Blog

In April 2018, I became CEO of National Able Network and I had a long time to think about my priorities. My predecessor, Grace Powers, had announced her retirement almost a full year earlier and prepared me to be her…

When Noelle Hardy was laid off from her previous job, she connected with National Able Network (Able) to help her transition to a new career pathway. She attended an orientation session to learn more about resources that were available to…

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…

Job hunting can be stressful, and even more so in a world where we rely on virtual first impressions. For older job seekers with years of experience, the good news is that your resume can be a wonderful first impression…

Six years ago, I got a chance to work with a leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). We were in a group workshop talking about the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), which measures cross cultural agility on a scale from…

Margit Altstadt had been working in the department of health in Champaign, Illinois for several years until she was laid off at the age of 62. “It was hard to find a job at that age,” she said, but that…

Steve Deon worked as a supervisor for two residential buildings in Minnesota, overseeing the maintenance and cleaning staff. He enjoyed his work, but when he was diagnosed with cancer, he moved to Illinois to be closer to family. “I had…

When Keith Tody began looking for employment at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic he attended a fair at Truman College on Chicago’s north side. There, he met Elliott Esparza from National Able Network (Able), who told Keith about IT…

Jeremy Leeper had always wanted to obtain his Commercial Drivers License (CDL), but he was afraid that some past issues with the law would prevent him from achieving that goal. “Like most human beings I have a somewhat rocky background,”…

Steven Scholtes had always dreamed of working in the information technology (IT) industry, but for years he worked in the retail and restaurant industries to get by. That didn’t last. “I had a job dishwashing and cooking in a restaurant,…

Masgelah Sullivan came to National Able Network seeking to positively change her employment situation. She had been pursuing her education with the goal of a stable career for many years, but something about this time, when she connected with National…

Liz Combs had always worked in factories. But when the economy crashed in the 2008 financial crisis she was forced to look elsewhere for employment. She bounced around a few jobs – working for Toyota and the 2010 census –…