With 15 years of experience in hospitality management, including a decade as a chef in restaurants, events, and a country club, Dayna-Joy sought new opportunities that offered greater flexibility and growth. This led her to Amazon. 

“I was fulfilled in the culinary world, but it lacked the flexibility I needed. I joined Amazon for its flexibility and benefits. I knew it was a place where I could grow.”

Finding a New Direction

At Amazon, she took on the role of a Learning Ambassador at a sorting center in Long Island, coaching tier 1 and tier 3 associates on errors and safety. However, she missed working with numbers, an aspect she loved in her previous career with food cost breakdowns and calculations.

“I love numbers and quickly notice patterns. I started exploring other roles within Amazon that used those skills. After facing repeated rejections from dozens of job applications, I decided I needed to try a different approach.”

Each setback was met with determination and a commitment to self-improvement. Dayna-Joy sought opportunities at Amazon to transition into a process-focused role involving analytics.

“I got excited to take this program because the goal was to find a data analyst job. I also loved that it was at my own pace.”

Gaining Confidence and Applying New Skills at Work

Dayna-Joy’s experience with Pathstream was transformative. “The program is easy to follow and understand because it’s broken into smaller courses. Learning Data Analytics was amazing. I felt confident in my work. But when I needed help, I spoke to the instructor or used Piazza, Pathstream’s resource where students solve problems together.”

A key advantage was her ability to manage her coursework flexibly.

“Since the program is self-paced, I managed my coursework when my kids were in school or on my shift breaks.”

Dayna-Joy didn’t even wait for a promotion to start applying her new skills. “Even before my promotion, I used my new skills at Amazon. For instance, I helped build a spreadsheet for the learning team to assist with DPMO.”

The Path to a Promotion on the TOM Team

With a clear goal to advance her career, the program, combined with the support of a dedicated coach, played a crucial role in her recent promotion to Transportation Associate at Amazon.

“I worked closely with my coach to fix my resume and highlight what mattered to my employer. Interviewing was also tricky; I would always freeze up during interviews. My career coach was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better one. Racheal was super friendly, easy to talk to.”

This fear led to what we describe as ‘analysis paralysis.’ To combat this, Dayna-Joy participated in a mock interview with her career coach, Rachael, which significantly boosted her confidence and performance.

Making an Impact

Dayna-Joy’s journey is not just about a career shift; it’s about making a meaningful impact. Dayna-Joy is eager to leverage her new skills in her new role.

“In my new role, I’m driving 18-wheelers, responsible for checking in cargo and analyzing where in the yard to place it. I ensure the warehouse has the proper amount of incoming customer-facing packages and  keep things moving smoothly as packages are moved out of the yard so they can get to our customers quickly. I plan on moving up and utilizing all the skills I’ve learned to further my career in Data Analytics within the TOM team.”

Advice for her fellow Amazonians

“The program is great. Utilize all of Pathstream’s resources, ask a thousand questions, and attend office hours. Remember, no question is dumb because someone else in your program is probably having the same struggle. Pathstream will help you.”