This year has been a hectic one, to say the least. I started the year in a brand new role, with a brand new company, in a brand new industry, and was ready to take on the world. 2020 on the other hand had its own plans, and in the span of 5 months, things went from blissfully calm and generally awesome to a total mess.
I’d made the decision to shift from one of the largest background check companies in the world to a very small, and very young mobile marketing company and was a part of a growing team that had a lot of ambitious plans. The culture was amazing, the perks and benefits were world-class and the leadership team had a really clear vision for our path forward – things seemed promising.
Then, came COVID, and everything changed. The world changed. My new company had to make the very tough decision to make lay-offs and unfortunately, I was one of 50 that got let go. While I don’t blame them or think less of them for the decisions they made, I was still devastated. It’s painful, but it’s a business decision. I know the decision was not based on my performance or my abilities, but that’s easier to say now because at the time I felt like I’d just gotten dumped by my high school sweetheart.
I spent the next month applying to jobs, like thousands of others, and was lucky enough to land in my current position as Recruiting Manager at Noodle. At first, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the perfect fit for me because I do not have experience with higher education or education technology – but I fell for the mission and for the people and am so happy to have taken the plunge.
In my role – I have had the pleasure to work with leaders across the organization and help them grow and scale their teams. I’ve built procedures and policies, I’ve helped with our goals to be an inclusive company where people are welcome to be themselves and to thrive as themselves, I’ve met some of the best people in the world and after it all, I’m glad that I got forced out of my last job so I could find my new home.
Noodle itself is a real pioneer in the education technology space. Our core values speak to our commitment to never stop learning, and to embrace joy – and when you are supported and encouraged and feel like you are on a team where you can thrive, it’s easy to live these values.
I know first hand how hard it can be to have to start over, to have to take a chance on an unknown, and how to pick yourself back up when things seem like they can’t get any worse. The tough times often make way for better times and every day I am thanking my lucky stars for my better days. Noodle is a truly special place, and I am so happy to be in a role where I get to help share our values and why anyone would be lucky to be on this phenomenal team.
