Celebrating 1 year at Booz Allen! Very grateful to have made the decision a year ago to leave my career of 10 years and venture into a new industry that I knew nothing about. It goes to show that if you have the right mindset and are open to change, you can fit in just about anywhere. It also helps that the culture of Booz Allen aligns with my personal values, which is why I chose them.
As some of you know, I fell and broke my heel and ankle on Mother's Day. After two surgeries, 6 days in the hospital, and almost two months of recovery, I am hoping to receive clearance for physical therapy on Monday. This was no doubt a horrific experience for me personally, something I have never gone through before (and hope never to again).
I had some pretty "down" days personally. but I also had lots of doubts after the fall about work: What about work? Am I going to be ok to be off work for so long? How will I get paid? What about all the projects I am working on, what will happen to those?
It turns out, my work family had it all covered. I could not have imagined a better experience over the last two months. Not only was there NO PRESSURE about work, they encouraged me to take the time I needed to fully recover. On 7/1 I was able to return part time, to ease back in to my workload (and dust off my brain to use again). My manager literally texted me EVERY SINGLE DAY of my leave, checking in, sharing news, recommending books. My leadership sent my kids a huge shipment of ice cream. My director sent me a new book by my favorite author. My lead even CAME TO MY HOUSE to visit with me while she was down in Hampton Roads for work. I have been welcomed with open arms since I've returned, not just by my team, but from people across my division.
I say that to say this: I have a strong family support system. I have an amazing church family support system. But having an equally strong, encouraging, and CARING work family is something I have never experienced before.
I know there are a lot of great people in my network looking for work right now. It can be tempting to take a job when you need money. It can also be hard to know what kind of culture a company has when you are applying. I wanted to share a couple tips I used to vet companies when looking to make a career change:
Research: Review the company's website, mission statement, and benefits page. Look at social media posts and how the company is portrayed in the media.
Observation: Notice how employees interact, work, and solve problems. Pay attention to the tone, language, and body language of colleagues, managers, and leaders. Observe the work environment if possible (doesn't hurt to ask!)
Ask questions: Ask about company culture during the interview. Ask leaders and employees to describe their experience. Ask about priorities and experiences with the company culture.
Here's to hoping everyone gets the experience of working for a truly people first culture.
National Diversity & Inclusion Manager at USI Insurance Services
1moI hope everyone has had a fabulous first week on the job, I can’t wait to meet you!!