Finding Employment and Acceptance with National Able Network
Moxxi Doherty, a 34-year-old Chicago native, earned her Masters of Library and Information Science from Dominican University and started her professional career in the library sciences field. However, she felt that it was hard to stand out in her career, and slowly came to the realization that her dream was to work in Information Technology, an industry she perceived to be more open and accepting. Even though Moxxi had a master’s degree, she had not received resume assistance since graduating college which made it challenging to apply for jobs. After a year of searching on her own with no success, she enlisted the help of National Able Network, and began working with Career Coach Kelsey Briggs-Dineen.
Once Kelsey and Moxxi discussed her resume and career goals, they both got started on advancing Moxxi’s career path! Kelsey was able to help Moxxi find temporary employment at the Chicago Lighthouse, and Moxxi started to work on her LinkedIn profile. “The job coaching really helped give me direction for something that, until then, had me feeling pretty lost,” said Moxxi.
Kelsey helped Moxxi enroll into the EPIC (Employment Opportunities, Personalized Services, Individualized Training, Career Planning) program, which would assist her in pursuing her Information Technology career dreams. After just a few weeks of training, Moxxi earned her CompTIA A+ certification! According to Moxxi, earning this certification opened the doors to a variety of opportunities. “I’m thankful for the support and for a place where I can be myself,” said Moxxi. “Career coaches change lives. Kelsey went out of her way to research and helped me find additional services that specifically catered to trans people.”
After all her hard work and determination, Moxxi found a career that fit perfectly with what she wanted. Moxxi is now working as a Customer Service Representative at The Illinois Tollway! When providing career advice to others like herself, Moxxi said, “Don’t settle for working somewhere that does not let you fully be your true self. If someplace doesn’t feel like the most comfortable place to work, but you want to take it simply because it’s a job – DON’T! There is always someplace else that will accept you. Simply having a job is only a small piece of the puzzle.”
