Lyft Jobs Access Program helps those in need

The Lyft Jobs Access Program was launched to help folks without transportation get to their job interviews.  

One of the most exciting calls a job seeker can get is the one with an invitation to a job interview. It’s a wonderful feeling to know your skills and experience impressed a hiring manager enough to trigger a face-to-face meeting. 

But for some candidates, getting invited is a hollow victory. That’s because they don’t own a car, and public transportation isn’t available to the site of the interview. How can they stay in the running for a much-needed job if they can’t even get to the initial interview? 

Lyft Jobs Access Program Fills a Void

Lyft is a ride-sharing company based in San Francisco, and it is providing transportation for people who are going to interviews, starting new jobs, or attending job-training functions. The people to whom they are providing the service live predominately in lower socioeconomic areas and do not have the financial resources to get themselves to and from job interviews and work. 

The Lyft  Jobs Access Program, as Lyft is calling the initiative, is hoping to close the transportation gap in over 35 cities in the United States and Canada. The company is partnering with national and local organizations — including Goodwill, The USO, United Way, and the National Down Syndrome Society– to offer the program for free or reduced costs to people in need.  

Here’s what Lyft is offering: 

• Rides to and from job interviews 
• Rides to and from job training programs 
• Rides to and from work for the first three weeks of employment, until individuals receive their first paycheck and begin to pay for their transportation

United Way spokesperson Alicia Lara comments: “United Way believes that people of all ages and abilities should have an opportunity to improve their economic status through employment. When we work with corporate partners like Lyft in pursuit of this goal, the entire community benefits, and together, we can affect sweeping change that benefits us all.”  

Other transportation options

 If the Lyft  Jobs Access Program doesn’t work for you, you still have other options.

You may have access to public transit. If you live in a city, a large town, or even a suburb, there might be trains, trams, and buses to get you to the interview and, later, to work. These modes of transportations are usually affordable. They can also teach you quite a bit about the area in which you live. 

Another solution is to ask a family member or friend to borrow their car. Or ask them to drive you. Maybe someone in your family drives to work, in which case suggest that you drop the individual off at work and then pick them up at quitting time. You’ll have the use of the car while they are working, and you won’t inconvenience them. Normally, you can make one of these arrangements work. 

Want some interview tips?

Now that you know how to get to your job interview, we can help you prepare for it. Check out our blog for more helpful suggestions.