Brentwood, Murrysville residents represent Pa. Women Work on national TV

Say you receive an email from someone claiming to be a producer for an Emmy Award-winning TV program.

Your thoughts may be along the same lines as the folks at Pennsylvania Women Work.

“Our first reaction was thinking this was spam,” Kristin Ioannou, the nonprofit’s executive director, said about an inbox message from NBC’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

Not only did the email turn out to be genuine, but it eventually led to the Murrysville resident traveling to New York to talk about what her organization does for people seeking employment and/or career betterment.

Joining her in front of the cameras were Pennsylvania Women Work director of communications Abby Swalga of Upper St. Clair and Brentwood resident Shana Williams, who landed a particularly fulfilling job thanks to the Friendship-based nonprofit.

“When we started thinking about whom we wanted to bring, Shana was one of the first people we thought of,” Ioannou said. “It’s because of her enthusiasm and her personality. You meet her and you automatically are drawn to her.”

As she related during the March 15 taping for Clarkson’s show, Williams had a job that made her miserable.

“I wasn’t making enough money,” she told guest host Molly Sims. “I was in survival mode. I was isolated at the office. I didn’t see people that often. And I wasn’t doing what I truly wanted to do.”

She was also raising two sons, now 16 and 4, and worried about having enough time off work to care for them, especially when the younger boy developed a health condition that required surgery.

“He’s perfectly fine now,” she reported.

With the assistance of Pennsylvania Women Work, she navigated the employment search that more thoroughly suited her interests and needs – “It’s a job in itself” – to become a database administrator with the Pittsburgh Technology Council.

Along with enjoying a substantial income boost, Williams is fond of her co-workers, and vice versa.

“I have never been in this type of work environment where everyone just supports each other,” she said.

As such, they organized a watch party for her national TV appearance.

“Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous. I just wanted to live in the moment and enjoy it,” Williams said. “It was such a beautiful experience, just the vibes, the energy. ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ team, they were all gracious and they made it fun.”

The Pennsylvania Women Work contingent appeared on the program’s “Rad Humans” segment, providing an opportunity to spread the word about the nonprofit to a vast audience.

“All of our programs are free, and regardless of your life situation, we can help to guide you,” Ioannou said after returning to Pennsylvania. “We do a comprehensive conversation with each person who comes through our organization – to understand what their background is, what their interests are, where their strengths lie – and then really start talking about what their hopes and dreams and goals are.”

In Swalga’s view, learning about clients is essential.

“Everybody is coming to us with different goals, different ideas of success, different backgrounds and unique stories,” she said. “Then we guide them to which of our services and programs will best help them achieve their goals.”

The nonprofit’s services are available to anyone who is looking for a job and seeking support, including people who have been laid off, returning to the workforce after raising children, or coming out of incarceration or addiction recovery programs. All must be authorized for employment in the United States.

“They might be immigrants or refugees who are new to the country and trying to navigate the workforce,” Swalga said. “If they need assistance trying to transfer their credentials, we can support them with that. We can help them understand the job application process. A lot of people don’t even know where to start.”

Ioannou estimates that her organization serves individuals originating from nearly 50 countries each year.

“They’re just so hard-working, so eager, so enthusiastic,” she said, “and they also greatly appreciate the support from our career coaches.”

Since its founding in 1993, Pennsylvania Women Work has helped more than 72,000 women in career transition.

“The organization started with a focus on helping women who were reentering the workforce after divorce or becoming a widow, and since that time we’ve really evolved our programs and services,” Ioannou said. “We serve about 80% women, but we do serve other populations.”

For her, a key factor is instilling confidence.

“We tell people all the time, ‘You’re not giving yourself enough credit. You do have the qualifications. You do have the skills. Let’s go for it,’” she said. “And that’s really what happened with Shana. I sometimes run into her team at Pittsburgh Technology Council, and every time I see them, they just rave about her.”

Visit pawomenwork.org for more information.