Birmingham Resident receives JVS Employee of the Year Award

Jeffrey Siegel of Birmingham recently received the 2014 JVS Employee of the Year Award for overcoming obstacles to employment and becoming an exemplary employee.

The award was presented at the JVS Strictly Business Networking and Awards Luncheon June 12, 2014. Over 800 community and business leaders attended the event, which featured Honorary Chair and Keynote Speaker Mark Fields, chief operating officer, Ford Motor Company, who extended his personal congratulations to Siegel and two other winners.

Brought up in a family drug store business, Siegel never imagined working anywhere else. When the family was forced to sell the store in 2008 due to the recession, Siegel was unprepared to vie for a position in the modern workforce. He had never looked for a job, needed a resume, created an online networking presence or polished his interviewing skills.

Siegel turned to JVS’s Business and Career Services team for help. He completed career assessments and participated in employment workshops to develop job-seeking skills; and his confidence grew. With a clearly defined plan and a newly polished approach, Siegel found a job that was a great fit for his retail and customer service experience. He has been working for more than two years at Batteries Plus in Birmingham as their deputy chief battery problem solver.

“I hired Jeff because he made a good first impression to me and others in the store,” says Barry

Murphy, co-owner of Batteries Plus. “He is terrific with customers; a lot of customers will come in and ask for Jeff again because they were so pleased with how he took care of them the first time.”

“JVS is a great place, it has been such a wonderful experience, and I am so grateful,” says Siegel.