This story highlights Carlos’s journey of overcoming obstacles in his job search and the role Upwardly Global played in helping him restart his career in his new home. Listen to the full piece on NPR here.
Venezuelan Upwardly Global alum Carlos Cabrera spoke with NPR this week, telling the story of how working with Upwardly Global helped him unlock his potential, allowing him to secure a job that aligns with his skills and expertise. The piece explores the challenges that workers can face when they move to new countries and features a recent report from the World Bank that looks at global migration through the lens of labor economics.
When Carlos and his family made the difficult decision to leave Venezuela in search of a better future for their children, they hoped that Carlos would easily find work. However, despite his degree in chemical engineering and years of experience working for a major oil company, Carlos faced challenges finding a job in his field of expertise. To support his family, he began working unrelated jobs such as driving a truck for Costco and delivering food for various delivery apps.
Discouraged but not deterred, Carlos continued to apply for positions that matched his skill set and experience. Fortunately, during one of his online searches, he discovered Upwardly Global. With the support of his job coach, Carlos was able to purchase a laptop and was connected to a Google program that provided him with a project management certification.
Armed with his newfound certification, Carlos secured a job as a project manager for a company in Texas specializing in constructing oil and gas rigs. Looking back on the physically demanding jobs he had taken on previously, Carlos expresses gratitude for the job he was eventually able to find.