Sharon Mah is a business services representative on our business engagement team. Below she describes her typical workday, proudest professional moment and experience working in workforce development.
What is a typical day like for you?
My typical day varies a lot depending on the needs of businesses and internal stakeholders. Normally I check any incoming business leads and reach out to them within one business day. I review any candidate matches for job openings I receive from career navigators or other departments, and if they are good matches, I refer them to businesses right away. I also join the Contracted Education Training (CET) planning calls with the training team and our training partners, making sure that everything is on the right track. I then connect with employers to let them know of our training programs and find out if our CET cohorts can potentially assist with their hiring needs.
What professional moment or project are you most proud of?
My proudest moments are when I’m working with different stakeholders of the Workforce Partnership to successfully help job seekers land their dream jobs. I have two examples to share: First, Mary was working as a key holder in a cosmetic store and was looking for a better career. I worked with her career navigator to learn about her career expectations and looked at multiple employers to identify potential job opportunities and sent Mary the ones that matched her goals. She then picked the employer she was interested in and the career navigator and I supported her during the interview process, and she landed the job she wanted!
My second example was with Tyler who was a seasoned IT sales professional. He had a career gap due to taking care of his mother and had a hard time connecting with employers when he was ready to return to the workforce. His career navigator and I searched through open jobs in our network and sent him suggested jobs to apply for. I also gave him advice on customizing his resume based on each job application and encouraged him to speak with the employer about considering him for a higher-level position because of his extensive work experience. As a result, not only did he get hired, but he also received a much higher-pay job than what was originally posted.
What do you like best about working in workforce development?
I enjoy working in workforce development because it provides me the opportunity to make an impact in the community. The Workforce Partnership offers a great variety of resources to businesses and job seekers, and I am proud to be a part of an organization that executes and implements many kinds of initiatives to help job seekers.
In addition, working in workforce development makes me humble. It makes me appreciate what I possess when I learn about the challenges some job seekers face, which also motivates me to be more creative and customize the support I can provide.