When Aisha Myrick talks about her career journey, ‘unexpected’ is the first word that comes to mind. From flightline electrician in the Air Force to Strategic Talent Pathways Leader at Cummins, Aisha has transformed her career using her military-driven mindset to embrace the unexpected. Now, she spends her time helping people do the same, redesigning how professionals with unconventional backgrounds — like veterans, returners, and career pivoters — find their way into fulfilling careers at Cummins.
Aisha’s story is one of service, reinvention, and helping others find their way back to the workforce with confidence. We sat down with her to learn more about her career journey. Keep reading to dive in, and to hear her top tips on navigating an unconventional career path.
Finding her flight path
Six years into her career, Aisha made a major career pivot from airfield systems tech to human resources. An unexpected transition, but her time on the field turned out to be excellent preparation for her career shift. “I think my experiences working outside on the flightline prepared me to have an appreciation for all the career fields and different organizations that I supported,” she says. “Having a strong will to understand other jobs and the unique separate missions, and finding where I can work within those missions while accomplishing my mission was critical.”
During her Air Force career, she led teams and worked with various stakeholders to accomplish diverse missions. Those cross-functional chops now underpin her work at Cummins.
According to Aisha, her new role as a Strategic Talent Pathways Leader at Cummins was “another opportunity to lead teams and collaborate with [stakeholders] for the mission of attracting top talent in a re-imagined way that benefits the success of the business as a whole.” Her own pivot into HR helps her relate to others taking unexpected career turns, and informs her approach to designing programs that honor diverse journeys.
“While the work I do keeps me very busy and can be challenging at times, I’m recharged by the stories and talking to people to understand what they do and why they do it here,” she says.
Driving RePower: A six-month returnship that pays forward
At the heart of Aisha’s work is the RePower Program, a six-month paid returnship program for professionals returning to the workforce after a break of two or more years. Participants are matched with roles that fit their experience and aspirations, while also receiving coaching, training, and networking support.
“Every returner’s story is different,” Aisha says. “Some stepped away to raise a family. Others cared for loved ones, pursued different careers, or even retired and decided they wanted back in. Our job is to help them see that they still belong — and to remind them of the skills they already have.”
Now in its 8th cohort, RePower has expanded beyond engineering and IT to include more functions across Cummins. And the impact is clear: “We’ve had folks return after 17 years and go on to become managers. The confidence boost, the community — it’s powerful.” RePower is just one example of how Cummins is rethinking career entry points for people whose résumés don’t follow a straight line.
Supporting veterans and beyond
Aisha also manages Cummins’ participation in the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program and Hiring Our Heroes, initiatives that connect transitioning service members with civilian work opportunities. “It’s full circle for me,” Aisha says. “Hiring Our Heroes was how I got my foot in the door at Cummins, and now I get to support others making that leap.”
Initiatives like SkillBridge and RePower, Cummins open doors for people who might otherwise be overlooked by traditional hiring models.
Why returnships lift both people — and Cummins
Aisha finds her role especially meaningful. As a returner to the workforce, she deeply empathizes with the people she helps. She sees programs like RePower not just as professional refreshers, but as part of a broader strategy to redefine what a qualified candidate looks like. It’s a win-win for everyone. “For the returner, it’s the opportunity to refresh the skills they already have, build their confidence, and it removes that feeling that they need to explain the gap they have,” she says.
As for the company, it is given access to a talent pool that could have been a missed opportunity. “Life’s experiences can be the best teacher at times, and depending on the reason the individual had the break for, that may have been the missing piece to the dynamics of a team that was needed to increase productivity.”
Thanks to this, there is no dearth of inspiring moments at Cummins.
“Even on the busiest days, I’m recharged by hearing people’s stories — learning what they do and why they choose to do it here,” she says.
Coming home to Cummins
Aisha left Cummins a year ago for a job closer to her past experience in uniform. However, she soon discovered that she ultimately felt more at home at Cummins. Her return was driven by a desire to expand the inclusive talent initiatives she helped shape — and to make sure more people like her can find their way to a meaningful role at Cummins.
This is just a testament of how Cummins is a place where people can truly grow their careers in the long term. “Outside of the military, I haven’t heard so many individuals say they have been with one company for 15 or 20 years, the way I hear it at Cummins. That alone says a lot about the culture of working here.”
Returning to work after a long break? Here are 4 tips.
If you’re considering returning to work after a break, Aisha has a few words of wisdom:
- Brush up on your skills before your job search: “Practice interviewing and practice your elevator pitch. This will build your confidence as you start landing interviews. There are so many resources out there that can help you with this.”
- Own your story: “Don’t downplay your break,” Aisha says. You may have strengthened some important skills while you were away, such as time management and juggling schedules. “That speaks volumes, along with the reasons you may have needed to just take a knee to come back in a different state mentally.”
- Be kind to yourself: Know that imposter syndrome is a real and very normal thing — especially if you’ve spent a while out of your career field. “Whenever I go into the unknown or something new that I’m not fully comfortable with, I remind myself to be calm and to get myself to a steady state. I think when you lose those two things you lose the ability to make sound decisions.”
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions: “No one expects you to know everything right away. Ask for clarity and lean on your team. Hopefully you are walking into an environment that will be inclusive and encouraging as you relearn the skills you already have in you and build on them.”
It’s never too late to start again. No matter why you took your break, there’s always something you can bring to the table.
If you’re looking to return to the workforce, explore open roles at Cummins today.
