Experience 

Overview

In Denmark, I (very atypically for a Danish student) worked throughout my studies. These jobs ranged from your standard waitering and customer service, to—at the end—working fo Epinion. There, I worked my way up from interviewer to supervisor, getting first-hand leadership and management experience over a large group of people.

Throughout this time, I volunteered regularly. One particular example is when I volunteered at a varmestue, or homeless shelter, where I assisted both the shelter’s users and the administration. Another example: I volunteered as my study department’s student representative during my graduate studies, acting as the voice for my fellow students at Aarhus University.

Now, in the US, I have been fortunate to be able to work with at-risk youth through both Lifeworks & The Settlement Home. These jobs are both rewarding and fulfilling and have given me a first-hand experience with direct care to compliment my theoretical knowledge. I also am lucky to be personally aligned with established goals and missions of both organizations.

The latest job I have had with Goodwill Central Texas has been two folded since I changed different positions. In both roles I have worked with ad risk populations from all walks of life. I have connected the clients to grants paying for further certificate and in my other role I have created, taught, and run class room discussions and many other functions.

More details on these experiences can be found below, from most recent to oldest.

Goodwill Central Texas

Career Advancement Trainer & Career Case Manager

Goodwill International Industries are predominantly known for their secondhand stores and where old items can be donated to. Less known is the enormous efforts of many individual Goodwill organizations on a local platform (such as Goodwill Central Texas) to support its citizens in their efforts to become employable.

Goodwill Central Texas (GCT) is an individual organization under the umbrella of Goodwill International Industries. It operates within Central Texas, covering most counties around Austin. GCT offers the citizens of Austin an opportunity to qualify for better jobs or to obtain a job. I currently serve as a Career Advancement Trainer and before that as a Career Case Manager.

Career Advancement Trainer

In this role, I work with clients referred from their career case manager and prepare them to become stronger candidates for their job profile. During the training I give, I help the clients emphasize what is essential to include in their resume and to understand interview questions, preparing them in the best way possible for the long and occasionally complicated process of job hunting.

One of my latest tasks is assisting clients in overcoming digital literacy problems — for example, teaching them how to use their emails, passwords, navigating the various job search websites, and using their various digital tools available.    

Another part of my role has been to review and develop training course suggestions and improvements, such as incorporating digital items into the training offered by our team to get clients familiar clients with what they will find in their respective jobs.

Career Case Manager  

Due to my knowledge of computers and technical skills, I was initially handpicked to work on a government grant called Tech Hire which offered funding to support clients of Goodwill through specialized training. During my role as a Career Case Manager (CCM), I spoke and prepared with more than 150+ people and successfully guided a good portion of them to complete the training.

I was later responsible for a state grant called the Texas Talent Connect, in which Goodwill clients could obtain credentials for Microsoft Office Suite and Customer Service Representative. I successfully helped more than 15 clients through the program, with some obtaining certificates and jobs inside the field with a starting salary above $12 an hour.

When COVID swept the nation and everything went virtual, I was one of the first already utilizing Zoom to hold meetings with my clients. I helped them with their paperwork and held regular meetings to build rapport with them.  

The final grant I worked on was collaborating with Goodwill International Industries, the online training portal Coursera, and Google to qualify clients to obtain Google IT Support credentials. I have helped and advocated for multiple clients who to get into the program.

For all my grants, I have helped market and publicize with internal teams and with local community partners to increase awareness about what we are able to offer clients.

The Settlement Home

The settlement home

The Settlement Home is an organization working with young women and girls in the foster-care system; often these girls come from a traumatic background with various hardships. The Settlement Home has a a residential treatment center, a transitional program, and a foster-care and adoption program.

My position as a Youth Care Counselor(YCC) is about being present for the youth I am working with. This position gives me unique opportunities to meet and interact with various youth groups inside the Settlement Home program. The Settlement Home operates from the TBRI (Trust-Based Relationship Interaction) when providing care for the youth, and I have been trained to be able to provide this for the youth.

For example: as a YCC, I am the first contact the youth have every afternoon after school. I help the youth to keep to their treatments plans, give them transportation, and keep control of their medicine.

Of course, due to the extremely variable needs of the youth at all times of day and night, this is just an example.

Then, and all other times, I am there to help the youth keep their routines and establish habits which will hopefully stay with them after their time with The Settlement Home.

Lifeworks

Lifeworks is an NGO working with transitional youth and trying to minimize homelessness for the ages of 16-30 years. They achieve this goal by having a place where youth can temporarily have a roof over their head. While staying with Lifeworks, the youth are offered help to find housing, get psychological support, search for jobs, and finish their education.

I work at their emergency shelter, which serves youth between the ages of 15-18. Building on the foundation of strength-based, trauma-informed care, I assist the youth in participating in the various programs that Lifeworks offers them, as well as encouraging them to master basic life skills. I help facilitate activities for the youth and, on occasion, prepare them food.

The hope of Lifework’s—and my—efforts are to help and inspire the youth to successfully transition into adult life. To this end, I engage with them and share in their activities, in the hope that they will be strengthened by their stay at Lifeworks and—if possible—my impact on them through my encouragement and belief.

Epinion

Epinion is one of Denmark’s best-known analytical companies. They’ve been the go-to for some of Denmark’s largest companies and organizations, including Danmarks Radio, DSB (the Danish transport company), etc. They also consult with the Danish government itself, performing the very important Labour Force Survey which is used for European databases concerning the workforce in Denmark.

Supervisor of interviewers from 2016-2018

After a year and a half as an interviewer, I was promoted to supervisor due to (according to my supervisors) hard and reliable work, as well as my ability to manage others.

I was responsible for the work and results of up to 50 interviewers—keeping them both engaged and following best professional practices. I also led field assignments, where I was in charge of planning and fulfilling surveys done outside the Aarhus and Copenhagen offices in the country at large.

One of my favorite responsibilities was keeping the interviewers engaged—I’d design creative games and other motivating tasks for them.

Interviewer from 2015-2016

As an interviewer, I conducted the surveys commissioned through Epinion by various companies.

Although new to the industry when I started, I was quickly moved to the more important projects due to my skill with people in multiple languages, my ability to handle the more sensitive aspects of collecting data, and my high-quality results.

Eventually, I soon began assuming supervisor responsibilities on field assignments. I booked the transport for the other interviewers, led the charge, and was the one struggling interviewers would come to for advice.

When I was back in the call center, I was asked to get on recruiting assignments because I was very good at time management and was a good planner. I became known for being able to close out difficult projects while still maintaining the highest ethical standards.

All of this soon led to me being promoted to being a supervisor.