Loreelei worked in administration for a municipal utility for 11 years when she decided it was time for a change. Through HR courses on Coursera, she found a new passion for human resources. Within a year, she successfully transitioned to an HR career and landed a role at a new company.
I got my first taste of HR work supporting the senior management team and hiring managers at a municipal utility company. I knew it was time for something new, but it was hard to take the first step. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and sign up for courses on Coursera that could help me achieve my goals. Gaining new knowledge and relevant skills through Coursera helped me break out of the mold I had been in for over a decade and helped me secure a job at a new company.
First, I took HR courses. I earned an HR certificate by completing all five courses in the University of Minnesota’s Human Resource Management Specialization. Next, I signed up for a Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) preparation course through the University of California at Riverside Extension Center. I became SHRM-CP certified in December 2017.
Recently, I started a new job as a human resources analyst at a large public transportation agency. I used to support a department of approximately 642 employees, but my new company has approximately 9,800 employees. I’m excited for the chance to implement the skills I learned in this new environment and to work with a talented team to support the company.
Take a look at Loreelei’s course list:
- Learning How to Learn by McMaster University and UC San Diego
- Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization by University of Minnesota
- Formal Financial Accounting by University of Illinois
- Investments I: Fundamentals of Performance Evaluation by University of Illinois
- Investments II: Lessons and Applications for Investors by University of Illinois
- Corporate Finance I: Measuring and Promoting Value Creation by University of Illinois
A large part of my success is due to the high quality education offered on Coursera. Coursera helped open doors for me.
When I started looking into how to change careers, Coursera was my best resource. My new personal goal is to finish the University of Illinois’ iMBA program, which I heard about while taking courses on Coursera. A big factor that previously deterred me from obtaining my Master’s was tuition costs. I feel lucky to have found the University of Illinois MBA program through Coursera. The Gies College of Business has a great reputation and the program tuition fits my budget. I was accepted to a program at a state university near my home, but their on-campus tuition cost significantly more than the iMBA.
I’m proud to have a combined balance of HR and business experience. Moving forward, I want to learn about data analytics because I believe that these skills will open doors for me in the future.
