Industry: Government
Current Position: General Clerk
Zach was born in Maryland and raised in Arizona. He joined the Navy in 2008, working in IT, and spent three years stationed in Jacksonville, Florida. Upon leaving the military, Zach went down a challenging path which led to a 5-year prison sentence on felony charges.
When released, Zach attempted to rebuild his life. He quickly experienced the struggle of looking for employment with a criminal record. He looked for work consistently, “applying online, receiving no interviews, no call backs, no nothing; it can be a very degrading experience.” After about six months job hunting, Zach grew increasingly depressed, withdrawn, and discouraged, wondering if he’d be able to land a work opportunity.
His luck shifted one day when he bumped into Rachel Smith, a friend from high school and the Regional Manager for DPI Staffing’s Sierra Vista, Arizona, staffing office. She encouraged Zach to come in for an interview and was impressed with how he performed.
“Zach was pleasant and willing to help out with anything. We were able to put him to work right away, and he has been working steadily for several customers since,” Rachel said. “Zach is one of our most valuable commercial employees, and customers request him by name. DPI is extremely lucky to have an employee like him.”
Giving those who face barriers to employment like a criminal record a second chance is what DePaul does best.
“When I got my first job, I was so relieved that I got this chance in life. It was the start of me moving in a positive direction,” Zach said. “My life now is a lot less stressful. I can’t say enough about how important it was for me to find a job. It gives me purpose.”
