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Employment Skills Self-Assessment Name what you’ve already done and what’s in the way — and see which free Phoenix job program is built for it

Most job programs start by asking what you lack. This one starts with what you’ve done. Tap the kinds of work you have experience with, then tap anything that’s making a job search hard right now. You’ll get a place to start, the phone number to call, and words to use on the call. This is written for Phoenix and Maricopa County, Arizona.

Nothing here is stored or sent anywhere. Your answers stay on this device only, so the page remembers them if you come back. No account, no sign-up, no one sees what you tap. The Start over button erases everything instantly.
There is no score, and nothing here decides whether you’re “job ready.” Every question is optional — you can skip both and still see the general starting point. The best-evidenced job programs for people in unstable housing don’t screen for readiness at all; they start the job search and build the support around it. This page just points you at the door that fits.
What kinds of work have you done? Tap all that apply. Paid or unpaid, recent or years ago, a full job or a few days of it — it all counts. Skip this if you’d rather.
What’s making this hard right now? Tap all that apply. Naming a barrier here doesn’t disqualify you from anything — it’s how the page figures out which program already handles it.

Common questions

Do I have to have a resume before I go?

No. Every program on this page will build one with you, and that’s often the first thing they do. St. Joseph the Worker publishes a resume worksheet you can fill in by hand ahead of time if you want a head start, but showing up with nothing written down is normal and expected. What helps more than a resume is being able to name where you worked, roughly when, and what you actually did there.

Does a gap in my work history disqualify me?

Not with these programs. Job coaches in Maricopa County work with people coming out of incarceration, treatment, hospital stays, and long stretches of homelessness every day — a gap is the norm in their caseload, not a red flag. What they’ll help you do is decide how to describe it in one sentence and move the conversation to what you can do. Employers in construction, warehousing, and logistics around Phoenix hire heavily on reliability and showing up.

What if I’ve never had a formal job?

Then the honest starting point is a job center that does career exploration, not just placement — ARIZONA@WORK runs free workshops on exactly this, and their youth programs are built for people with no work history. Unpaid work counts more than people expect: caring for a family member, fixing cars for people you know, cooking for a household, day labor that was never on a paycheck. Bring that up out loud with a coach; they know how to turn it into resume language.

Should I disclose a record?

This page can’t answer that for your specific case, and it isn’t legal advice. What’s true generally: Arizona has ban-the-box rules that stop public employers and many public contractors from asking about criminal history until after a conditional offer, so the question often doesn’t come up as early as people fear. A job coach at St. Joseph the Worker or a reentry specialist at an ARIZONA@WORK one-stop can walk through what to say for your record specifically, and they do it constantly. If part of what’s hanging over you is an outstanding warrant, the Warrant Resolution Explainer covers what it does and doesn’t actually affect.

Is anything I tap saved or reported?

No personal information is collected, and nothing is sent anywhere. The only thing this page remembers is which buttons you tapped, kept on your own device so it can show the same guidance if you come back. It is not tied to your name, and no program sees it. Start over clears it instantly.

Verify before you go. Phone numbers, addresses, and hours on this page were checked against each provider’s own website on September 1, 2026, but programs change and hours shift. Call before you travel. If you can’t reach someone, call 2-1-1 — free, 24/7, statewide — and ask for employment services near you. For the fuller written guide, see Free Job Help in Phoenix When You’re Experiencing Homelessness.

Sources

  • St. Joseph the Worker — locations, phone, services, and what to bring (theworkeraz.org)
  • ARIZONA@WORK — City of Phoenix and Maricopa County office locations and phone numbers (arizonaatwork.com)
  • Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona — Veteran Career Center location, phone, and hours; no-cost career services (goodwillaz.org)
  • The Excel Center — tuition-free adult high school, location and phone (excelcenteraz.org)
  • Arizona Department of Economic Security — Vocational Rehabilitation contact information (des.az.gov)
  • Arizona Job Connection and Unemployment Insurance filing line (arizonaatwork.com, azui.gov)
  • 2-1-1 Arizona
  • Common Ladder — supported employment evidence brief (why no readiness test)

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