Andrianna

Andrianna’s connection with One On One started with a referral from a friend who knew she was looking for a job. She enrolled in a youth employment program with one of our employer partners, Peach’s, and gained valuable work experience. Andrianna was then chosen to join One On One’s One Summer Chicago cohort—a group of young people ages 16-24 exploring all things workforce development like writing a resume, practicing interviews, and learning best job search practices. 

One Summer Chicago is the City of Chicago’s flagship youth employment program over the summer months. Through this program One On One employs 125 youth, ages 16-24 for six weeks during the summer. Priorities are youth who are in foster care, insecure housing, them or their family members have interacted with the criminal justice system, zip code priority (around our office/near south side), receiving public benefits as an indication of financial need.

During her time in the One Summer Chicago cohort, Andrianna received tailored support from her employment coach and cohort leaders, who helped her create a new version of her resume. Prior to One Summer Chicago, Andrianna had been trying to get a job in the security industry for a long time and had been rejected or didn’t hear back from the applications she submitted. She said her resume is more readable for hiring managers after her time at One On One. 

“When I got here, you helped me with my resume,” said Andrianna. “I believe that’s what really helped me.”

In the past, Andrianna was nervous conducting job interviews and was unsure how to answer interviewers’ questions. She found that completing practice interviews during the One Summer Chicago cohort helpful, especially the advice she received from a featured guest speaker. 

One Summer Chicago at One on One hosted several guest speakers, including an angel investor and engineer, two journalists, nonprofit executives, and local business leaders. 

“A guest speaker said, ‘You have to think to yourself that you got this in the bag.’ I really thought about that for the security job when it came up,” said Andrianna. “I definitely was saying it to myself, and those words of encouragement helped me.” 

Following the end of One Summer Chicago, Andrianna was hired as a Security Guard at Titan Security. She can be found patrolling Millennium Park and doing bag searches. Titan will also be assisting her in getting her Permanent Employee Registration Card, or PERC, so that she is qualified for future security jobs. She is excited to start in her dream field and is looking forward to helping the people of Chicago. 

“One On One was really the best thing I could have done this summer. I enjoyed meeting new people and going on the field trips. I love how One On One staff encouraged me into getting my new security job, and I really appreciate that I loved all the people and workers there.”