I've always been shy and just kind of keep to myself, which is not something you’d expect to hear from a recruiter. As a natural introvert, I had to learn how to build my confidence and put myself out there to grow my career.
In 2014, I joined Spectrum as a customer service representative. My job was to receive inbound calls from customers, and provide them with billing and technical support. This is a starting point for many people, as many members of our team work in fast-paced call centers serving customers across Spectrum’s 41-state footprint.
Early in my career, I knew I wanted more—but I wasn’t sure what more was or how to get there.
After three years of working in customer service, I learned of an internal opportunity to work with the Training and Development team. Over the next few months, I observed new hire training, participated in a training certificate program, and facilitated several classes. This growth opportunity helped to prepare me for my next step when a position on the Human Resources (HR) team opened up.
In 2017, my manager at the time, Brenda, took a chance on me and promoted me into an HR coordinator role, where I worked closely with a team of recruiters. This was an amazing opportunity and it propelled me toward what I'm passionate about and what I get to do now, which is recruiting. I’m incredibly grateful to Brenda for her support.
Connecting People to Jobs That Matter
I was promoted to a recruiter within Spectrum’s Customer Operations team in Vestal, NY, in February 2020. I went from being a customer service representative to recruiting classes of new representatives.
This was an interesting year to move into recruiting, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While other companies were cutting back on hiring, I was able to say to prospective applicants, “We're hiring; there's a great opportunity here with great pay and benefits.” It felt good to keep people connected to meaningful work so they could provide for themselves and their families during such an uncertain time.
Recently, my recruiting office transitioned from supporting customer operations to field operations, which comprises the teams that oversee the installation, construction, and maintenance of Spectrum’s advanced broadband network. I'm now recruiting and interviewing for very different roles. For example, we have a construction coordinator position open in Tennessee. I also am working to fill a warehouse position in Wisconsin, and we're hiring 40 people in New York for our technical support team.
What I like most about being a recruiter are the challenges the work brings, helping to connect people with opportunities, and being able to reach goals with my team. Within the next five years, my goal is to become a senior recruiter.
Getting Support at Key Career Moments
Throughout my career at Spectrum, I have moved up and around the company. I would not be where I am today if not for the people who lifted me up and gave me opportunities, like my previous manager Brenda. All of my managers at Spectrum have been mentors to me. They all have different leadership styles that were exactly what I needed at each moment in my career. Whether I needed someone to hold my hand through new experiences or to say, “You've got the skills to do it,” each manager helped me along my journey.
I could not have done any of what I've done if it were not for the right people coming along beside me. And I think that's true for anyone. Everyone stands on the shoulders of people who lift them up into that place. I'm grateful and I get emotional talking about it. From talking with others, who work for Spectrum and have also progressed, they have similar stories.
There’s always been somebody behind them who helped them gain new skills, build their confidence, and get to that next place in their careers. That’s part of the strong connection we have here.
My Spectrum Career Journey
Customer Service Representative > Training and Development Learning Opportunity > HR Coordinator > Recruiter
