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Culture

Six Months Down, More to Go

I’m excited to be celebrating my half anniversary working at Calendly as their Employer Brand Specialist! Six months came and went so fast, giving a whole new meaning to “time flies when you’re having fun.” As I hit my six-month mark, I couldn’t help but reflect on how I came to be a Calendly employee, as it was certainly a unique journey.

How did I end up here?

My journey to Calendly starts a year before I even joined the company. 

Rewind to April of 2020, where I was a Digital Marketing Coordinator at a small start-up. I, like many others, found myself unemployed after layoffs from the effects of Covid-19. This was my first time being laid off. At first, I felt lost and confused. “Where do I start? Should I just aimlessly apply and hope someone is hiring during these uncertain times? I guess it’s time to dust the cobwebs off of my resume and get back out there.”

As I was researching companies that were hiring (and thriving) during the start of Covid-19, I found myself learning about Calendly. A company that seemed to have a promising product during a time where other companies were struggling to survive, I was intrigued and found myself down a rabbit hole of all things Calendly. They had videos highlighting their culture, with one quote, in particular, sticking out to me.

 “There’s a lot of opportunities to help put your mark on a product that’s going to become a standard of excellence, and that’s a rare opportunity.” - Kendall Berger, Product Manager

As someone who’s still at the start of their career journey, I was looking for a company where I could make contributions that matter and make an impact. Calendly seemed like a promising place to establish myself and grow my skill set. The culture, the people, the product; Calendly checked all my boxes for the perfect company to join. So, I applied!

… and I didn’t get the job. My mentality changed from initial disappointment to “Calendly is the right company for me, but will happen at the right time when the perfect role for me comes along.”

A year later, I found myself open to new opportunities again, hopeful that Calendly would be the place I ended up. Time was finally on my side: an open role on the Employer Branding team became available. After the most seamless interview process I’ve ever been a part of (shout out to our recruiting team for creating a world-class interview experience!), I received a call from the recruiter.

I got the job! Over the moon doesn’t even begin to explain what I was feeling, and I couldn’t have been more excited to get started and become a Calendlian.

Onboarding remotely

As someone who was still new to the concept of starting a new job remotely, I was a little nervous about my onboarding experience at Calendly. What if I don’t know where to start? What if I don’t have the opportunity to connect with others and feel isolated? How will I be set up for success?

Those concerns quickly faded away the moment I realized how organized our onboarding process was. Before I even started, my new manager had created a thorough onboarding checklist, with tasks I should complete within my first day, first week, and first month, and who I should connect with to get a better understanding of the team, down to even Slack channels I should join to get to know our teammates virtually. Before my first day, I knew I was joining a company that wanted to see me succeed from day 1. 

The first week was all about getting comfortable with our technology, understanding our product, and learning more about each team at Calendly. While it was a lot to learn, I felt I was being provided with all the information I needed to become an expert in all things Calendly.

The first month was all about learning. I was able to use that time to meet with team members to understand our different processes and get a better understanding of how we operate. I got to gather feedback around what needed to be improved, and I was able to easily identify ways to make an impact on the team. From there, I was equipped with the tools and information I needed to jump right in and get to work.

Is the culture really what it’s hyped up to be?

I remember right before starting at Calendly, one of the worries was if the culture was truly as great as it seemed. The “Life at Calendly” video series made the culture seem like a dream, with promising possibilities around work/life balance, the opportunity to grow and learn from talented team members, and a clear mission and values that are truly inspiring. But how was Calendly going to continue having an amazing culture when they now found themselves as a remote-first company?

To my surprise, all of those “too good to be true” worries washed away as time went on during my time at Calendly. While I didn’t know what to expect from a remote-first company, Calendly has far exceeded my expectations around being a remote-first team member. 

Although we are all remote, I’ve had so many great opportunities to virtually meet team members and build connections. From our “Coffee Buddies” program that sets you up with a random teammate to virtually meet with and get to know, to different virtual team building activities such as “Co-Worker Feud” (modeled after Family Feud) and a Virtual Escape Room, I’ve had countless opportunities to meet new people and create genuine connections that make working remotely less isolating. 

Growing professionally and personally

It’s not until trying times do we start to think about what’s really important to us. 

Living through the times of Covid-19 allowed me to re-evaluate what’s important to me. I told myself that I’d feel most fulfilled at a job that allowed me to not only grow professionally but personally as well, and I’ve truly found that at Calendly.

Before joining the Employer Branding team at Calendly, I wasn’t very familiar with talent branding. I was a Marketer who understood the power of social media and blogging, but didn’t know that was being used to attract top talent. Once I heard that I could use my unique skill set as a Marketer to help people find their next career move, I was sold. I was able to tell people’s unique stories and promote positive messaging - I truly found my dream job. 

Professionally, I’ve had many unique opportunities at Calendly to grow my skill set. While working at a start-up can seem overwhelming to some, I’ve found that a start-up environment is where I thrive most. Being able to work on a project from start to finish, and see it finally live is such a fulfilling experience. I get to (and am encouraged to) test different out-of-the-box things and learn from the failures and successes; I get to build new processes from the ground up; I get to see the impact of my efforts every day; what more can you ask for?

While my professional growth at Calendly has been exciting, my personal growth has been what really changed my life. 

There are so many talented people at Calendly with all different backgrounds. Because of my role, I’m able to meet people from all walks of life that I might not have had the opportunity to connect with, and I’m able to use Calendly’s platform to amplify their voice. Hearing these stories always inspires me to be the best version of myself; which is not anything I ever expected to accomplish in my career. 

Calendly has a wonderful Engagement team, who’s always setting up different virtual classes and seminars for our people to attend. For example, I got to attend a dumpling-making class during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month where I not only learned how to make delicious dumplings, but I got to learn more about Asian American culture and their unique traditions. I’ve also been able to attend different speaker presentations, with topics ranging from Unconscious Bias to how social identities impact workplace behavior and how you can help drive an inclusive and equitable workforce. Attending these events has allowed me to grow as an individual and become the best version of myself, and I can truly thank Calendly for making that impact on me. 

After having the opportunity to be a Calendly team member for six months, I can truly say I’m just as excited to be here as I was when I first accepted the job offer. To be able to work at a company that continues to inspire me and push me to be the best I can be is such a rewarding experience. I can’t wait to continue to grow with this growing company - our future looks bright! To anyone looking for a company that can check all their boxes, Calendly is definitely the place to be.

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