Julia's Career Services Success | Goodwill Chattanooga

Julia's Success Story

Julia’s part-time job was no longer meeting the needs of her growing family. Something had to change. One day, her friend told her about the free career services that are available at Goodwill. The very next day, Julia reached out to Taryn, a Goodwill Opportunity Center Manager.

“I had earned an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree, and I had experience as a grant writer, a marketing manager, and a fitness instructor,” said Julia. “I had all of this education and experience, but I couldn’t figure out how to best portray my varied work experience to employers.”

Taryn listened closely to Julia’s story, helped her organize her education and work history, and created a personalized plan. She provided a professional resume template, coached Julia on how to tailor her applications, and helped her identify transferable skills that she hadn’t yet considered.

“It made a huge difference having Taryn on my side during my job search,” said Julia. “Navigating this process on my own had been discouraging. She encouraged me to apply for jobs I hadn’t discovered and even coached me on interviewing skills.”

Julia’s job search was finally complete when she accepted a job as a Healthy Living and Wellness Public Health Educator at the Hamilton County Health Department. She is now using her education and diverse experience to make a meaningful impact on our community.

“If you are struggling in your job search process, seek help from Goodwill,” said Julia. “They will support your search.”

To take advantage of Goodwill’s free career services, fill out the form at www.goodwillchatt.org/missionservices, visit https://www.goodwillchatt.org/OC to find an Opportunity Center, or call us at (423) 629-2501 ext. 7601.

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Cards and Coffee with the Catoosa County Chamber

By Lora B • May 26, 2026

We had a great time with the Catoosa County Chamber at Cards and Coffee at our Battlefield store and donation center!

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By Lora B • May 26, 2026

Recently, Goodwill held an annual award ceremony in conjunction with our first organization-wide One Goodwill event, a day dedicated entirely to investing in the people who make our mission possible. For one day, we closed every Goodwill store, donation site, Opportunity Center, distribution center, and administrative office in the greater Chattanooga area to invest in our people. On that day, our entire Distribution Center team was honored with the Opportunity Accelerator award. This award celebrates innovation that accelerates opportunity and drives meaningful progress for Goodwill and for our community. Over the past year, the Distribution Center has undergone a significant and inspiring transformation, one centered on stronger communication, increased trust, and a more unified team culture. One nominator shared, “The Distribution Center has transformed and grown in amazing ways.” Kai, Goodwill’s Manager of Distribution and Transportation, has a passion for people, communication, and integrity, which has elevated the entire team. One nominator wrote, “Since Kai’s first day in new hire orientation, he has communicated his desire to develop and grow. He cares deeply about his employees, considers their challenges, and goes out of his way to help people find success.” Supporting this transformation is Pan, Director of Operations. Pan is a leader whose commitment to his people has not gone unnoticed. A nomination stated, “Pan is always willing to listen to our problems and do what is necessary to correct them.” “The biggest change I’ve seen with our distribution center team is our cohesiveness,” said Pan. “We work well together.” “Winning the Opportunity Accelerator award was amazing,” said Kai. “I'd be hard-pressed to say I've had a better day professionally. I wasn't only proud of myself; I was proud of our team.”