Success Story: Cheyenne Halye, Chubb

Before learning about Workforce Opportunity Services (WOS), I was working as a housekeeper at a Holiday Inn Express in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. I felt stuck as there were no opportunities for career advancement or financial growth; and I wanted more for myself. In June 2015—in search of a fresh start—I quit my job, packed my bags, and moved to Easton, Pennsylvania. I didn’t have any job opportunities lined up but I decided to take the leap and figure things out along the way.

After relocating, I set a goal to find a career in a field that I was always passionate about: technology. I had no work experience in the tech industry and most of the jobs I held in the past were in the retail and service industries, like Target and PetSmart. In fact, the only experience that I had with tech was through modifying video games and building computers. I spent several hours each day scrolling through job boards and found a majority of the jobs that I came across required vast experience in the technology space or a college degree; two things that I didn’t have. It was very discouraging.

One day I came across a WOS ad on Craigslist, advertising a WOS program with Chubb Insurance in Whitehouse Station, NJ. The program would prepare early-career adults for IT jobs at Chubb and detailed how WOS helps individuals gain the professional skills needed to succeed in these roles. After doing more research about WOS, I was sold. Finally, an opportunity to change my circumstances and step into the career field that I was passionate about had presented itself.

I applied and was accepted into the WOS-Chubb Insurance IT program in July 2015. During the training phase of the program, I took two weeks of classes at Chubb that covered computer programming languages and business communications. After the training, I began working at Chubb as a WOS Consultant doing COBOL programming in the IT department. In my role, I’m the test lead for system enhancement projects, and I also provide production support for the system itself. Looking back, I couldn’t have ever imagined working in this role when I was sourcing through job boards; my career really did a 180 thanks to WOS.

Today I’m still a WOS Consultant and I feel like the sky's the limit. Not only am I making an impact at Chubb through the work that I do for the IT department, I’m also showing other women that it’s possible to step into the tech industry. With the support of WOS and my Client Service Manager Marsha Hook, I’ve been able to start a career path that really suits me, and blossom professionally.