In this interview, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Daihany Mejia, an alum of our March 2022 cohort. Working with the School16 Careers Team helped her overcome imposter syndrome, revamp her resume, and land a job 2 months after completing the program as a Patient Experience Associate for a medtech company!
You’re a first generation grad. What were you up to between the time you graduated and joining School16?
My original goal was always to become a nurse. I worked in the hospital for a while and that’s when I started School16.
There are definitely a range of other roles in healthcare to transition into. What interests did you enter the program with?
I knew very little about the industry. I wanted to pursue customer success because I worked with patients as a phlebotomist and wanted to continue doing work that was customer facing.
I learned more about the role as the program went on.
What aha moments did you have as the program went on?
Updating my resume was one of the big ones. I sometimes suffered from imposter syndrome where I felt like I didn't really fit into my career change because I’ve never had that experience.
I didn't study customer success in college, but learning about the role in School16 made me realize that it's not necessary to have a college degree to be able to enter this field.
When you gave your resume a makeover, how did you overcome that imposter syndrome and get things down on paper that you felt proud of?
Creating a resume that spoke to me switching careers was the most beneficial thing I took from School16. It made me realize I didn't have to focus too much on the things I didn't do. I focused on the things I could reword and tailor toward my new field.
My job search lasted about a month.
I also used the skills that I learned from School16 to go on LinkedIn, get out of my comfort zone, and speak with people.
Can you connect the dots between the resources you got from School16, and securing your role?
The Careers team at School16 taught me not to blindly apply for roles and instead look for ones that matched my interests.
I learned I had indirect experiences in the healthcare field that I could apply to my job search.
I was pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. I’m not very social but School16 pushed me to do that, especially with LinkedIn.
Even now, I still hesitate, but I still push myself to make connections.
And finally, tell me more about your current role!
I work at Medmo as a Patient Experience Associate. I contact patients on a daily basis to get them ready for their radiology appointments, and maintain our relationship with them. I juggle managing various patients from different accounts.
