Once a client, now a monthly donor - jane's story

With a medical degree from Russia, Jane Updyke moved to the United States unsure of where to begin her job search. She was spending hours just trying to find places to submit her resume.

“I have an extensive work background, but I could not get a handle on the processes for applying for jobs. I had a really hard time,” Jane remembered.

She signed up for New Choices in 2017, where she received real-time advice, worked on her resume, and learned the ins and outs of the job search and application processes. However, her career was still stuck.

“New Choices was so helpful, all of the processes for applying to jobs were made clear, so I jumped into the Customer Service course next. Following, my networking was still lacking, so I signed up for 3 Cups of Coffee,” Jane said.

Jane’s mentor, a hiring manager at UPMC, helped her land a part-time position as an interpreter for pharmaceutical work with global care patients. Jane enjoyed this opportunity, but when she got pregnant, she jumped back into her job search to look for a full-time position with benefits.

“Thanks to my experience with PA Women Work, I knew my tools, I knew how to find opportunities, and I knew how to network,” Jane shared.

From there, Jane’s career took off. Over the past few years, Jane has climbed the ladder and is now an ENT Therapy Implementation Manager at Smith & Nephew – a job she truly loves. “PA Women Work gave me the boost I needed and helped me gain confidence. Throughout my career, I have used the tips, tricks and advice I learned from my mentor and facilitators,” Jane reflected.

Now that Jane is thriving in her career, she became a monthly giver through PA Women Work’s Coffee Club to allow more women to get connected with life-changing career development support. We are so honored to have Jane in our circle!

Thank you to our 3 Cups of Coffee funders who make stories like Jane’s possible:
3 Cups of Coffee funders: Arconic Foundation, FedEx Ground, J.Jill Compassion Fund, The Jack Buncher Foundation 
3 Cups of Coffee GRAD funders: American Eagle Outfitters Foundation, Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation