Anthony Conner understands the expression is “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
That doesn’t mean he believes it.
“I say as long as the dog keeps learning new tricks, it’ll never get old,” says Anthony, 36 (in human years).
The Buffalo native’s career path has influenced that attitude. He’s ranged from working in construction to running his own cleaning business to learning about solar panels as a technician. But a back injury forced Anthony to ask himself: What’s next?
He then applied to Goodwill of Western New York’s Goodskills Career Builder, which provides targeted skills training and resume building before connecting participants directly with hiring employers in the community. As part of the program, Anthony was able to tour the M&T Tech space at Seneca One.
“After doing that, it inspired me to get a job there,” he says.
“I was already thinking about tech, but now it was time for a change. I love technology, and technology is the future, so it was time to take that leap.”
Goodwill’s program prepared Anthony to arrive at TechBuffalo’s Pathways to Tech last September with a plan – and confidence. He did his research and knew an M&T recruiter would have a booth at the career expo, which connects job seekers with the support, guidance and resources they need to thrive in Western New York’s growing tech ecosystem.
When Anthony met Alan Kruzicki and gave the senior recruitment specialist for Acara Solutions his resume, Alan was blown away.
“I edit resumes all day, and his was a standout,” Alan says. “He weighted it toward where he was going, not what he did. We talked about IT and computer networking, and he was really particular about what he wanted to do.”
Anthony’s analytical and interpersonal skills shined at Pathways to Tech and throughout the hiring process, which moved quickly over the course of the following month.
Ten days after the expo, he had an interview with M&T. The following day, they offered him an entry-level temp position that would allow him to use his technical skills. Less than three weeks later, he cleared onboarding and officially started as a document custodian.
“They didn’t want this guy to walk out the door,” says Alan (below). “It’s really hard to break in sometimes, and they were thrilled. We got some really nice comments from the M&T hiring manager, which you don’t get sometimes. I’d look for another person just like Anthony.”
By getting his foot in the door at a company with plenty of room for career advancement, the goal is to soon convert to a permanent IT position once an opportunity presents itself.
But Anthony isn’t simply waiting around. On top of his new job, he’s starting at Trocaire College in January to build on his IT fundamentals and cybersecurity certifications that he obtained through the Goodskills program.
“I want to learn more about the field I’m in right now, but after that, I’d like to get into the help desk or an ATM technician,” he says. “Long-term, I’d like to be a security engineer, but with IT, you might end up going into a different field and loving it.”
The same Anthony, but with new tricks and a new job title.
