7 Years at Dell Technologies

I've officially been at Dell Technologies for 7 years, which feels WILD. So much has happened in that time and I've had the privilege of holding 6 different titles since joining the company. I've gotten to work with and learn from some truly incredible people. I am so grateful that I took a chance on applying for a role that I didn't meet 100% of the qualifications for, because it's brought me on an amazing journey with a company I love working for.

Right before I graduated college from Oklahoma Christian University , I applied for job after job, but had no luck finding something that allowed me to use my English Writing degree. My parents retired, moving from Texas to Florida, and I wasn't quite ready to leave the life I'd been building in Oklahoma.

The first lesson I learned in my career was the importance of using your connections. My friend, Daniel Redding , worked for Dell at the time and encouraged me to apply for a Technical Support role. Mind you, I had zero technical knowledge, so it felt like a long shot. A week after my college graduation, I walked into my interview with Dell. With my people skills and heart for helping others (as well as a recommendation by my friend Danny), I was offered a job as a ProSupport agent. Dell set me up for success with a multi-week training course and all the tools and resources I needed to help our customers with their computer issues. Quickly, I went from voice to chat assisting multiple customers each day and even worked my way up to a top performer in the first year.

A year in, I was offered the role of Support Lead. In this position, I learned how to be adaptable. Often, there were jobs that needed to be done without much guidance on how to do them. My role was to fill in gaps and execute projects from start to finish. From ordering new hire equipment and building out schedules for 300+ people, to planning AHODs and submitting people for rewards and recognition, I grew in various ways as I leaned into new ways of working.

During my time at Dell OKC, I told everyone I knew I wanted to move into Marketing. I finished my MBA and still wanted to make use of my love for writing. I started networking with anyone who would meet with me, and lucky for me, a lot of people were open to talking with me! It's one of my favorite things about Dell—people are always willing to tell you what they do and how they got there if you just ask!

When a social media position opened up, I applied and was offered the role after interviewing. Funny enough, I was supposed to be in charge of social media analytics, but ended up becoming a Community Manager not even 2 months into being on the team due to a position opening up quicker than expected. When asked if I was interested, I jumped on the opportunity! There was finally a position at Dell where I could merge my love of writing with my daily work and I did not want to pass that up!

I feel so lucky to say that I've been on the BEST team now for the last 5 years. Since being on the social media team, I've owned the social strategy for 6 different product areas: HCI/CI, Edge, Telecom, Networking, and Ready Solutions. Being in the ISG space, I've learned from some truly brilliant co-workers who know so much about technology and how it benefits others. They can explain it in an easy-to-consume way that helps just about anyone learn why our products are so helpful and important! I've had the privilege of working on numerous product launches and events. I've owned multiple social media handles, building editorial calendars, crafting social media copy, building creative assets, and so much more.

Last year, I was given the honor of growing as a leader by becoming Team Lead to the greatest Community Managers of all time! Since then, I've built and led multiple social media workshops, created processes that allow our team to work cross-functionally with other groups, and gained new respect for all the leaders who I've been so lucky to work with during my career journey. The biggest lesson I've learned along the way is to get out of your comfort zone and say "yes" to opportunities that come your way even if you're unsure of your ability to do them. You'll learn a lot about yourself and maybe even surprise yourself when you do!

It's been a great 7 years and I've learned so much since my first day at Dell. I'm thankful for everyone who has played a part in my career and helped me to get where I am today. I can't wait to see what the next 7 years have in store!