Aniya H. was working in a security role when she realized she was not on a long-term career pathway. With an interest in helping others, she decided to pursue opportunities in the medical field.
She found out about Skills’ partnership with Walgreens for a Pharmacy Technician role through a Skills Facebook post and figured this would be a great start to following her passion. Aniya was selected for the program and started taking courses through the Paul Simon Job Corps Center while working at Walgreens part-time and receiving mentorship through the Skills Pivot to Success program starting last July.
We were honored to talk with Aniya about her career path* and work with Skills and Walgreens thus far.
How was your experience working with the Skills staff?
I liked how helpful Skills has been throughout the process. Before I interviewed for the job, they provided a lot of tips on asking questions during interviews and provided us with interview questions that we may experience. They also helped me with my resume, and I found it very helpful.
Now, we have a mentorship meeting every other week where they check on how things are going at work and at Job Corps, and I like that they’re always there to help if I need it.
How did it feel when you were offered the position with Walgreens?
I was excited because it felt like the start of having a career. The managers at Walgreens I interviewed with were great, so I was confident that I was going to get the job.
How has Skills and Walgreens helped you grow?
I feel like Skills is always here to talk about anything I need, are always checking in on us, and give great advice.
For Walgreens, I really had no prior knowledge of pharmacy other than picking up my own prescriptions, so I’ve learned a lot. Everything is so fast paced, and I can adapt to change, but I like knowing that I do pretty much the same thing every day with my daily tasks.
Passing my test would really mean a lot to me. It’s a lot of information to know, but I trust my teachers and am confident because we will do a lot of practice tests and study guides beforehand. I’m really grateful for this opportunity.
Would you recommend Skills to other job seekers?
Yes, I definitely would! They are very helpful, concerned about how I’m treated, and check in on my confidence level. They made sure I was prepared for my interviews throughout the entire process.
*Since we spoke with Aniya, she passed her certification exam and is now a certified Pharmacy Technician!
