When Miguel A. immigrated from Venezuela, he had a challenging time finding work. He applied to hundreds of finance jobs but was discouraged to find none of them getting back to him, affecting his belief in being able to make it in this country. It wasn’t until he found Skills that felt confident in his job search again.
In June 2020, Miguel was hired through Skills as a seasonal Driver with Motivate, LLC (Divvy) and has since been promoted four times. This past June, he moved to Washington D.C. to start his new role as the Operations Manager for Service Delivery. We talked with Miguel further on his career development and experiences with Skills and Motivate.
What brought you to Skills?
I went to a Skills hiring event and spoke to a recruiter about opportunities in finance. When there wasn’t anything available, they recommended Divvy Bikes because of my experience driving with Lyft. The recruiter reassured me that it would be an easy transition and a great opportunity for growth. Once I saw there were opportunities to move up, I applied so I could work towards that.
How did you feel when you were hired?
Being an immigrant is tough. I applied to so many companies and it was challenging not getting at least a call for closure like they did in my country. That really demolishes your self-esteem. You start thinking you’re not good enough.
When I found out I got the job, I thought, “Wow, this is great.” I felt really good because for a while, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it.
How are you liking your new job so far and how has Motivate and Skills helped you grow?
It’s everything I thought it would be, and it wasn’t a hard transition at all. I’m always looking for opportunities to do new and challenging things. If I come into work every day, do the same thing, and aren’t challenged, that’s not for me. I’m very grateful they gave me this opportunity.
Would you recommend Skills to other job seekers?
I would definitely recommend Skills! Overall, my previous job search experience was pretty negative with many contributing factors, like the pandemic and being an immigrant. Sometimes hiring fairs really don’t help you find a job, but I feel Skills did exactly what they were supposed to do. They helped me develop my future, and now my future looks better. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Skills. I’m super grateful for everything!
