From a young age, Cassandra Smith had high career aspirations. She dreamt of pursuing a journey as a pharmacist or even becoming the first doctor in her family. Once she pursued her undergraduate degree, she founded and led a student organization focused on fashion and leadership. It was during this experience that Cassandra felt a strong call to an industry that allowed her to showcase her leadership skills and also guide professionals and organizations alike: Human Resources. Cassandra enrolled in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she pursued an intense 18-month program to earn her Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Employment Relations.

While enrolled in the graduate program, Cassandra maintained a full course load and traveled across the United States for interviews with Fortune 500 companies. She says, “I really challenged myself to even take classes that weren’t required by the program, but would make me a more well-rounded HR partner. It really did prepare me for a career in HR.” As part of the program, Cassandra participated in real-world projects across the nation that included a wide scope of HR topics from compensation planning to workforce analysis and much more in between. Upon graduating and after some time as a Senior Human Resources Specialist in Tucson, Cassandra wanted to further expand her life experience and moved to Atlanta for a career as a Global Senior Human Resource Specialist. And then COVID changed her life.

“It was a spiral of events, I had resigned from a job that wasn’t a good fit. I was interviewing in Atlanta for new jobs, but COVID occurred and paused a lot of hiring,” says Cassandra, “Also, I contracted COVID and had to focus on my recovery alone, while all my family was in Chicago. It was very tough.”

Ultimately, Cassandra made the decision to move back to Chicago. While she focused on her recovery from COVID and a couple of other unexpected medical issues, Cassandra pursued her HR passion while working on freelance projects. But still, the financial pressures of out-of-pocket medical care and the stress of long-term unemployment weighed heavy on Cassandra. She battled severe mental health challenges, using crisis management call lines on an almost daily basis. It was through sheer grit that Cassandra continued to investigate resources and opportunities until she connected with National Able Network.

“Even though I have a bachelor’s and master’s in human resources and previously was very marketable…in the Midwest market they didn’t care about degrees, they cared more about these certifications,” says Cassandra. She was determined to utilize the opportunity at National Able Network and pursue a highly sought-after HR certification. “The funding was arranged with even Shawn Mckenzie at National Able Network’s Evanston office helping out. So, I took the HR certification program through DePaul University. It was just absolutely amazing and I’m so grateful to National Able Network. Because honestly, I would still be searching today if I was not able to attain that certification.”

Cassandra worked closely with her career coach, Christian Barros-Alvarez, to fine-tune her resume and prepare for interviews. “He’s the best coach I’ve ever had!” says Cassandra, “I’ve spent thousands on professional coaches and they didn’t even come close to what he was doing.” As an HR expert, Cassandra’s resume and job search journey was unique and Christian provided clear, actionable feedback and support. Cassandra’s hard work paid off. She received two offers of employment!

Christian says, “Her success is a direct result of her dedication and perseverance, but it was a privilege to support her along the way. It’s been incredibly rewarding to be part of her journey. Her story highlights the importance of leveraging available resources and staying focused on long-term career goals. I look forward to seeing all she will continue to accomplish.”