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…

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…

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…

Margaret Feret is a survivor. During the 27 years she worked as a clinical care nursing technician she also raised her four children. When two of her sons enlisted in the military and went on to take part in the…

Raven Macon, a Chicago native, recently returned home after a year in Miami. She worked as a Nutritionist in South Florida while she finished her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences. However, Raven felt an inkling of restlessness. Her…

Joe Simanis, an electrical engineer by trade, began work in a sales position within a technology organization. He continued this career path for many years, and he ultimately perfected his skills in sales. Unfortunately, due to a layoff, Joe was…

For 20 years, Tonya Manning had the same goal – she wanted to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Although financial hardships, and life changes were thrown her way – she kept her eyes on her goal. As she attended…

Maria Mendoza-Pepin had been working in retail management positions for more than 17 years with organizations like Nordstrom and Coach, when she decided to take some time off and pursue a Master’s in Business Association degree in Human Resources Management….

Jeremy Andrykowski worked in the Arlington Heights public library system for 17 years. He received outstanding performance reviews, enjoyed his position day in and day out, and had more than a decade of management experience. Unfortunately, because of work turnover,…

For many years, Brandon Green had the desire to work in the transportation industry. However, his career had been primarily in healthcare and warehousing. When Brandon became unexpectedly unemployed, he knew exactly who could help him: long-time contacts Maria Castillo…

Matt Martin, a 32 year-old Los Angeles native, worked in commercial real estate for more than ten years. When he and his wife moved to Chicago, Matt continued working in the real estate sector, but was unfortunately laid off in…

At CareerPlace, we love it when our clients land a new career. On average, CareerPlace clients find careers in only 5.9 months!  I was recently asked to author a blog post about CareerPlace’s services, but I thought our past client, Gerry, would…