From Overlooked to Rehired: Stacy’s Journey Back into the Workforce: Thanks to Her Allies
Stacy Armstrong, a Workers’ Compensation Claims Examiner,
“I appreciate that I was accepted to the mentoring program, even though I was working but underemployed. It was nice to know my mentors had my back. They were always available if I had questions. I never felt that any question I had was considered ‘dumb.”
When Stacy Armstrong saw a local KTVU news segment about Her Allies, she didn’t expect it would change her life. At the time, she was working a minimum wage job remotely- underpaid, underutilized, and unsure how to get back into the career she’d once thrived in.
“I had been out of the job market for the second time, and I was frustrated. I tried a different group before Her Allies, but I didn’t get much help.”
After years in insurance, she took time off to be a stay-at-home mom and then again unexpectedly to care for her dad and aunt during the COVID-19 pandemic. When she was ready to return, the gaps on her resume felt overwhelming.
“Especially my most recent reentry into the workforce, I had to take a much lower wage as I was starting all over again for the second time.
Even as she enrolled in courses to earn a medical coding license through American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), Stacy knew she needed more support.
“I remembered [Her Allies] months later and Googled it. I signed up earlier this year. I recently finished the cohort and was pleasantly surprised to have two mentors. It was great to bounce ideas.”
Mentorship that made the difference
Stacy had done resume webinars before, but this time, it was different. Her mentors, Shelly Glenn and Margaret Roberts, offered detailed, personalized advice that transformed her confidence and her materials. They had a wealth of knowledge to share with me.
“My resume was too broad. My mentors were able to point out a spelling error I kept overlooking. I may have been rushing the process in an effort to send my resumes timely after new job postings but I wasn’t personalizing it in a way that would be understandable to someone in HR.”
Together, her mentors and she cleaned up her summary of skills, added results, and helped rework her LinkedIn profile.
“Margaret even bought me a book on job hunting and interview skills. You could tell my mentors really cared about my situation and tried to make it better.”
The hard work started to show results, but not the ones she wanted right away. She found the run around, from recruiters who initially thought she was a good match but later turned down by the employers because her experience was not considered relevant as it was not recent.
“I wanted to make Her Allies proud, so I kept at it,” Stacy shared. “Lots of headhunters reached out on LinkedIn after that, but they didn’t know much about my role, so I was often passed over because my skills didn’t match the job they were ultimately looking for. Then one company reached out that did. I could tell just from how they spoke about my skills.”
A full-circle return
The company that ultimately reached out to her was ironically her former employer, where she had worked before taking her career break, over a decade ago. She interviewed once and got the job.
“It helped that I had worked there before and had been a dedicated employee. The interview went really fast.”
Now, back as a Workers’ Compensation Claims Examiner, Stacy is focused on rebuilding her confidence and paying it forward.
“I would consider helping in a volunteer capacity and being a mentor in the future. I’m still working to build my confidence back up and looking to be around women again who are working.”
She’s also helping her son by applying what she’s learned at Her Allies as he begins his job search.
“I feel like I can pass on these insights to my son, who is having a hard time looking for a job.”
Even while working during the program, Stacy felt supported.
“I appreciate that I was accepted to the mentoring program even though I was working but underemployed,” she said. “It was nice to know my mentors had my back. They were always available if I had questions. I never felt that any question I had was considered ‘dumb.”
Her Allies is just the beginning
“Knowing that Her Allies is always there for me and that the workshops are continuing gives me the confidence that I can keep brushing up.”
Stacy now recommends Her Allies to others, especially those pursuing careers in medical coding and billing.
“I always recommend the program to people from the medical coding goup I belong to, especially the ones just starting out in the field,” she said. “I am very thankful to my mentors Shelly and Margaret, who are highly skilled at what they do and always available when I need them.”
Ready to be part of someone’s comeback story?
Her Allies helps women return to meaningful careers through mentorship, workshops, and community. Whether you’re returning, mentoring, or hiring, there’s a place for you.