If you had asked her five years ago, Noel never would have said she loved Accounting—frankly, she had no experience in the area. But because she took a call center job at America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW), she discovered new paths she might never have found otherwise.
Not your typical call center
When you think of a call center, you probably expect bill collection, upset customers, and a generally miserable existence. Noel expected this as well; but she discovered something quite different.
“I got the mindset of getting yelled at all the time from working at a previous call center, but this really was the complete opposite of that,” Noel described. “I was part of one of the first big training groups that they brought in for Customer Service Representatives (CSRs), and it was really fun! Our group was awesome, and after you got used to the system and how everything worked, it seemed to go pretty smoothly.”
Regular growth opportunities
Noel discovered another advantage of joining the APHW team six months in, when she found herself eligible to apply to another position internally. “An accounting position opened up, but I didn’t have any experience,” she described. “After discussing it with my husband, I decided to go for it.”
While she lacked accounting experience, Noel had plenty of Microsoft Excel experience, which the department needed at the time. “That’s what led to me getting the position,” she said.
You’d think making that jump with no experience would be intimidating, but the Accounting team was ready for Noel. “I didn’t feel alone at all,” she described. “Amanda was there to help me through every step of the transition, answering all my questions and making sure I understood what I was doing. It was all pretty seamless.”
Amanda and other APHW leadership encouraged Noel to pursue accounting education as well, to help her improve and advance in her job. “I’m always wanting to grow and develop as a person,” Noel said. “Amanda told me what I should do to continue to grow in my position, and I enrolled at Jackson College to learn all the ins and outs of accounting.”
A witness to growth as well
Noel has seen quite a few company-wide changes in her five years since joining the team. “It’s unbelievable, the amount of growth we’ve had,” she said, noting that APHW’s previous building could have fit inside the current one. “We’ve almost quadrupled in size, and there are so many new faces!”
Even just in Accounting alone, APHW’s growth got to the point of splitting Accounting into full Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable teams, creating a new position for Amanda (Accounting Manager) and adding new supervisors for each group—all of which went relatively smoothly, according to Noel. “We all get along really well, and I think that helps a lot with transitions like this,” she said.
Try something new
With all of the growth and opportunities at APHW, Noel feels confident in her future here, as well as for anyone who wants to give this company a chance. “It’s a great place to work, the environment is super friendly, and there are opportunities for everyone here,” she said, adding that she’s extremely grateful that APHW took the risk on promoting her to Accounts Payable with no experience.
“When I came here as a CSR, I didn’t know what I wanted to do ‘when I grew up’. Being in Accounting, I realized that I really do have a love for it, for looking at details and solving problems. I don’t know that I would have ever found Accounting if I wouldn’t have come here as a CSR.”
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