After getting laid off at the start of the COVID pandemic, Nesha Price wanted a career that could financially support her and her daughter. She got a job at a grocery store, but realized working twelve hours a week wasn’t enough to take care of her family. Nesha had always been interested in healthcare and knew she was a hard worker with great adaptability and organizational skills, but she had no healthcare experience and assumed she would not be able to find a career in the industry. “I wanted to get into healthcare and help make a difference, but I knew I didn’t want to be on the clinical side,” says Nesha. Initially apprehensive about signing up for CareerWork$ Medical because she’d never done a career readiness program, she took a “leap of faith” and says it turned her “whole life upside down”—in the best possible way.
Nesha was easily able to fit attending Diana Monge’s class at JVS SoCal into her schedule while working at the grocery store on the weekends. “I was on the fence about signing up because I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even know if I would get a job, but I figured that I have nothing to lose. I can only gain by signing up. In class, we learned a lot of technical parts of working at an administrative job, but what I didn’t expect was that the class would give me a new sense of confidence. Before this class, I would look at a place like Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and never think I’d be able to work there since I have no previous healthcare education or experience. But this class taught me to trust my abilities and find my confidence.”
Diana, Nesha’s instructor, speaks highly of her former participant. “During our time in CareerWork$, Nesha highlighted her leadership skills by always being the first to participate and lead in discussion, in other words, she helped me run the class. I had no doubt that she would be the first to get hired. She is not only a role model to her beautiful daughter but a role model to all our candidates. Every opportunity I get, I share Nesha’s story and notice this glimpse of hope in our students as they realize ‘I could be the next Nesha!’ I always say ‘with the right drive and level of motivation, you all can get there too!’ Not only is Nesha a hardworking go-getter, but she is also kind, compassionate, and always willing to go above and beyond to help those around her, which is rare to find. She certainly deserves all the promotions, and I would not at all be surprised if one day she is the lead in charge.”
Upon graduating, Nesha, like all CareerWork$ Medical and BankWork$ graduates, Nesha interviewed with local healthcare institutions looking to hire now. She completed four interviews with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, for a role as a Senior Administrative Assistant. “When I Interviewed at CHLA, I knew this was the right fit for me. My recruiter was so encouraging and welcoming. As I’ve gotten to know my supervisor, I have been so moved by the level of love and support she’s shown me. She helped support me when my daughter got COVID, she helped me find an apartment, and even sent me care packages when I was sick. Although my work atmosphere is mostly remote, we all take care of each other.” In her role as a Senior Administrative Assistant, Nesha’s main responsibilities are calendar management, scheduling travel plans for CHLA, and other administrative duties. In June 2022, she was promoted to Executive Assistant at CHLA.
“Sometimes I’ll have imposter syndrome, and feel like I don’t deserve this job, but I know I do. CareerWork$ helped show me that I am capable, smart, and deserving of success. This program taught me to chase what I want and that it’s not out of reach. I’ve always wanted to get into project management, and once I mentioned that to my supervisor, she’s helped me jump in on lots of new projects. To anyone who’s thinking about changing their career, seek out training. The application took less than five minutes to complete, and now I’m in a career where I can support my family —all it took was a leap of faith.”
Congratulations, Nesha, on your career growth and success, and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.
To learn more about CareerWork$ Medical and our partnership with JVS SoCal, click here. Their next class begins on October 17, 2022.
