything I can do to make their jobs a little less stressful, I am happy to do so! ☺We truly have become like family. We all get along and our personalities mesh very well, but there are times when we bicker like siblings, and get on each other’s nerves. I have grown to love each and every one of them though, and I’m allowed to complain and point out their annoyances, but no one else can! Ha ha.  I am technically not an administrative assistant, but I do have a lot of administrative assistant duties. I enjoy it though! I get to use my imagination, and show my creativity at work. It’s awesome!! Sometimes, I even get to research, and I use Pinterest!! I am not ashamed to admit I am a Pinterest addict! I also get to write narratives, articles, and create brochures and flyers. I am currently writing an article for a newsletter, and it will be published in The Republican Newspaper.

I have recently been selected to be on a board of monitors for our internal website. I help organize and manage libraries on our website that our organization uses. I get to do some cool behind the scenes stuff! We are known throughout the organization as “Superhero’s.”

So in summary, I am a Wheels-to-work coordinator/financial counselor/coach/supporter/administrative assistant/designer/writer/superhero. A Jacqueline of all trades, and I absolutely love it!!!