Jasmine Tutson is a go getter. By the age of 24, Jasmin worked in a variety of roles including Certified Nursing Assistant, Electrocardiogram technician, and phlebotomist – just to name a few. Her thirst for life experience, growth, and knowledge was limitless. In 2012, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy. While in the Navy, Jasmine worked her way up from beginner job tasks such as painting ships to middle tasks like steering ships into dock, and finally to more senior roles such as logistics and import/export specialist. When she was honorably discharged in 2016, her quest for more in life continued. Jasmine enrolled at Howard University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. Her passion for understanding the intricacies of biology and chemistry quickly transferred into the world of Information Technology. “I actually grew up hating computers,” says Jasmine, “but, biology is a series of systems just like a computer system and I wanted to understand that technology.” So, Jasmine made her way to National Able Network and IT Career Lab determined to start and succeed in a brand-new career path.
Just as Jasmine enrolled as a client, National Able Network and IT Career Lab had finalized a partnership with Cook County to offer veterans a limited-time opportunity: a nine-week training program that would lead to two globally-recognized IT certifications, CompTIA Net+ and Microsoft Azure. Jasmine’s career coaches, Christina Cecchin and Tricia Jack, knew this would be the right opportunity for Jasmine and quickly got her enrolled. Nine weeks later, Jasmine successfully completed the program! “I was trying to understand the tech jargon. I wanted to understand the job, the tech world, the industry, etc. – and that is exactly what I got,” says Jasmine.
As a veteran, Jasmine knew the importance of perseverance, so upon completion of the program, she wanted to train more and perfect her newly acquired IT skills. She pursued a Paid Work Experience opportunity. Jasmine says, “I understand the material, but employers want the training and the experience, and now I’m able to get that hands on experience on top of the book experience.”
Employers should also take note of the additional value that comes with hiring a veteran like Jasmine. Jasmine says, “The veteran community is like no other. As Veterans we bring so much to the table, we are very personable, we take constructive feedback, we have amazing leadership skills…We’re team players, and if you need something right now and you’re talking to a veteran that veteran is going to do everything in their power to help you. Veterans – you can work with all of us!”
