StepUp Durham offers free employment readiness training, personalized job coaching, employer referrals, and supportive services to job seekers. They are a nonprofit workforce development program in Durham, NC, and their mission is to be the premier resource in Durham County for people seeking to improve their lives and develop stable careers. The majority of their participants are unemployed and facing significant employment barriers. They have helped 398 people find employment!

Tim Wollin is the Program Director at StepUp Durham. When he heard about Talk Hiring in February 2019, he was excited, and rolled out Talk Hiring that month. In addition to many graduates wanting more mock interviews, about 70% of StepUp's graduates are hired by employers outside of StepUp's employer network. Job seekers interviewing with employers outside of the network don't have the benefit of getting warm introductions to hiring managers. These employers are a lot harsher on job interviews.

"I like to ask students 'how long during an interview can you pause?'. People usually say around 7 seconds. I then role play that back and have the student be the interviewer. They realize how awkward waiting 7 seconds is. It's great that Talk Hiring can give automated interview feedback on pauses." ~ Tim Wollin, Program Director