Success Story: Brittany Bruno, ADP

After joining the Army Reserves in 2012, Brittany Bruno was living with her parents back at home trying to figure out next steps in her career. Around this time she had just started working in the customer service department at Delta Air Lines in Atlanta, but it wasn’t a sustainable career for the long-term. She wanted something more.

Bruno learned of Workforce Opportunity Services (WOS) through a friend who successfully completed the program and landed a job as a project manager at Hewlett-Packard (HP). She applied in October 2014, and within one year—after completing the 8-week academic training program at the Georgia Institute of Technology—she transitioned into a full-time role at ADP working as an Associate Client Support Consultant in the Human Capital Management department.

We recently caught up with Bruno to learn more about how WOS has contributed to her career journey and where she is today.

Tell us about your life before WOS.
Many young adults think that once you graduate from college, you’re supposed to have everything figured out. That wasn’t the case for me. I was living at home with my parents and looking to transition into a different field than my educational background supported. I had a B.S. in Occupational Therapy, but I wanted to work in HR and going back to school for four years wasn’t ideal or financially feasible. I interviewed for several HR positions at Delta, where I worked in customer service, but never received any offers due to my lack of experience. I felt stuck and unsure of how I would break into the HR world.

What inspired you to get involved with WOS?
My circle of friends—which includes the friend who told me about WOS—had a major influence on my decision to apply to WOS. They were doing well career-wise, working in corporate jobs, and I felt like I was falling behind. Not only did I feel like the odd-woman-out for not having a full-time job, but my wages at Delta were not enough to support moving out of my parents’ house. I needed better opportunities to gain financial and personal independence and felt WOS could potentially provide me with the financial security I yearned for.

How has WOS prepared you for your career?
With the workshops that I took through WOS, which covered everything from relationship building to customer service skills, coupled with working full-time at ADP as a WOS Consultant, more than prepared me for my transition into an HR role. After working as a WOS consultant for nine months, I was hired full-time by ADP in December 2015. I later received a promotion in July 2016, all of which would not have been possible without WOS’ and ADP’s support.

WOS has taught me the importance of continuing to learn and develop professionally. During my time at ADP, I was fortunate to be able to attain FPC payroll certifications which have given me a competitive advantage in the field of HR, all thanks to WOS. In July 2017, I left my role at ADP and am now an Associate Client Support Consultant at INova Payroll. Each day at INOVA I find myself applying all of the skills that I learned while in the WOS-ADP program.

What are the biggest changes in your life since WOS?
WOS was able to align me with a position in a field where there are endless opportunities for growth. Once I was able to launch my career, other things in my life started falling into place. I’m now more financially stable and I recently became a first-time homeowner, a complete 180-degree change since I was working at Delta and living at home with my parents.

If you’re looking to make a career transition, this program is a great way to get you started. WOS is dedicated to making sure that people succeed and was an invaluable experience. I am grateful for all they have done for me.

Although Brittany has transitioned into a new role at INOVA, she left an incredible mark on ADP. We recently spoke with her former manager Tyler McCabe, Implementation Team Manager, Small Business Services, ADP, who held her in the highest regard and reflected on her time at the company.

"Brittany exemplified what it meant to be a model employee at ADP. She was a strong performer who produced quality work and used her experience to lead other ADP employees who were rising up the ranks behind her,” he said. “I often relied on her to coach and technically train new associates on the team. She was a strong teacher and mentor for these associates and exhibited role model behavior among senior leaders and her peers. She embodied the traits of a true leader."