April 2021 Career Corner: Spotlight on Francheska Charbonier

The Talent Share Program was implemented by Human Resources (HR) to ensure that available staff members are able to continue working during the pandemic and that departments in need of staff have access to additional temporary resources. Since the Talent Share program was implemented in July 2020, thirty-six departments submitted requests for help in their areas and 83 needs have been filled. Francheska Charbonier, a security officer with Yale Center for British Art (YCBA), took advantage of expanding her skillset and learning new competencies as a covid screener.

Tell us about your career path at Yale
I came from the food business where I was a restaurant manager for many years. An opportunity came up for a security position at YCBA, which I thought seemed very interesting. I have been a security officer with YCBA as well as with the Yale University Art Gallery for the past eight years. It’s been a wonderful experience and I am proud to create a secure atmosphere for the collections and for visitors.

The pandemic caused the art galleries at Yale to close to the public. What happened next?
I was still doing surveillance on exhibits at YCBA for a short time after the building was closed to the public, but then was tapped by my HR manager for an opportunity with Talent Share to fill a need around Yale’s response to the pandemic.  I was transferred to a clinical department where I became a covid screener for patients and visitors. I was happy to be able to contribute to the university, learn new skills, and interact with people I would not have normally been able to meet.

What was the learning curve for this new role?
I was immediately exposed to the EPIC system in which I had no prior experience. Through on-the-job training, I was able to learn quickly and found it fascinating. The technical piece of being a covid screener was only part of it though. I always thought I had very strong “people” skills, but this position took it to a whole new level. I learned how to communicate and engage with people in tense situations to made sure safety protocols were always in place. It’s stressful enough for folks to go to the doctor, but adding covid safety rules and screenings, made it even more so. I feel I can handle and diffuse any situation now!

What advice would you give to someone switching roles, temporarily or permanently?
Take the skills that you have and expand on them. My security experience helped me with interpersonal communication and being diligent in my new role with protocol. Technically, I had to learn a new system and I was open-minded, curious, and asked lots of questions.

What are you looking forward to once you are back at the YCBA?
My co-workers! I haven’t seen them in a year and they are such amazing friends. We celebrate holidays and birthdays together. I am so happy I had the experience through Talent Share and was able to continue working this year, but I am looking forward to getting back to my YCBA family.