Hiring Spotlight – Lannay Wiggins

Lannay Wiggins secured a regular position at the university through one of the New Haven Hiring Initiative’s (NHHI) career pathways. In July of this year, she joined Yale and currently supports the pre-authorization department at Yale Medicine.

Tell us about your career journey?
The game-changer for me was participating in NHHI’s career pathway program, which helped me to engage with managers and HR personnel. Previously, I received my bachelor’s degree in business administration and worked in hospitality, retail, and customer service for seven years. In 2019, I was hired by Yale New Haven Hospital and started my health care journey as a Business Associate and a surgical scheduler. With NHHI’s support, I made the transition to Yale University. 

You participated in the New Haven Resident Trainee program. Can you tell us more about that experience?
The program was an excellent opportunity for someone like me. I couldn’t take a temporary job, so being in the program gave me a sense of security. I knew that I would be offered a regular role if I did well. So I did my best, and after three months, I was offered a permanent position. 

Tell us about your current role?
I wanted to keep learning more about how the health care business works, and with my new role as an Account Assistant 4, I got a chance to expand my knowledge significantly. My new department gets authorizations and approvals for patients coming into the office or hospital from their insurers. It gives families’ a sense of ease to know that they don’t have to worry about not knowing if something is covered or not. Also, this is a remote position, and I love working from the comfort of my home every day. 

What is your advice to other job seekers?
I would advise job seekers to never give up. Join the New Haven Works program, stay updated with coaches weekly about new openings, and apply for jobs. You never know when the right opportunity might come your way. I started engaging with NHHI in 2020 when the pandemic hit. I was unsure what would happen, but I stayed in touch with the NHHI team and followed through. Everyone should take their job search seriously and do the same thing!