Verina LeGrand, a Talent Acquisition program manager and working mom, found her second chance at a career – and a way to help others who want to return to the workforce – through Fidelity’s Resume program.
Shortly after the birth of her son, Verina and her husband decided she would take time off from her career. Just six short months later, Verina’s life changed when her husband passed away. To cope with the loss and to pour herself into her son, she made the difficult decision to continue their plans and spent the next two years focusing on being a mom.
When the time was right, Verina started seeking a new role, but the gap in her resume posed a bigger hurdle than she’d imagined. Despite countless applications, she had trouble finding a job.
“It took me two years to feel ready to face the process of returning to work,” Verina says. “But I knew that I needed to pick myself up and start supporting my family. I also decided that I wanted to find a career path that brought me joy. I’ve always loved working with people and had previous experience in Human Resources, so I decided that was the route I wanted to take. I tailored my resume to focus on my previous HR experience and the transferable skills I gained from pharmaceutical sales.”
Verina saw an ad for reacHIRE, a talent partner of Fidelity’s, and applied online. She received a call right away from a reacHIRE program manager.
“Two of the roles they were looking to fill were for Fidelity Investments in Westlake, Texas near where I lived. We discussed my experience and she gave me advice on what I should highlight on my application and how to put my best foot forward. I listened to every word and did it all! I was so excited I think I applied to both roles twice!”
Enter Fidelity’s Resume Program. Resume makes it easier to re-enter the workforce and provides transition assistance through a six-month program.
With Resume, Verina found resources, coaching, job opportunities, and her “perfect opportunity.”
”The program was such a positive experience and it allows Fidelity to find hidden talent otherwise looked over by other companies,” says Verina “It will shape Fidelity’s future in a positive way because the caliber of individuals that come into the program. They will continue to make great contributions at Fidelity, paving the way for those that come behind them.”
Verina adds, “everyone at Fidelity was amazing throughout the program. I was there for 6 months and received a mentor, a career coach and access to their career center. Being in a cohort with other professionals returning to work made me so much more confident of what I wanted in the next phase of my career. Through conversations with managers about understanding what was expected in different roles, I was able to build relationships and find my perfect career opportunity.
After the 6-month cohort wrapped up, I secured a full-time position as a Fidelity Talent Acquisition Program Manager and I could not be happier!”
And she’s not done expanding her skillset. She’s currently working on achieving her master’s degree. “Even though I am an excellent student, I never wanted to get an advanced degree because I did not want to incur the costs or debt that comes with going back to school. After joining Fidelity and learning of their tuition assistance program, it became a win-win situation. It would allow me to further my education, improve my marketability within the firm, and help alleviate the burden of debt that comes with going back to school. I am truly grateful for this benefit!”
What advice does Verina have for returners? “There are two very important things I think all returners should know: 1. Take advantage of your return-to-work experience and 2. Keep a positive attitude and open mind,” she says.
If you know someone, who, like Verina, is looking to re-enter the workforce and may be a good fit, check out more about the opportunities and apply: Fidelity’s Resume Program.
