Workforce System Success Stories - Workforce Development and Adult Learning

When Talya was caught up in a reduction in force, everything changed overnight. One day she was steadily moving forward in her career. Then suddenly she found herself asking the same question so many job seekers know too well: “Where do I even start?”

Unsure how to begin, Talya reached out to Maryland’s workforce system. What she found wasn’t just a list of resources. It was a whole community ready to help her rebuild her confidence and chart a new path.

Through the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE), Talya explored its AI-powered résumé builders and interview preparation tools. “The AI tools were super helpful,” Talya shared. “They helped me polish my résumé and practice for interviews in ways I hadn’t thought of before.” With every tweak to her resume and every practice question answered, she felt herself getting stronger and more prepared.

Talya also participated in Professional Outplacement Assistance Center (POAC) workshops. These weren’t quick webinars. She attended full-day sessions on role-playing, interviewing, and salary negotiations. Over four months, she found the workshops not only educational but empowering. She credits the POAC team, especially Laurie McPherson, whom she first met at a virtual job fair. “Laurie was so encouraging and helpful. Having someone like her in my corner made a real difference.”

Her search wasn’t passive. Talya first learned about workforce services at an in-person job fair, where she received a handout about free resources available to job seekers. She supplemented these services with library resources and, through networking at job fairs, met with a recruiter whose connection helped her application stand out.

Piece by piece, Talya built momentum. And then success. Today, she’s proudly working as an IT Program Manager with MWADA DC Transit Agency. “I’m so happy to be employed again and back in the field I love,” she said.

When asked what she’d tell other job seekers who feel stuck or uncertain, her advice is simple and powerful: “Be creative, be open-minded, and always look for networking opportunities. The resources are out there. You just have to take advantage of them.”