CHICAGO ROOTS. OPPORTUNITY WITH REACH.
Free job training
in Chicago.
Recently graduated, between jobs, or ready for a career change?
Build a practical job-search strategy, strengthen your professional relationships, and learn to communicate your value through re:WORK TRAINING’s free, remote Go To Market Career Academy. We’re a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving jobseekers across the U.S.
Start at your own pace today with community support. No degree or prior sales experience required.
4.9 / 5 on Google · 47 reviewsAs of September 22, 2026
By re:WORK TRAINING · Updated
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS WITH WHAT YOU BRING
A place to start.
A way to move forward.
Whether you’re looking for your first career opportunity or working toward your next one, practice a job search built around your strengths, your goals, and real relationships.
RECENT GRADUATES
Turn your experience into a clear story.
Use coursework, projects, internships, service, and other experience to explain what you can contribute. Practice researching employers and starting professional conversations.
UNEMPLOYED OR RECENTLY LAID OFF
Give your search a practical structure.
Focus your effort on suitable roles, relevant outreach, interview preparation, and consistent follow-through. Start learning now while you keep applying.
CHANGING CAREERS OR UNDEREMPLOYED
Show how your skills transfer.
Connect what you’ve learned at work and in life to the roles you want next. Build a strategy for reaching employers and people who can get to know your work.
You don’t need a degree or a sales background to begin. You do need a willingness to practice and pursue roles that fit your qualifications.
RE:WORK’S GO TO MARKET CAREER ACADEMY
One approach.
Two ways to begin.
For adults starting a career, changing fields, or returning to work, the Academy connects practical sales skills with a more intentional job search.
01 / START TODAY
Learn at your own pace.
MissionXP is the platform built by re:WORK. Choose “Get started free,” then “Sign up” if you’re new. Complete your account setup and open the Go To Market Career Academy to begin lessons and missions with community support.
- When
- Available now
- Pace
- You set your learning schedule
- Cost
- Free
02 / LEARN WITH A GROUP
Explore a quarterly cohort.
Register your interest in an eight-week experience with structured instruction, coaching, and peer learning. New cohorts begin once per quarter. Check your email for next steps, including a short video assessment; the team confirms cohort placement.
- When
- Quarterly; placement confirmed by the team
- Schedule
- Live-session expectations covered in orientation
- Cost
- Free
You can start now and build from there. Self-paced learners still receive community support and may be considered for a cohort based on their commitment to the process. Cohort placement is not automatic.
STACY'S STORY · RE:WORK ALUMNA
From salon
to success.
A career change can start with someone helping you see what's possible.
Stacy describes raising her daughter while working as a hairstylist, then facing a career change when COVID disrupted her business. A friend encouraged her to try re:WORK. She shares how training and a connection through an informational interview helped her move into a new role.
"I didn't think I belonged in corporate America."
— Stacy, reflecting on how she felt before re:WORK
Hear how her confidence changed—and what the opportunity meant to her.
Explore Your Two Ways to StartStacy is sharing her own experience with an earlier re:WORK program. Today's self-paced and cohort options are described above. Individual career outcomes vary.
English captions appear in the video.
Read Stacy's video transcript
Visual context: Stacy speaks to the camera while seated in a bright pink blouse. On-screen captions display her words. Transcript punctuation and the spelling of re:WORK have been standardized for readability.
I had my daughter when I was about 20. And so being a single mom, doing hair, it was easy to bring her into the salon, but it was also challenging. Did that for 15 years, and then COVID hit. That changed everything.
So I had a friend recommend re:WORK, and I said no. I said no. I didn't think I belonged in corporate America. Like, that's not my type. I've been in the salon. So then my good friend just kept on pushing, like, come on, I think you'd be great at it. I'm like, no. It got to a point where my clients wasn't making money, so the first thing to go was their hair. They could just throw on a wig. They didn't need me anymore. So I was like, man, maybe I should take them up on this. And so I reached out, did everything I needed to, and then I was in re:WORK.
I think I got a job before re:WORK ended. I don't think I fully finished re:WORK where I was able to make a connection in the informational interview that I got snatched up.
If I went to a job without re:WORK, they would have said, yeah, you're not qualified. But me going through the re:WORK training, I'm able to be qualified. Having that opportunity and that gateway into a job, you wouldn't find that anywhere else. I honestly believe you wouldn't find that anywhere else.
I've been to different events where there's recruiters there and gravitate to me. I already have a job, but there's other people that's looking for a job. Why are they gravitated towards me when I have a job? I'm not looking. And I think it's re:WORK. It's not a task that I feel like I can't do, and that's thanks to re:WORK.
Oh, for the donors, I would say thank you. Thank you for even considering putting your money and time and effort into people you haven't met. But just know that I thank you for all of us because it wouldn't be possible without you. Sometimes you feel like, is anybody going to even really use this? Just know I'm ever so grateful because I would not be where I am without re:WORK, and re:WORK wouldn't be where they are without you guys. So I thank you for that. Get this work.
THEIR EXPERIENCE. IN THEIR WORDS.
Support you can
hear about firsthand.
Participants describe the coaching, practice, and community they experienced at re:WORK. These selected excerpts link to their full Google reviews.
Our Google listing: 4.9 out of 5 from 47 reviews, checked September 22, 2026.
