My ApplicantOne Testimony: Being YOURSELF is the Biggest Blessing!
At ApplicantOne, we take pride in our employees and their successes. As a rapidly growing company, sometimes it’s tough to stop and ask “how has your experience been with us thus far?” We would like to assume that all is well, but assumptions are dangerous and we’re taking back initiatives to make sure that those employees are happy with where they are at and where AO is at as a whole. SO, with that in mind we’re beginning a monthly testimony series where one employee a month gets to share his/her story on the blog.
Today, we’re highlighting one of our Senior Recruiters, Jerry Mathew. Her presence will light up any room and her laugh will make you want to join in on the conversation. She brings a toughness and fresh perspective not only to the recruiting team, but to all of us here at ApplicantOne.
The following is written by Jerry Mathew, Sr. Recruiter at ApplicantOne, Inc.
Memories are a strange thing. Much like the splattered paint stains the floor long after the actual painting is done - certain splatters of one’s memory stays in the mind even when you have no other recollection of that particular event...
One of those memories for me: my first trip to the United States from Dubai as a green-card holder back in 2007. At that point in my life, I was like a wide-eyed, 20-something who’s first thought was: “Is this America?” All I had seen of America was what they showed in movies like Home Alone with big cities and skyscrapers like the ones they had in Dubai, but, instead I found strawberry fields, orange trees, and banana trees. *gasp*....
Once I got over my initial shock a few years later, I was presented with two options from The US Department of State. I could give up my green card and receive a “visit visa” OR, I could stay. So, I finally decided to move to the US in 2014 - A little older and wiser than the girl who visited in 2007, I decided to make it my home. Not that Dubai was a bad place to stay, because it’s a great place, but I felt education-wise, America is going to give me the future I wanted. And now, fast-forward 6 years, here I am!
Hi, I’m Jerry Mathew, one of the Senior Recruiters here at ApplicantOne. And I’m very excited to share my AO Testimony with you. Before we continue, here’s a bit about me: I love to dance, sing, cook, and eat. If you didn’t already know from that introduction, I was born and brought up in Dubai. I’ve visited 7 countries (America is ONE of my favorites). I speak 5 other languages, excluding English... And, I’m in the process of learning my 6th language of Tagalog, from the Philippines. Additionally, I like to try other cuisines, learn new languages, and love to travel. This love for other cultures and travel encourages me to introduce these cultures to my child so he’s really diverse by the time he reaches his 20s - I would say that’s a big goal for me as a mother moving forward!
Speaking of, one thing I really cherish in life is being a wife and a Mom. Marriage is truly a special bond. It molds you and teaches you many things about yourself and the universe. (For example: How you can transform yourself from a calm person to being Godzilla...just kidding).
Let me share an important lesson I’ve learned in the last 11 yrs of Marriage (PLUS 5 yrs of dating):
Now before marriage, I reeled under the misconception that there were only 2 kinds of socks - clean ones or dirty ones...Bear with me...However, after marriage, I discovered a strange phenomenon: There would be this pair of socks dangling at the edge of the laundry basket. Neither inside nor outside. Just hanging there as if it was contemplating life.
"Why are they here"? I would ask naively.
"Because I am deciding whether to wear them another day or not" the husband would respond. "Just put the dumb thing in the laundry basket. You have enough socks as it is for the entire population of Papua New Guinea to wear".
I finally came to the conclusion that some pairs of socks would be given another chance at life. Others would be sentenced to a thorough washing in the machine. Still, others would suffer a miserable fate languishing at the edge of the laundry basket for days together, unsure of their terrible fate.
Who would have thought that the decision on whether to chuck a pair of socks in the laundry basket or not needed this much thought? Oh! The things marriage teaches you! And, much like those socks, life is full of healthy discussions, conclusions, scrutiny and disagreements. BUT, with this comes the options to close your eyes and let go, don’t worry about the little things like socks, right?
Okay, okay, enough about socks. Let’s talk about work shall we? Back when I was in Dubai, I worked in different types of roles. I started out as an admin, then I went into being a trainer & recruiter in Nissan`s Dealer Development and Training corporate office. The good thing about that was I got to work with and learn the Japanese culture and boy, they are no joke! I have never ever seen such committed people in my life. Work culture should be learnt from the Japanese, truly! After that I moved onto the Product Development team for smartphones at Nokia and then migrated to the US, where I worked with Projects & Project Managers at the FDOT on multiple road projects.
After that, I moved to PwC, where I thought the Corporate world was for me. Now, I’m here at ApplicantOne as one of the Senior Recruiters! After I moved to the US, (Lots of moves, I know...I am about done!) ApplicantOne is the place where I found the friendliest people of them all.
It's safe to say that I encountered a lot of “different & difficult” people in my past which makes our friendly and open environment really stand out to me. I used to say that before I worked here I was a pretty cautious person on how I behaved at work; what I said, what I should NOT say due to different meanings in verbiage in different countries made it really hard to trust anyone. But now, we have this family-like group among us and I am finally able to open up and be myself - I get to be me!
There was one day at my old job, where I was working totally remote. And, it was driving me nuts because I didn’t get to see anybody. It was so quiet - You can turn the music on if you want to but it doesn’t help the loneliness I felt...One day I couldn’t handle it anymore and I started job hunting. I had two companies to choose from - ApplicantOne and “another big name”. That big name was intriguing at first until I met Mike, our CEO. He was such a great leader and he knew what he was talking about. At the time, it felt more like a start-up and there definitely was a risk in how far the company will go. BUT, I took the plunge. I felt like he (Mike) had a vision... He had an idea and that it WOULD work!
My first week as a recruiter was good. I thought to myself, “okay I can do this!” Of course, it was just Josh (Our 1st hero of the Sales team). It was us! Him in the next room raking in the new business, and me next door thinking... “oh my gosh!”
Then, Lindsay (our lovely Junior Recruiter), joined in April, she was a good addition to the team and she really encouraged me along the way. Once our team and office started to grow, I really began to feel that “home office” environment. We aren’t at home, but you feel at home. Even if you’re feeling lonely, you can walk outside and your team is right there.
I love our team lunches, our gatherings, our Christmas parties, our blogs (Thanks, Jerry!!), and the way we can laugh and joke together. Believe me, I love to laugh, I can go from a giggler to a high-decibel hyena in a matter of seconds! Basically, my team accepts me for who I am even though I tend to blurt something totally out of the context or irrelevant to what we were talking about. When I get back home, I share our laughs and stories with my husband and even he notices how different I have become...Especially in terms of being busy and having my spirits elevated (well, at least most of the time!)
If you asked me to sum up my entire experience at ApplicantOne so far, I would say this: For me, everything is based on a target, for example, if I make one hire that day, I feel like I did a good job. I have a to-do list for everything I do! Right from the time I wake up my list starts: breakfast & lunch prep, the kid needs to go to preschool, I drop him off before work, I need to make it to work by 8 or 8:15 at least, and then that’s done for the morning. And then there’s a to-do list for work and then you get home and there's a to-do list again (haha).I feel like if I accomplish everything on that to-do list, I’m happy and I’m able to sleep comfortably at night.
A place where you can BE YOURSELF, have friendly coworkers, a boss who has the clear direction for the company (and who can joke with you), a place that allows you to take charge of your own professional and personal development...I would say that all of these factors make for a happy workplace. And that is exactly what I have found at ApplicantOne...and THAT is a blessing!