Name: Kalin Rollings
Return to Work Internship position (and company):
I started at a customer care role at ReadyTalk through their return to work program supported by Path Forward.
Career past life (What did you do?):
I worked at an athletic club for eight years prior as a general manager. I then had my son and took some time off with him. When I decided to come back, I wanted to restart in a different industry.
What was your experience trying to find a job before the program?
The challenging part for me was that I knew I wanted to work part time. I wanted to work part time and still do something fulfilling and move my career forward. It is hard to find part time jobs that have mid-day hours. It was helpful to find this program offered part time and regular hours. It was the perfect fit!
Internship role (What did you do each day?):
I was primarily responsible for answering phones and working in a customer service capacity. I also led web conferences, and helped with troubleshooting in conferences.
What are you doing now?
Right now I am part of the events team at ReadyTalk. I work part time with the team; what we do is act as event managers on webinars if people need tech help as well as organize various events that people request through ReadyTalk.
Crossover (What skills from your past life do you use in your new position?):
The biggest crossover is probably customer service. A lot of what we do at ReadyTalk is customer service based which can be translated from my experience at the athletic club.
What does the Return to Work program mean to you?
The ReadyTalk program provided a great opportunity to find a flexible job with flexible hours. A big part of it was changing industries along with coming back to work. I was in the athletic club industry for 8 years and ReadyTalk gave me opportunity to transfer to customer service. It helped me transfer my skills to a completely new industry.
What was your main goal for the program? Did you achieve it?
My main goal was to transition into a new industry as well as get back to work. I wanted to build my resume and this program helped me accomplish that.
What advice would you give to future Returnees?
Really take advantage of the extra programming that Path Forward provides. Get involved with the entire group from day one because you never know how those connections may further your career.
Where did you hear about the program?
I heard about ReadyTalk first and then found out about the program when I was looking into the company website.
Learn more about Kalin on LinkedIn