NHHI Hiring Spotlight – Tyla Alexander

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in New Haven, CT. I am a New Haven Promise Scholar and received my undergraduate degree from Connecticut College in New London, CT. I majored in Sociology and double minored in Gender and Women Studies and Africana Studies. When I am not at work, I enjoy reading, writing poetry, taking road trips, and going to concerts.

Tell us about your job search experience.

My job search experience was difficult prior to connecting with New Haven Works. I was fresh out of college when the pandemic was at its peak, and not many places were hiring. I also wasn’t willing to put myself and my loved ones at risk of getting sick. However, once things started to open a little more, I was able to find a few per diem and temporary jobs within the medical field. Once I felt it was time to move on from those positions, I utilized New Haven Works to help with my job search. I know there are free resources in New Haven for residents to utilize, and I was grateful that New Haven Works was willing and able to help me. My job coach made the job search process so smooth and efficient. She set me up with interviews for several positions and even helped me obtain resources to practice my interview skills. She made me feel extremely supported with her frequent check-ins and her visible dedication to making sure I had an opportunity that I was happy with.

Tell us about your current roles at Yale.

In my current role as a Clinical Receptionist, I work within the Pediatric Specialty department at Yale New Haven Hospital. My day typically consists of making the little ones smile by handing out Bluey stickers in between checking in their appointments. My role also involves a lot of collaboration among my coworkers, me, and the providers. The on-the-job training role I had first, which led to my current role, gave me a strong foundation to be able to learn the EPIC system and integrate into the Yale community smoothly.

What advice do you have for other job seekers?

Some advice I’d give to other job seekers is to have confidence in yourself and your capabilities. Also, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.

What is next for you?

I have plans to continue to explore my creative writing passions. I will be a best-selling author one day.