Amy Goldberg: "Loving Every Day"

Pennsylvania Women Work "gave me hope when I had none, and opportunities that I never knew existed for me. I’m so very blessed to have had the opportunity to go through the program and come out with a future!"

When Amy Goldberg (far right) found out about the 3 Cups of Coffee® program, she was working as a full-time administrative assistant in "a dead-end job with no hope for advancement," she said.

"Since 3 Cups of Coffee®, I am employed full-time with BNY Mellon as a human resources analyst, and loving it every day."

All it took was three meetings and some compassionate advice from Amy's mentor, Mary Jo Dressel, who is the chief operating officer of human resources for BNY Mellon.

"She and I hit it off right from the beginning of our first meeting," Amy said.

After completing some college coursework and a year and a half of nursing school, Amy had worked for over eight years in the medical field, as a nurse's aide, nurse's assistant, and patient care technician. Earlier in her career, she had run a mortgage brokerage office, accruing skills in bookkeeping, scheduling, and other useful administrative abilities that got used--but not rewarded--in her medical roles.

Along the way, she encountered a lack of jobs that paid fairly for her skills and experience level, and frequently did not get interviews for positions she was interested in. But she had identified the type of career change she wanted: one that would allow her to use more of her hard-earned professional skills and raise her income.

Amy met Mary Jo at Crazy Mocha downtown. Mary Jo came prepared, Amy said, sharing her own experiences and suggesting some resume changes Amy could make before applying to a position in Mary Jo’s department at the company.

The experience brought Amy renewed hope and enthusiasm for her job search that was just the boost she needed. “It has helped me become more excited about my job search and to feel more confident,” she said.

Even after Amy started her new job, Mary Jo followed up with her to hear how things were going. Mary Jo asked her about her future goals, connected her to networking groups within the company, and encouraged her to pursue her education further. Now, Amy has a plan for attending Community College of Allegheny County.

The support and encouragement helped her settle into her new role with extra insights into how to do it well, and even plan the next stages of her career transformation, Amy said. “She helps me believe in myself more and to aspire to be better than I am.”

Amy first heard about the organization first from my cousin, Jamie Scarano, who is on the board, and joined the 3 Cups of Coffee® program from there. 

Ask Amy if she would recommend the program to other women, and the exclamation points start flowing.

"Absolutely!!!" she wrote, from her desk at her new job. "I am living and breathing proof that the program works. I am thrilled to let anyone know about this wonderful program!!!"

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