I recently made a career change. I went from Business Analyst to Project Manager, and I moved from Core BTS (formerly Skyline Technologies) to Valorem Reply. (NOTE: this isn’t a sales pitch, but if you are intrigued by what you read – we are HIRING, so get in touch with me directly!) I have been with my new company for about three months, so I thought this would be a good time to share why I chose Valorem Reply and why I love it.
Woman leadership
When I learned about the leadership structure at Valorem Reply, I’ll admit that I was initially shocked. It’s not every day you come across a technology company with women at the organization’s helm. I have been in the male-dominated IT and consulting industry for a long time, and having women leaders is not the norm in my experience. As a woman, having women leaders made me feel good about the company and its leadership.
Culture
In my opinion, the most important aspect of accepting a new career opportunity is culture. I was with my previous company for nearly eight years, and culture was what kept me there that long. I wouldn’t have considered leaving if I couldn’t find someplace with a comparable environment. During the interview process, I learned that culture is Valorem Reply‘s number one consideration when hiring, too, and that scored a ton of points with me.
Opportunity to learn new things
I am a continuous learner, and that’s one reason I relish being a consultant – you never get stuck in any one thing, whether it’s technology, a market, an industry, or a client. Variety and the opportunity to learn new things are vital to me. At Valorem Reply, I’m learning so much about a technology area I had never worked in before. It’s incredible to come to work every day knowing that my knowledge will continue to grow as I do in my career.
Working with super smart people
Good leaders surround themselves with people who are smarter than themselves, which is a wise tactic. I think I’m smart most days, but I am blown away by how much I don’t know when I hear some of my colleagues talk. To say we have wickedly intelligent people at Valorem Reply is an understatement. I work with brilliant people all over the country every day, and I’m better for it.
Sense of camaraderie
I am very familiar with the Tuckman Model of team building. I have built many teams over my career, and you don’t always find teams that gel well, especially when they have diverse backgrounds and experiences. When I joined Valorem Reply, I immediately felt welcomed and had a network of people to help and support me. I met many colleagues within the company during onboarding, and although I have been with the company for only a short time, it already feels like a family.
Having a leader instead of a manager
Anyone who knows me also knows that I despise the word “manager.” There is a drastic difference between a manager and a leader, and at Valorem Reply, I have a leader, not a manager. This distinction was another crucial component of my decision to join the company. I need a leader who will set me up for success by providing me with tools, knowledge, and support without constraining me by micro-management or other controlling behaviors. I couldn’t be happier that this is what I have at Valorem Reply.
Building relationships
We are in the people business, more than anything else. Yes, we provide technology solutions, but our company is really about building relationships. I am building a network of colleagues that I trust and respect both within Valorem Reply and with our clients. Many organizations treat you as a resource rather than a person – but not at my company. We genuinely care about one another and support each other.
Strong executive interest and support
I have never worked for an organization with such interested and involved executives. If I wanted to call one of the Valorem Reply partners, I know they would answer and I could talk to them about whatever was on my mind. I love that it doesn’t feel hierarchical. I also appreciate how much I am learning by working more closely with people at the executive level – I plan to join their ranks someday, and having people to model myself after is a fantastic opportunity.
Challenging work
Our clients hire Valorem Reply because we are people who love solving problems to enable our clients to succeed. If the work were easy, the client would already have done it themselves. I wanted a challenge when I made this career move, and so far, it has not disappointed me. I get to work in a solution area that I have never worked in before, and I am also working for a new client organization type. Every day there are new problems to tackle, and we work together to solve them.
Reply network
Valorem is part of the Reply network, a global organization headquartered in Milan, Italy. As part of this worldwide network, we have access to other technology experts in specialty fields that might not be our areas of expertise; this allows us to partner with other companies in the network to provide cutting-edge solutions for our clients.
Investment in continuous learning
Valorem Reply invests a budgeted amount of money per employee every year to take advantage of learning opportunities. Companies that aren’t willing to invest in continuous learning for their employees quickly find that their employees will leave for places that will support them in growing their knowledge. We also have corporate access to a library of Udemy courses, which opens up a world of learning topics. By giving us these options, we can chart our career courses and stay on top of the fast-moving technology world.
Mentoring
Valorem Reply also provides mentoring through coaches and guidance from people throughout the organization. When I began my previous Business Analysis career, I was fortunate enough to have an experienced and knowledgeable mentor to set me on a path toward success. At Valorem, I can mentor and coach people to help them determine their best career path to achieve their goals.
Being appreciated
Last, but certainly not least, is being appreciated. We all like appreciation for our work, and it’s baked into Valorem Reply‘s culture. We have a fantastic recognition system that allows employees to recognize other employees when they perform exemplary work on behalf of our internal team or our customers. It’s lovely to receive unexpected “kudos” for your efforts.
Final Thoughts
It’s never easy to take a leap of faith to leave a company you have been with for a long time to try something new. I waited for the perfect fit, and Valorem Reply was it. If you are a technologist, love solving problems, and want to join a phenomenal place to grow and expand your career, please message me!