{"id":15783,"date":"2018-07-20T16:02:42","date_gmt":"2018-07-20T16:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fieldnation.com\/resources\/cleona-vassell-case-study\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T08:47:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T13:47:31","slug":"cleona-vassell-case-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fieldnation.com\/resources\/cleona-vassell-case-study","title":{"rendered":"Learning new skills: Meet Cleona Vassell"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/a>

Summary<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sometimes you just know what you are meant to do. For Cleona Vassell, it was IT. Although she had a business degree and experience launching a family business, she knew that her path was not working in an office, but one filled with variety and solving IT challenges. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>

Background<\/b><\/h2>\n

In 2005, Cleona Vassell arrived in the United States from Jamaica. She had a bachelor\u2019s degree with a minor in computer science and was looking to launch her IT career. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cleona began working odd jobs at senior centers, healthcare organizations, and finally as a marketing specialist focused on driving affiliate marketing opportunities. It was in this role that she developed a passion for working with the Internet and all its possibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>

Taking on IT roles for the first time<\/b><\/h2>\n

Cleona saw an ad for an on-demand workforce platform, and realized the gig economy would provide her with an opportunity to gain more IT experience than her current career track. <\/span><\/p>\n

The initial signup process was intimidating, as Cleona didn\u2019t have a lot of expertise starting out. \u201cI was quite nervous and worried that no one would hire me since I was new to the platform,\u201d she states. \u201cIt was two weeks before I got my first job. It was two hours away, but it was a start.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That first job is still her favorite because the customer had unfaltering confidence in her. It was this trust that drove her to keep at it and continue to pursue her IT skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cleona continued to secure a variety of jobs that increased her reviews and ratings on the platform. She took every opportunity provided to boost her profile and skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>

Moving on to larger projects<\/b><\/h2>\n

Several years later, Cleona\u2019s week is filled Monday through Friday. Many of her roles are for desktop support or hardware\/server swaps, as well as anything related to routers and data systems. These roles have sent her to a variety of employers, including Citigroup, Food Lion, and Morgan Stanley. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy being flexible, I was able to gain new experiences and skills with every job. It opened new doors and allowed me to take on larger and more interesting roles,\u201d explains Cleona.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today she is a sought-after IT expert for companies in the Washington D.C. area, bringing a wealth of experience and positive ratings from all that have the pleasure of working with her.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>

Standing out in the gig economy<\/b><\/h2>\n

Today it\u2019s not simply Cleona\u2019s high ratings and widespread expertise that keep her busy, it\u2019s her professionalism and positive attitude. \u201cOnce I find a job that fits my skills, I send the organization a personal note or cover letter letting them know that I am available and qualified for the role.\u201d It is this extra effort that demonstrates that she has the IT skills but also the interpersonal skills to work with their teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest skill that clients look for is soft skills that enable contractors to work alongside their staff and manage issues in a professional manner,\u201d states Cleona.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the job site, any number of issues or challenges can arise. Cleona has found that by solving issues in a respectful way is often what makes her work stand out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cleona states, \u201cTechnical skills can be taught and communicated through manuals or other documentation, but providers shouldn\u2019t overlook the value of the soft skills needed to work with the customer\u2019s teams. It\u2019s not always easy, but recognizing that we all have different priorities, we can work in the same space to all get our jobs done.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>

Perseverance is key<\/b><\/h2>\n

An on-demand work strategy provides Cleona with the variety of work that she craves, as well as the ability to take days off when she wants to. However, looking back at her early experience, she advises others to be patient and stick with the model. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs I didn\u2019t have much experience, it took about 12 months before I could become selective about my jobs. You have to be patient and stick with it. I often had to travel more than I would\u2019ve liked, but as my ratings and reviews grew I saw things fall into place,\u201d explains Cleona.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>

A bright future in IT<\/b><\/h2>\n

With a goal of working in database administration or cybersecurity, Cleona is using online education resources, such as Google, to earn new IT support certificates and expand her software experience. She hopes to secure fewer field jobs, and more corporate ones that will use these newer skills and offer her new challenges through the Field Nation Marketplace. <\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more about building your IT skills by becoming part of the on-demand workforce, visit fieldnation.com\/signup\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cleona Vassell, a service provider on Field Nation, prides herself on excellent service and professionalism. Learn why she’s using online resources like Google to earn IT support certificates and expand her software experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":18798,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"xn-wppe-expiration":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-action":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-prefix":[],"footnotes":""},"content-group":[],"class_list":["post-15783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fldn_content_category-independent-contracting","fldn_content_category-stories-from-the-field","fldn_content_type-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLearning new skills: Meet Cleona Vassell | Field Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn why Cleona Vassell is using online resources like Google to earn new IT support certificates and expand her software experience.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fieldnation.com\/resources\/cleona-vassell-case-study\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Learning New Skills: Meet Cleona Vassell\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn why Cleona Vassell is using online resources like Google to earn new IT support certificates and expand her software experience.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fieldnation.com\/resources\/cleona-vassell-case-study\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Field Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-07-20T16:02:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-11T13:47:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fieldnation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/SFTF_cleona-vassell_featured.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Field Nation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Cleona Vassell, a service provider on Field Nation, prides herself on excellent service and professionalism. 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