Ross recently retired from 33 years in the U.S. military, 24 of them in active duty for the Army. He planned to take a year or two off and relax, then get a civilian job. But he had to change his plans. Ross found himself living with his best friend and his friend’s wife in central Minnesota, helping out by making household repairs and snowplowing, but he knew he needed to do more. 

Ross connected with Anthony Poff with CareerForce Veterans Employment Services and started applying for jobs in 2022. He ended up sending out 86 applications before he landed a job as an electrician apprentice. He started work with the electrician company, but he knew it wasn’t the right fit for him. Shortly after he started in the apprentice position, he got a call from the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) for an interview as Housing Case Manager.  

Ross knew this was a job he was not only very interested in, but perfectly qualified for, thanks to his decades of experience in the military and his work volunteering to help those in need in his community after he returned to Minnesota. Anthony encouraged him to apply. Ross couldn’t be happier that he did. But he had to endure a long wait for an interview. Anthony continued to provide him encouragement during the wait. Finally, in mid-February of this year he had a two-hour and 15-minute interview in St. Cloud with three MACV Staff members. Six days later, he was offered a position and accepted it.  

"The job or career I wish to call it is going well," said Ross. "Slowly getting used to the on-boarding process and learning the ins and out of laws, housing regulations and just helping Vets. Everyone has been more than nice to me. Feels good and scary at the same time."

Ross credits his happiness at work with the help he received from Anthony. “Without encouragement and assistance from Anthony, there would be no success story,” said Ross.