On May 20, I graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a degree in business management. And while many of my classmates were moving into a world of struggling to find that first job, with the help of New Haven Promise, I wasn’t subject to that angst.
During the closing weeks of my last spring semester, Promise President Patricia Melton notified me that she had spoken to a hiring manager at Yale New Haven Health about me for an open full-time position. Five days after graduation, I interviewed with representatives of YNHH and got the job on the spot.
Before I knew it, just 10 days after getting my diploma, I started my first day as a Talent Acquisition Sourcer for Yale New Haven Health and that transition from being a college student to a full-time employee was much smoother than I anticipated. Being in a new environment could be nerve wracking at first, but after finishing my second month on the job I realized there was no need to be nervous. I love my workplace and I enjoy what I do.
Over my college career, I completed three summer internships — all obtained through New Haven Promise. I would always participate in the annual internship fair that New Haven Promise puts together for all the scholars and each year that I attended, I found an internship that suited my needs. Attending the internship fairs really put me ahead of the competition, because having internships under your belt provide life-long benefit.
Learning new skills and networking with professionals creates the work experience that all employers seek. That level of work experience is hard to obtain while in college; so I encourage every Scholar to take advantage of the opportunities that New Haven Promise can provide. Those internships in both the human resources and information technology fields were a significant reason why I had such quick success in obtaining a full-time job a week after graduation. Most of my duties that I have now, I learned throughout my internship experience.
New Haven Promise and Yale New Haven Health understands the importance of starting high school and college students off on the right track by making internships a key component in their efforts. As I walk through the Yale New Haven Hospital campus, I often see the students working as interns within the hospital, all seeming to enjoy their time here.
I haven’t seen this many interns at the hospital in the previous years. The increasing number of summer interns — there are about a dozen Promise Scholars in nursing internships right now — will make a positive impact on the students and the hospital.
The qualifications needed for those internships are becoming more demanding. For example, Yale New Haven Health now focuses on hiring nurses who have at minimum a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Therefore, candidates need to be properly prepared before going into the post-graduation real world. YNHH is doing just that by hiring interns who are potential candidates as future full-time clinical nurses.
I am thankful for the help Patricia Melton and the New Haven Promise team has gave me through my college experience. Without their help, my life would be a lot different, New Haven Promise kept me on track with my goals and education. New Haven Promise made a positive impact on my life and I encourage everyone to participate in its events and internship program.
Breylin Jones — a 2017 graduate of Central Connecticut State University — is a Talent Acquisition Sourcer at Yale New Haven Health.
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