New hire diary – Part II
Written by: Paul Perry
This story may begin somewhat differently than most in that I was actively seeking employment having recently been a casualty of a corporate restructuring effort. Dumbfounded and irritated by the fact that I was now an unwilling cog in the wheel of huddled, unemployed masses, I sought clarity…
My previous roles had allowed me to manage both regional sales teams and national projects in sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals to private aviation to medical devices. Nonetheless, I received little fulfillment from those responsibilities. In fact, I always felt as if my capabilities and talents weren’t being fully maximized…not to mention, these roles mandated that I travel extensively, often at stretches of 2-3 consecutive days.
With my mounting desires to both positively affect organizational change, live healthier, and mitigate my travel schedule in order to become more active in my children’s activities, I was admittedly unhappy with where my career path was taking me and the benefits it failed to extoll.
Enter the loss of my job. I was merely waiting to exhale…and what a relief it was when I was finally able to do so. Despite the relative ambiguities that lay ahead, especially given the barren Nevada employment landscape, I was genuinely happy to have been “downsized” or as I now refer to the term, “rightsized.” I could now decidedly choose a role which satisfied my needs and desires…if I could only find such a thing in Reno.
This is where the power of networking manifested itself. My wife mentioned to her chiropractor that I recently lost my job. Said chiropractor was subsequently dialoguing with a client, who happened to be an Apex employee, about my situation. This employee thought a suitable position might be available at Apex and requested my contact information. Shortly thereafter, I provided said employee with my resume’, which she promptly put into Amy Phillips’ hands. Within a month, I interviewed, received an employment offer, and began work as a Training and Communications Project Manager at Apex!
Now, I was able to report to a local office, reduce my travel completely, and adhere to a flexible schedule where I could prioritize both my work and my family. As well, during my initial weeks with Apex, I was provided an introduction and facility tour by Cody Wallis, HR onboarding by Diane Schroder, Microsoft and PM introduction by Cyndy Johnson, and ongoing mentoring by Doug Ingram. Altogether, I could not have asked for a better work environment or better colleagues than what was given to me by the Apex organization.
And I would be remiss not to mention a recent situation involving my son, Alec. Unexpectedly and quite suddenly, my son was diagnosed with what looked to be “strep throat.” Upon further medical examination, the condition turned out to be viral meningitis. At one point, bacterial meningitis could not be ruled out. My wife and I were panicked and extremely worried about our son as bacterial meningitis could lead to permanent disability or death. This scenario unfolded during the work week and being that I was a new employee with deadlines to meet, it pained me to have to notify Kurt that I may need to take a personal day in order to care for my son. His response? “Don’t worry about us or client work…take care of your family! Work can wait. Let us know how we can support.” What can I say? Kurt is the kind of leader that cares more for his employees and their families well beings above anything else (see more about Kurt). This is truly the kind of organization that anyone would be proud to work for.
Clarity sought…and gained. Desires satisfied. Thank you Apex for helping to make everything happen!
