My Panda Story

I moved to the United States at the age of 21 in pursuit of a better life. I came alone, but knew I had to succeed. Two months upon my arrival, I met a new friend who shared their experience about working at Panda. He shared many great things about the company including opportunities for career growth. He told me that there were job openings for Kitchen Help and explained the responsibilities of the role. I was so excited about everything, so I applied and got the job. This was my first American job!

?I started working and began to observe customer interactions and was fascinated by the Front of the House. I immediately enrolled in school to improve my communication skills in hopes of one day being able to work on the service line. After six months of intensive ESL and communication classes, I asked my supervisor for an opportunity to work in the Front of the House. My determination was paying off. I was able to cross-train one to two days a week. I found myself struggling with the register, so I signed up for a computer science class. I gained confidence in my interactions with teammates and guests and was now able to run the register with no concerns. Seeing co-workers that shared similar backgrounds get promoted was a great inspiration to me and I strived to be like them. Three months before graduating from college, I was promoted to Shift Lead and a month after graduating I was promoted to Assistant Manager. Today, I am proud to say that I am the Area Coach of Operations in my state.??

All of this would not have happened without the support from our great leaders and culture, which inspired me to stay driven. Whenever our Founders and Operation leadership team visit, they showed great interest in getting to know me and encouraged me to grow both professionally and personally. I benefited from Panda’s scholarship program which helped to pay for my college and further my career. I feel like I belong here, and I can see that Panda, as a company, values, hard work, education, and growth.?

? Thank you to all the Panda leaders for cultivating the spirit of growth and togetherness, especially our Co-Founders, Andrew and Dr. Peggy Cherng, who have created an organization that values people’s uniqueness and encourages continued growth.

*The above or below Story is from a real associate and shares their personal experience. Individual experience and career path may vary.? The Story is not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results.?