Southwestern College student Bill Ebuen just finished a summer internship with the  when a coworker told him about CONNECT2Careers (C2C). “I was searching for jobs to help out with bills,” Bill told us. “My dad is retiring soon, and I want to do my part to make sure my sister can go to college.”

When he registered for an account with C2C, Bill was assigned Serene Harb as his peer job coach. Serene and Bill used C2C’s text messaging system to discuss job opportunities. After a short conversation, Serene connected Bill with 11 different job applications at companies matching Bill’s skills and interests, including , , , the  and . Then, the two worked on Bill’s résumé.

“CONNECT2Careers really helped me improve my résumé,” Bill says “Before C2C, my résumé was barebones, with a lot of broad terms. C2C helped me specify my skills and word things properly.”

Serene then pre-registered Bill for an open interview day at SAY San Diego through a partnership between SAY and C2C. Prior to this experience, Bill was never aware of the fact that some companies had open interviews or job fairs. “My job search was very limited to begin with, but C2C helped me broaden my search,” he shared.

Shortly after his interview, SAY San Diego offered Bill a position as a Youth Leader.

“Being able to get my very first job has me motivated to be successful in this first job and in everything else in life. I have a good aim in what I want to achieve in terms of paying bills and getting my sister to school,” he says. “I feel more confident in my ability to find jobs and to put myself and my résumé out there thanks to C2C.”

Mr. Ebuen is just one of over 2,500 motivated young adults looking for employment with CONNECT2Careers. Young people interested in finding employment with C2C can register here, and businesses looking to hire quality employees like Bill can request information using .