Hello everyone,
Today’s new employee spotlight has an interesting twist, because the star of our show — Jessica Grosman — has been our consulting English teacher for several years. But now, I’m delighted to share that she has permanently joined us as our full-time Learning & Development Specialist!
To help all of you learn more about Jessica and see why we appreciate her so much, here’s a snapshot of a recent conversation we had:
Can you tell me a bit about your background?
I have been teaching Business English at different companies for the past six years. Before that I worked in radio and podcasting, as well as the community sector. I’ve had a varied career path, but the common elements have been learning and communication.
What would you say is your biggest achievement?
Before starting at Devolutions, I was working for myself. When I started, I didn’t have an extensive network. Over time, I built a network that supported my business. I learned a lot working for myself — especially in business development, which had been one of my weaknesses before.
What was it about Devolutions that made you want to work here?
I taught English at Devolutions for four years. I have watched the company grow over the years with new people, new products, and new offices. It has been a privilege to watch all the changes and see this continuous growth. Devolutions is a magic mix of vision, culture and people. When an opportunity arose for me to join the company, I jumped on it. Who wouldn’t?
What would you say are your top three strengths at work?
One of my biggest strengths is that I am goal oriented. I like to set objectives and then work through the steps to achieve them. As a trainer, I am good at developing rapport with people, assessing needs and adapting material. My communication skills are also among my strengths.
What tasks do you carry out in your job, and what are some of the tools you use?
I have a few major responsibilities at this time. I am working with the documentation team to create our online help content. I am also working with my colleague France to build some new in-house training programs. We have some ambitious plans for training. You might hear me in a demo or webinar soon, too.
What is your impression of working here?
When I was an English teacher, I had the opportunity to see the inner-workings of many different companies. I’ve always known that Devolutions was special. There is a lot to learn here, plenty of opportunities for new projects, and fantastic people to collaborate with. I consider myself lucky.
What goals would you like to achieve at Devolutions?
I hope to become an indispensable and appreciated member of the team. I also want to connect with our community. I’ll use my experience in training and communication to help develop our training and documentation services. I will consider my job well done when the community says our training improved how they work.
On a personal note, what are some of your hobbies and interests?
I dive into the pool at 6:00am three times a week. I love to compete and have swum at the provincial, national and international levels. When I have my head above water, I like to garden and explore the outdoors with my dog.
Please share a few words with our community of IT pros:
Thank you for trusting our company and products. I would like to learn more about your work and your needs. I am very curious about how you use our solutions day-to-day. Hopefully, I’ll be able to talk to some of you soon.