Peter Escobar (he/him)

What do you like about your job?

I like working with people and identifying what their goals are in terms of employment, and breaking that down into smaller action steps to get them to where they want to be in terms of their careers. I think it is important to have a big vision and work towards that vision by taking smaller action steps.

Where did you work before YJC?

Before coming to YJC I worked at the Center for Changing Lives in Logan Square. I was there for just under six years, during that time I worked on bringing computer literacy to the residents of the community, built partnerships with employers, and worked one-on-one with members of the community to identify their career goals.

What was your first job?

I started working when I was 16-years-old, at that time I was a phone recruiter for a market research company, so I would call people in a database and pre-screen them to see if they qualified to participate in focus groups.

What did you learn from your first job?

I learned a lot of valuable lessons at my first job, but the most important one being that I did not want a job working just on the phones and I wanted a job with the freedom to bring new ideas to the table and try those ideas out.

Has your career path gone how you expected?

For the most part I think it has. When I graduated from college I knew that I wanted to work in nonprofit, but wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I ended up working on the workforce team at the Center for Changing Lives, and it was there that I developed a passion for workforce, specifically ensuring that all workers know their rights and how to advocate for themselves in the workplace.

Fun Fact.

I have a dog named Parker, together we are Peter Parker.