The COVID-19 pandemic gave many individuals the opportunity to reevaluate their career choices and interests. Many people lost their jobs, started their own, and picked up new hobbies.
For Los Angeles Pierce College automotive student Emily Holz, the COVID-19 pandemic inspired her to learn a new skill by re-enrolling in school to gain automotive skills. She soon fell in love with her new automotive classes, and, with the help of the Network Kinection team, she was able to land an incredible opportunity at Tesla Motors.
In her own words, Emily shares her incredible experience as an intern with Tesla and her experience applying the advice the Network Kinection gave her to ace her interview.
NK: How did your interest in automotive begin?
EH: After telling myself for years that I'd never go back to school, the COVID-19 pandemic taking me out of work for a while seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill. I'd done a few repairs on my own cars before by watching YouTube tutorials and figured learning how to fix them myself would save me a lot of time and money, even if I didn't love doing it as a job. 8 months or so into taking automotive classes and loving them, Tesla hosted a job fair at Pierce. With a bachelor's degree in film and lots of experience with computers and using all sorts of different software and now some auto classes under my belt, I felt like working on an electric vehicle could be a great fit for me and I wanted to shift my job focus away from customer service but had no idea how to even begin to apply for a job in which I felt I had no relevant experience.
NK: How have Network Kinection and your classes at Pierce College helped you in your career?
EH: Kaylee and the team at Network Kinection gave me essential interview tips and helped me rewrite my resume to highlight my automotive experience from school and my customer service skills and Tesla hired me before I even finished my automotive classes. I now work on some of the most advanced and fastest cars in the world and am challenged every day. I get to repair and diagnose any and all parts of the vehicle using my computer skills from my bachelor's degree and my mechanical skills learned in my automotive classes at Los Angeles Pierce College. I've loved my time at Tesla so much I even helped a friend from one of my classes (who isn't even an automotive major!) get hired at another location and is totally rocking it.
NK: What advice do you have for others interested in an internship?
EH: If you are a student looking to enter the workforce and get experience in your field, or like me, are looking for a major career shift, don't be afraid to try something new! Never limit yourself or do what other people think you should do. Go to the job fairs and networking events and take full advantage of all the services your school has to offer. Apply for that job and go rock that interview, because you just might be exactly what they're looking for, and find a new passion in the process.
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