‘HireLocal always makes me feel comfortable:’ Lucillar King on achieving her CNA dreams

“HireLocal was the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”

After assisting her grandparents for multiple years after each suffered a stroke, Lucillar King knew where she wanted her career to be in healthcare. Specifically, she wanted to become a registered nurse and assist aging adults full-time.

She pursued certifications off and on for five years while working various roles in the field but felt stuck, making little progress, burdened by lengthy time commitments, and walled by high costs. Then, her sister recommended Career Academy.

“I was immediately drawn to the fact it was a fast program,” King said. “In just four weeks, I could get CNA certified and begin a job search process.”

Lucillar flew through her coursework, learning the most from the hands-on exercises. While in class, she was connected with HireLocal to pursue soft-skills training and job shadowing opportunities.

“They helped me maintain my energy and attitude, taught me how to better communicate with others, and just how to be a professional,” King said. “HireLocal was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Without their job shadowing, I wouldn’t have gotten my current job.”

Lucillar attended a job shadowing session at Baptist Memorial Hospital’s Walnut Grove campus in May. She met the staff there, ran through mock exercises, and landed an interview.

Eager to land a role, she leaned on HireLocal’s interview training. She was high-energy and asked an assortment of follow-up questions. By the end, Baptist had not one but three possible roles for her.

“The role I was hired in is a CNA position in the Emergency department,” King said. “But the interview went so well that they told me if that position didn’t work out, they had two other options, one in ICU. I felt so wanted by Baptist, which gave me confidence that it was where I was supposed to be.”

Last month, Lucillar started her role at Baptist and is loving it. But she’s far from satisfied. Before her first shift, she connected with HireLocal to lay a plan for her next few years with the goal of becoming a Registered Nurse.

She enrolled in the Tennessee College of Applied Technology’s (TCAT) nursing program. By the end of fall 2024, she will have her nursing degree. After years of making little headway, Lucillar now feels ahead of the curve.

“I’ve been wanting to get things done for a long time, and Hire(Local) laid out each step I needed to take,” King said. “It felt as easy as one, two, three.”
Lucillar is still in regular contact with our team, updating us on her successes and prepping for her upcoming coursework. Balancing school, work, and family life is no small task, but we’re here for her to lean on.

“Hire(Local) always makes me feel comfortable,” King said. “And that’s what I’d tell anyone interested in pursuing CNA certification. Rather than some expensive four-year program, I got certified in less than a year.”

If you’re looking to get out of your job rut or avoid getting into one in the first place, enroll in one of our upcoming CNA training courses and let us guide you to your dream healthcare role! Click the link to learn more.