In a hurricane, or any natural disaster, people who can evacuate, do. People who can’t have no choice but to face the impending unknown. These people are then looked down upon and criticized with comments like, “why didn’t you listen…

Idalia Andrade pursued a degree in liberal arts, but after graduating she felt burnt out from the education industry and started a new career path in hospitality. The change reenergized Idalia because she likes to help people and she enjoyed…

Annita Sampson began her career as a receptionist / secretary in 1982. She was quickly promoted to banking representative, and then client services manager, and then department manager, and she continued up the ranks in the organization. There was no…

Michael Almazan studied finance at Roosevelt University in Chicago and after graduating, enjoyed a career as a financial analyst with Allstate. Almost five years after settling into his role, the business unit he was working with shifted their operations out…

When it comes to job applications, one of the most important components is your cover letter. Your cover letter serves as a first impression on the hiring manager, and also acts as a sales pitch for why you should be…

Dane Watkins had been out of work for over 26 weeks and felt he was unable to re-enter the engineering field due to lack of project management certifications. “I was laid off, and felt helpless and that I couldn’t do…

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…

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…

Join us for the first fully virtual TECHAPALOOZA! We’ll have a panel discussion, Q&A, and an opportunity for job seekers to network with employers that are hiring! Employers currently registered to attend include: Wintrust Bank, Brooksource, Accenture, AmericanEagle.com and more!

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…