Brit in Boston – How the right company culture can change your life

After 8 months of being part of Avecto, the big move from the UK to Boston finally came around, saying goodbye to friends, family and of course my old job. No more time differences, no more typing in +1 whenever I call the states, and apparently no more rainy Manchester days – well, fingers crossed.

Many have asked how I could be so lucky to move. What did I do to get here? How did I manage to pull this off? Well of course there are elements of luck - mainly a lot of hard-work, but the one key thing I tell people when they ask the above, isn’t around right timing or working 80 hour weeks, it’s this crucial factor; ‘I chose the right company.’

Like many people, I started my role within Avecto full of hopes, expectations and a drive to succeed. I was thrilled to be part of a company with such a fantastic culture, one that I could really be a part of and a company I genuinely was proud to work for. On meeting both Mark, Paul and various people within management, I actually felt my team believed in me and in turn would help me along the way in being the best I can be.

But what if I’d joined and it hadn’t been like this? Or joined another company in a similar market who expected me to just ‘do a job’?

Being promoted so quickly within Avecto and having this fantastic opportunity to relocate and run my own territory, I’ve realised one incredibly important thing;

The Company Culture Is Everything

On my first day, Paul Kenyon Co-CEO, sat down with myself and the fellow new starters and said, ‘If you ever don’t like your job, come to me and I’ll try and fix it. If I can’t, with the greatest of respect, leave. If you don’t love what you do, why are you here?’

That’s the single best piece of advice I’ve been given in my career, and one that I won’t forget. If you don’t like your job, why are you there? How much of your time do you spend working? And if you’re unhappy, are you going be as successful as you can be?

Be part of a company that values their employee’s happiness, both in and out of the workplace. Your company should create a positive environment, full of positive people; you should feel a sense of pride in what you do – after all, it’s your job. You’re part of it. If you have Monday morning dread and Friday is the Holy Grail, something’s wrong.

It’s not only about happiness, it’s about progression. A senior member of our sales team asked me how long I had worked for Avecto, and my experience in recruitment. I told him less than 8 months here, and a few years in the industry. He replied with, ‘Only at Avecto.’ And he makes a very valid point. How many companies do you know that would relocate and promote someone within, rather than just hiring someone out here in the US, with tons more experience? If you’re in a company where the culture is to hire externally as a ‘safe bet’ and ignore the go getter and talent within, something’s up. For example, our top sales person globally started here as a fresh grad five years ago, with no experience. We then as a company relocated him to the US, again he had no market experience and even then, little sales experience. And now he’s running one of the most successful territories globally.

It’s both beneficial to the company and to its employees to promote and reinforce a positive work place. Company culture is everything – how many CEO’s do you know that have ‘always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then be Batman,’ inscribed on their office window? Not many, I can tell you that.

Jess and Laura, Avecto's Global Graduate Resourcing Partner, take a trip to Harvard