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Growth Opportunities Drew Me Here

Are you too comfortable being comfortable? Renee Kozak knew her job from top to bottom—but something was off. “There was no room for growth or opportunity,” she said. Even still, she wasn’t looking to make a change; until she got a call from America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW).

“A ten-minute call with APHW’s Director of Field Sales Training immediately had me intrigued by how their area Sales Managers (ASMs) were able to help and support REALTORS®,” Renee said. “I had 21 years in title and escrow, so it got me thinking: This could be a good way to start a different career.”

Her next interview cemented her desire to join the company. “[Central Regional Sales Director] Kelly Croskey walked me through the explosion of growth APHW had experienced over the last six years, and all the new possibilities opening up. That’s when I decided I really wanted the position,” Renee said. “It wasn’t just about taking a job with the company at that point—it was about getting my foot in the door, and where that could lead. I needed to know there was somewhere for my hard work to go.”

Getting Started

Renee’s first week on the job was a bit overwhelming, she said, describing it “like trying to drink from a firehose.” But she got exactly what she needed in the following weeks, riding around with several different ASMs and Field Sales Trainers to see their work in the field.

“When I got out on the road with them, it was great to see the fun they were having every day, turning REALTORS® into friends,” she said. “Brian Heath would walk into an office and have ten people come up to greet him, chatting away like they’d know each other for years. It was amazing, and so exciting to see what my day-to-day would eventually look like!”

Then COVID hit

The world came to a screeching halt, and with only three weeks into her new job at APHW, Renee was terrified that she’d left a 16-year career just in time to get laid off as a newbie. National Field Sales Trainer Cal Dutton happened to be with her when the news came, and he advised her to take a breath.

“He just looked at me and said, ‘People all over the country are in the same position, and we’re not a company that says the last one in is the first one out. We’re going to figure this all out, and it’s going to be fine.’ It was such an emotional moment, and he was just so calm and reassuring about it,” Renee said. And a week later, she got a call explaining how APHW had completely shifted and found a new way to move forward.

“It was amazing to watch, and there was never a moment where they talked about layoffs,” she said. “It was always just, ‘How can we use this to our advantage,’ and to me that was just fantastic.”

Moving Forward

Nowadays, Renee loves her job and how she’s not chained to a desk anymore. She received an opportunity to take over more territory only 12 months in, and now she’s pursuing the next step in her career. “Seeing a Team Leader role open up after only 18 months tells me that more of these positions will be coming. I definitely see the growth here, and I am really excited to have more opportunities to work toward,” Renee said. “It just makes me want to work harder and find a way there!”

Interested in joining the team?

“If you’re a hard worker, there’s going to be lots of opportunity available to you here,” Renee said. “This is the place to go to get to the next level.” Call 800.648.5006 ext. 236 or visit APHW.com/careers today for more information.

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