DIRECTION FOR A CAREER CHANGE
“Rework gave me the tools, knowledge, and confidence to make that transition feel possible.”
STRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY
“RE:WORK has given me the structure, accountability, and community I needed to move forward with confidence.”
PERSONAL SUPPORT
“But what stood out most to me was how hands on and personal the experience was.”
SOCIAL CAPITAL MEETS SALES STRATEGY
Treat your job search
as a business of one.
Business and sales development representatives—BDRs and SDRs—research prospects, start conversations, and develop opportunities. You’ll apply that discipline to your own career search.
Social capital is the trust and relationships you build with people who know your abilities. It grows through useful conversations, demonstrated skills, and follow-through.
Know your value.
Connect your experience to the work you want. Practice explaining your strengths with specific examples.
Your work: A professional profile and value statement.
Research with purpose.
Identify suitable roles, understand employers, and prepare relevant questions. Use AI as a research aid and verify its output.
Your work: A researched list of target companies and roles.
Build professional trust.
Practice thoughtful outreach, listening, and conversations that help people understand your interests and your work.
Your work: Relevant outreach and conversation preparation.
Follow through.
Track relationships and opportunities in MissionXP, make the next step clear, and learn from your progress.
Your work: An organized record of conversations and next steps.
Sales skills can take you beyond sales. Many participants pursue BDR and SDR roles; others apply these transferable skills in different fields. You still need the qualifications for your target role. Keep applying to suitable openings while you build relationships—a referral is not a prerequisite.
PEOPLE ARE PART OF THE PROCESS
Build a strategy.
Find your community.
Starting over can feel isolating. re:WORK brings learning, feedback, and professional relationships into the same process so you can keep taking practical steps.
Explore the people behind the work and the evidence behind our model as you decide whether the Academy fits your goals.
MAKE YOUR TIME COUNT
Choose the support
that fits your goal.
Searching for free job training programs in Chicago can bring up very different kinds of support.
You may need an occupational credential, a paid apprenticeship, help navigating a career change, or a stronger way to pursue roles you’re already qualified for. Start by naming what you need.
What will I learn and practice?
Ask for a curriculum and examples of the work you’ll do. Check whether it matches the skills and credentials your target roles require.
Can I make the schedule work?
Confirm the format, live-session expectations, technology needs, and how much time you’ll need for practice.
What does “free” cover?
Ask about tuition, materials, exams, equipment, and any repayment terms before enrolling. Free training and paid training are different.
What support and evidence are available?
Look for clear coaching and community support, dated outcomes, and participant stories. Ask how results were measured and what happens after training.
PART OF A BROADER CHICAGO COMMUNITY
Different needs.
Complementary support.
Your next step might involve more than one resource.
If you need local career services or want to explore occupational training, the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership’s American Job Center network offers career guidance, job-search resources, and connections to training. Services and eligibility vary.
Explore Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership servicesre:WORK’s Academy focuses on job-search strategy, sales skills, and professional relationships. You can explore how that learning fits alongside other support you use.
Supporting jobseekers through your organization? Explore a conversation with re:WORK.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
A few clear answers.
More about participation and support is available in our program FAQs.
Can I join if I’m unemployed or recently laid off?
Yes. You can begin the free, self-paced Academy while you look for work. Practice targeting suitable roles, explaining your experience, preparing for interviews, and following up. You can keep applying throughout the program; you do not need to wait for a referral.
How does the Academy help recent graduates?
Practice turning coursework, projects, internships, volunteering, and other experience into a clear professional story. Learn to research employers, build relationships, and prepare for conversations about your work. A degree is not required to join.
Can I participate while working or changing careers?
The self-paced Academy lets you work through lessons and missions on your schedule. Use your current experience to identify transferable skills and research your next move. For a cohort, confirm live-session expectations with the team during orientation.
Is re:WORK’s job training really free?
Yes. The self-paced Academy and quarterly cohorts are free to participate in. This is career training and community support; it is not paid employment or a promise of a stipend.
Is the program in person in Chicago?
The Academy is remote. re:WORK is based in Chicago and serves jobseekers across the U.S. You do not need to attend an in-person Chicago class to participate.
Do I need a degree or sales experience?
No degree or prior sales experience is required. Bring your experience, a willingness to practice, and a commitment to the process. Review the syllabus and discuss participation expectations during orientation.
Will I have to look for a sales job?
The Academy uses sales strategy to teach you how to develop your own career opportunities. BDR and SDR roles are common paths, and participants also apply the skills to other roles. Research, communication, relationship-building, and follow-through can support a search across fields.
Does completing the program guarantee a job?
No. re:WORK provides learning, practice, coaching, and community support. Employment depends on your qualifications, your search, employer decisions, and market conditions. Job offers and referrals are not guaranteed.
How do I get started?
For self-paced learning, open MissionXP, choose “Get started free,” and select “Sign up” if you need an account. Complete setup, then open the Go To Market Career Academy. For a cohort, submit the candidate interest form and check your email for next steps. Orientation covers time commitment and live-session expectations; the interest form does not reserve a cohort place.
Start in MissionXPRegister cohort interestYOUR NEXT STEP
Put a strategy behind
your next move.
Start learning today, with a community to help you keep going.