“This summer I interned at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, reporting directly to both the Vice Presidents of Communications and Membership, where I was exposed to many different areas of the organization. Highlights included working on strategic advocacy efforts, attending board meetings, networking with members, and participating in round-tables with our federal delegation. It was a very unique opportunity for someone my age, especially meeting so many political figures! Experiencing firsthand what it is like to work in a professional setting will help me when I enter the work world in a few years, and for that I am grateful. Through the internship, I also realized that I want to major in law, which I would never have known without the PrepareRI program. I will be attending Roger Williams University in the fall and hope to have a great career!”

“I had never worked before and the idea of interviewing for a job at a big company made me really nervous. I tried to remember the things I had learned in our training – how to communicate and act professionally. Luckily, the VP from Gilbane who interviewed me put me at ease, and I had such a great experience working for him. Since I had always been interested in computer science, he explained to me the many different ways computers are used in the construction industry, things I had never thought about and found exciting. I am still in contact with my boss from Gilbane and because of this experience, I may pursue a career as a project manager at a construction firm or a cybersecurity analyst, so that I can protect companies like Gilbane. PrepareRI brought me out of my comfort zone, and I now have the confidence to pursue different opportunities.”

“After many years working as an executive assistant at a local company, the facility moved out of state and I was suddenly without a job. With years of experience and a recent college degree, I was confident I would quickly find a new position. Unfortunately, I was wrong and panic set in after 6 months of interviews where I was either told I was “overqualified” or was “one of the top two candidates”. It was so stressful worrying about making ends meet. I finally heard about SkillsRI and reached out for assistance. Within one week, I not only had a job interview, but I accepted an offer to be part of their team as the Executive Assistant! I am now happily employed and it feels great to work for an agency whose mission is to help Rhode Islanders who are facing the same struggles I once did.”