Pros
I would like to show my appreciation to my A2Q2 family by sharing where I’ve come from, how you’ve helped me to grow, and where I see myself in the future. Growing up in a rural area in the south and receiving a degree in French did not prepare me for what was to come. I did not major in Accounting or in Business and there have been so many lessons to learn during my time here. As a fresh out-of-college kid, I moved across country to Arizona with a hope and a dream of a bigger opportunity than what I would have had if I had stayed where I was. Little did I know, offering me a job as a virtual admin to the CEO for $11/hr would be the beginning of a long line of opportunities to come. Almost a year after I started, I was offered the opportunity to move to California to learn more about the business and to learn how to better support the team (of 4-5 people) at the time. My journey over the past several years with this team (my A2Q2 family) has not been an easy one. It’s been one of making mistakes, learning from them and growing. I’ve learned how to dress and speak professionally. I’ve learned how to use tools like Excel, Visio, Expensify, Podio, and NetSuite. I’ve also learned new skills everyday like time management and project management. I’m so thankful for the culture and environment here that cultivates growth and personal as well as professional development. It’s not just about the work. The fact that I’m still employed says a lot about the owners because I’ve made so many mistakes and probably should have been let go years ago, but they have continued to work with me and teach me the professional and personal life lessons that I had not learned before. Their patience and continual support has been much appreciated. They have given me numerous opportunities since I started which has included learning how to manage my own team, not just once but at least three times so far. I have been given hours and hours of personal and professional coaching as well as new responsibilities to learn new skills. I have been given the opportunity move around within the company from admin to client service to the business management so I could learn the bigger picture. Since it is a smaller team, it has been difficult over the past several years to help all who have joined the team and it hasn’t worked out for everyone. The work is demanding because we’re client focused. I’ve had to learn how to stretch myself to complete tasks in a timely manner. Even though the expectations are high, I can reach out to anyone else on the team for help. Plus, the company has provided and continues to provide opportunities to those who wouldn’t otherwise have them like single moms or stay-at-home mothers returning to work or people who need work visas. Though the culture is fast-paced and things can change very quickly, as soon as management finds out that a team member is sick or is dealing with a personal emergency, a care package is sent out and the work is shifted to other team members to relieve the pressure and stress on that person while they cope with their current situation. I continue to see A2Q2 as a part of my future. They have become part of my family and I am excited to be a part of a team that is growing and learning to become more than who we are today and that is making a difference in people’s lives, not just doing work.
Cons
As mentioned above, the work can be very demanding and due to deadlines, there may be some late nights or early mornings required. Since this is a consulting company, this should be expected.