Matt Roman is a Workforce Income Share Agreement Fund analyst at the San Diego Workforce Partnership. Here he tells us a little about himself, both personally and professionally.
What professional moment or project are you most proud of?
One of my proudest moments professionally was when I was the center manager for the North County Coastal & Inland Career Centers. We had just transitioned to our new employer and had a bit of a rough start with meeting our performance goals. With the team’s hard work, dedication and grit, plus the incredible collaborative efforts of the Employment Development Department, my team was able to completely turn around our performance and exceed our goals within a few months.
What was significant about this experience for me was being a member of a group that came together to overcome very challenging odds and prevailed as one great unit of workforce development professionals. Not only did we meet and exceed our goals, but we were able to have agencies outside of the Career Center join us to provide a one stop shop for the residents of North County. Some partners that joined forces with us were the Department of Child Support Services, Interfaith Community Services, Access Inc., YMCA and Staffmark Staffing!
What do you like best about working in workforce development?
One of the main reasons I pursued a career in workforce development was that employment is a major contributor to sense of identity and can literally change a person’s life circumstances. I enjoy having the opportunity to connect with different people daily and learn about their struggles and aspirations. I love being a part of a person’s journey and helping them with best practices on resume writing, interviewing, enhancing LinkedIn profiles and ultimately achieving their professional goals.
Another benefit is knowing that I am doing something that has tremendous value to the San Diego community. Not only do I get the privilege of helping people find work, I get to help them build a career and life they want for themselves. As a person who struggled with searching for a job after my time in the Air Force, it was so important to me to find a position that can help change the lives of many. Being a workforce development professional has given me a tremendous amount of satisfaction and has helped me grow to be a better person both personally and professionally.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Any new hobbies since we started working from home?
I absolutely love reading Sci-Fi books! My family and I are all big readers and Sci-Fi is my favorite genre. My favorites range from Dune, The Witcher, The Invincible, Slaughterhouse-Five and 2312. I also enjoy cooking meals with my kids. We recently learned how to prepare sushi! Making homemade bread is a favorite as well as exploring new recipes. Most of the time, we attempt to stay with plant-based recipes but every once in a while we indulge in something sweet and savory like pancakes. One of our favorite things to do as a family is visiting our favorite park, Kit Karson Park in Escondido, particularly to feed the ducks!