Yesterday was my last day working at Premier, Inc. Steven and I made the decision for me to stay at home to take care of Isaac. I am thrilled to have this opportunity, and I'll keep you all posted in the future of our adventures as Isaac grows. However, right now I am reflecting on the past four years at Premier and wanted to share some of the blessings that have come into my life through my experience there.
First of all, I had the great opportunity to work at one of the best companies around. Premier indeed is a wonderful place to work, and the company certainly cares about its employees, which is proven by the rich benefits, values-driven culture, and openness to listen to employees' opinions. I learned about Premier from a friend who worked there, and then I learned about the job openings at a job fair I went to while I was in my senior year of college. It's funny how I stumbled upon that job fair. I was on my way home from my college internship at the Mecklenburg County Health Department and I had heard that there would be a job fair at the Airport Sheraton. I had been praying about jobs and I had told God that I trusted that He'd bring the right one along in His timing, so I had committed to not worrying about it. I really didn't feel up to going to a job fair on that particular day, and I wasn't even dressed in a suit! Something inside me (now I know it was the Holy Spirit) told me to drive to the Sheraton and just walk through the fair. I did that. None of the companies were of any interest to me at all, and I was on my way out when I saw the Premier sign. I stopped because company name looked familiar since my friend worked there. I said hello to the two people standing at the booth and actually recognized one of them as a regular at the Belmont YMCA where I worked part time. He recognized me, too! We started talking about Premier, the Data Analyst position, and my friend who worked there. He knew her because she lived in his neighborhood and they sometimes carpooled to work together. "What a small world," I said. He told me that I would most likely qualify for the position that they were trying to fill and that I'd just need to call Premier's HR department and follow up with a lady who recruited for his department. I thanked him and went on my merry way. I read the papers they had given me and thought that the job sounded great! I followed his advice and called the HR person over and over until I got her. I ended up interviewing several times and then Premier had a hiring freeze in May 2003 right before I could have been hired. I went on to get a job as a traveling neurovascular technician and did this for six months until I decided that I'd had enough traveling full time. I'd seen the eastern US and was ready for a steady 8-5 job. I called Premier in December 2003 to see if they had any openings, and yes, they did! The HR contact got interviews scheduled for me, and I was hired in January 2004! I started work on February 9, 2004.
During my time at Premier, I was promoted from an analyst/consultant to a supervisor. The last year that I worked, I was in the supervisor role and really enjoyed my team. I had a great group that reported to me, and I am thankful for the impact that each one of my team members had on me. I was able to learn many things about leadership during this time. Although I took many classes on how to be a successful manager, I learned the most valuable lessons from watching the wonderful examples of my manager and my fellow team leaders who sat on either side of my cube. They are each incredible leaders and were great people to work with. One of the reasons I enjoyed Premier so much was the outstanding leadership in the department where I worked.
In addition to the professional opportunities I had while at Premier, I must mention the things that impacted my personal life, for those are the things I will always cherish. These include meeting several people who have become dear friends outside of work. One of those friends is a man who led a Bible study at Premier for several years that I had the opportunity to join shortly after starting at Premier. I remember coming home and telling Steven (my then fiance) that this guy who taught the Bible study taught the Bible like no one else I'd ever heard! He had shared so much insight that really helped me understand the Word so much better. I kept going to this Bible study and kept learning more. It was great! And then one day when some chaos happened in my personal life, I walked over to this guy's cube and started sharing. I didn't know him that well, but I felt comfortable enough to share my heart with him. I even cried, and his response was genuine compassion. He spoke words of encouragement and wisdom to me. I knew from that point that this man was someone who really loved God and really loved people. He truly had a pastor's heart... Now, he
is my pastor.
This is only one of many stories I could tell. I met
wonderful friends at Premier. One was my cubemate who listened to my life stories during the year Steven and I were engaged and gave me advice whenever I needed it. She also provided delicious cheesecakes for our rehearsal dinner. Yum! Two of my best friends in the whole world were those who I met about halfway through my time at Premier. They started within a week of each other and I mentored one of them. Little did I know that we would become dear friends outside of work. I was a bridesmaid in my protege's wedding! She and her husband joined Steven and I and our church team in the planting of Charlotte International Church. My other friend became pregnant three months before me, so we were able to share in the experiences of pregnancy and becoming moms. Then there was the guy who I first met over the phone when we were discussing a mutual client. At the time, I'd just gotten married and I mentioned that to him, and he told me that the Bible describes that newlyweds in the Hebrew culture must take a year off of their commitments to focus on their marriage. He encouraged me to do the same. I then learned that he had a heart for missions, as Steven and I do... Now he is on the mission field, following the leading of God in his life, and we are keeping in touch via blogs and email. In addition to these, I could name many more folks who impacted my life during those years at Premier.
I thank God for the chapter of my life that included working at Premier. The people there supported me through difficult times as well as some of the huge milestones in my life: our marriage, purchasing our home, becoming pregnant, and welcoming Isaac into our family. What a blessing to have such a supportive group of people at work who share in your joys and sorrows with encouragement and kindness in ways that you will never forget.
