I’m all about change. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I’m from New England, where not only do the seasons change, but so does the weather from day to day (just last Wednesday it was 60 degrees and by Thursday the low was 20 degrees, and we were barraged by a foot of snow).
At the beginning of my career, when I was asked the standard interview question, “where do you see yourself in five years?” I didn’t really know what to say. What would be the right answer to get me the job? Should I say that I want to be a manager? On a fast track to become CMO? I didn’t know if that’s even what I really wanted.
A few years into my career, I realized my answer to that question and it was pretty simple. In five years I see myself doing something different than what I’m doing now. Whether it’s a promotion, a lateral move, or even taking a position that’s a level down in order to expand my knowledge and skill set, changing it up keeps me engaged, interested, and growing. I never want to be too comfortable. A former boss and mentor said “If it makes you nervous then it’s a good thing.”
Doing something different in the same company can be challenging and can even potentially cause conflict. At a previous company, I was offered a position in another department than the one I held at the time. Being young and inexperienced, I immediately said “yes” to the chance to take on the challenge. However, making the move ended up causing some conflict between departments, and it damaged some of my working relationships. From this experience, I felt that in order to continue my crusade for constant change I would likely have to jump from company to company. I thought I would never work at the same place for more than three years.
That was until I started working at Merkle.
At Merkle, the opportunity to change is not just available, it’s encouraged. You can change your job title, your client, your department and even your work location. I have served eight different accounts (AARP, Nespresso, and Carter’s to name a few); in two different operating groups, Campaign Capability and Analytics; four different job roles, Business Analyst, Campaign Manager, Lead Analyst and Marketing Intelligence Manager; and two office locations in Massachusetts and in Connecticut.
Each change has brought the challenges that I love and the chance to work with intelligent and dynamic individuals. There is support through training on new tools and skills, with guidance from mentors. I am coming up on my seven-year anniversary and have truly found my happy place of personal and professional balance, where I look forward to more years and change at Merkle.
