To Everything, There Is A Season
On March 17th, 2020, I (along with about 17 other people) was told that my position at my previous company had been eliminated. I had been there for just shy of nine years.
Three days later, my resume ended up in the hands of a hiring manager at Owens & Minor/Halyard Health. I skipped over much of what should have been a lengthy interview process and was offered a position that afternoon. I accepted the position and started on March 30th. I mean, how amazing is THAT?? What an incredible blessing... especially at the start of some really rough times in our world.
I came on board at O&M as a contractor with a six-month assignment. As those initial six months came to a close, I was extended another three months (end of December). As those three months neared their expiration, I was extended once again (end of March). In mid-February, I was given another three month extension which would take me to the end of June.
While these extensions were going on, I had already decided that being a contractor was simply not for me. I wasn’t getting access to any benefits. I wasn’t able to take PTO. I also wasn’t able to receive pay for holidays like Christmas and the like. Basically, if I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid.
Working as a contractor, I never felt like I couldn’t “unpack”. It all felt very temporary and I never really got comfortable. I’m at the point in my professional life where I want to be able to “set up camp” at a company and grow along with it. I just wasn’t getting the opportunity to do that. Again, great people, a blessing to have been there, but it wasn’t the ideal situation for me.
Don’t get me wrong. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to stay stably employed during such uncertain times. Especially without ANY downtime in between jobs. I mean, a TRUE blessing. I worked with some really great people and learned a LOT about an area for which I knew basically nothing. The team I was on is highly skilled, extraordinarily friendly, and always professional. I’ll always cherish the wonderful opportunity to have worked there.
Nearly 13 months later, I’m starting another new journey in my professional life. I am now an employee of Optiv, Inc.
I began looking for a new career around the first of the year. I went on several interviews, but hadn’t found just the right fit. That is, of course, until I connected with this NEW opportunity. Optiv is a cyber security company, and my position is “Purchasing Specialist”. The majority of professional experience has centered around the purchasing field which makes this a great fit for me. The culture of the company is also really desirable. It’s exactly the kind of place I’d want to work.
Here’s a picture of me in front of my new office building! Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: “Wait, isn’t that your house?” Why, yes! Yes it is! This is a %100 remote position! I will be working from home permanently because there IS no office to go to!
My manager is based in Kansas City. HER manager (who I also interviewed with) is based in Denver. What’s more, I’m coming on board at the same time as a a few other people (my counterparts) who are in other parts of the country. We’ll actually have coverage in ALL continental U.S. time zones. Pretty awesome!
I’m incredibly excited to jump into this new role! It’s such a relief to be able to join a team on which I can grow and develop on a long-term basis. As grateful as I am to have been able to stay employed during the pandemic, it’s time for me to enter a new season. Here we go!
