After spending eight years in retirement, Lorry Charak wanted to get back to work. Although he had a lifelong career in commodities trading and sales, Lorry wanted to pursue a new career path this time around. His daughter, who was also job searching, knew exactly who could help him achieve his career goals: National Able Network (Able)!

Through Able’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program, Lorry received training and job search assistance to help him get on the right path to success. Lorry worked very hard with his career coach, Carey Goldenberg, and even joined a job search work team. “Carey advised me about job search work team, and that was one of the best things about the program,” he said.

After completing job search training and career planning, Lorry decided that he would pursue a career as a project manager and would complete project management professional (PMP) training. During his PMP training, Carey encouraged Lorry to develop his LinkedIn presence as it plays an integral role in job search.  “LinkedIn gives you somewhat of a purpose while you’re job searching,” said Lorry. “After learning about LinkedIn, I’ve extended my job network, and it has been my primary source of leads…”

Once he completed the PMP coursework and exams, Lorry successfully earned all the certifications for PMP training, including SCRUM, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Shortly after completing his training, Lorry began working as an independent sales agent!

Lorry’s hard work and perseverance while working with Able on his career goals set him up for future success. He says, “My advice to others is stick with LinkedIn. It gives you a network of connections and information about their network, and gives you a chance to connect with potential employers and thank them after an interview.”