Zane Bock, who has just started a brand-new job with the Social Security Administration, graduated from our Employment Immersion Program in August. Zane, who is totally blind, grew up on a farm outside the coastal city of Santa Cruz, with its natural beauty and moderate climate. “We were an all-purpose farm – we raised animals and crops, had the pet cow, everything.”
Zane first benefitted from the LightHouse in the 80’s as a camper at our Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. He grew from camper to camp counselor. Camp Director Tony Fletcher remembers him as, “an intelligent, affable person that people love to talk to. He has a great sense of wit and self-assuredness.”
Zane then embarked on a varied work history. He ran a floral business for many years, and worked at his father’s wine distribution company. He was seeking a career with steadier hours and income, when he noticed an article about our Employment Immersion Program on the LightHouse website. He approached his Department of Rehabilitation counselor Maria Mathews about participating and she agreed it would be beneficial.
Kate Williams, Employment Immersion Program Leader, told us, smiling, “It was wonderful working with Zane. He’s a little bit of a cowboy, he walks with a confident swagger and he maintains an undeniably positive spirit. I think our program helped him to improve his understanding of how to build a flexible resume and compelling cover letter. He was also able to hone his skills around the complexity of applying to federal positions.”
After graduating from the LightHouse class, Zane interviewed and got the job as a Tele-Service Representative with the Social Security Administration. After an initial training, he will be taking calls from those who have questions about their Social Security. “I’m very pleased to start working with them,” he said, “The job is right in line with my skill set and there is an opportunity to rise through the ranks.”
Zane found Kate Williams to be of great help during the LightHouse class. He said, “Kate teaches a systematic and rational approach to the job search that is insanely valuable. She really helped me tune up my resume and the practice sessions proved really helpful with my interviews. I would recommend the Employment Immersion Program in a heartbeat.”
Do you want to take Zane’s suggestion and take your career to the next level? Our next Employment Immersion session will run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday beginning May 5 through May 28, at the LightHouse at the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley.
For more information, please contact Kate Williams at kwilliams@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7324.
