Eric is a Senior Sales Director out of our Foster City (San Francisco/Bay Area) office and Co-Executive Sponsor of iPride.
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Prior to joining Indeed, I had graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering and began my career in financial services. Knowing this was not the path I wanted to pursue, I jumped to a new industry, but found myself unemployed 3 months later. Living in NYC at the time, I struggled to find my next position outside of financial services, spending 6 months on unemployment.
Each interview I had gone on, I vividly remember the struggle to be authentic as any small talk presented the challenge of changing pronouns and worrying about people finding out that I am gay. This internal battle often presented itself in a lack of confidence which destroyed many opportunities despite my qualifications. Once an offer finally came through, I accepted a role back in finance but continued my career search.
After reflecting on the humbling time of unemployment, I found a new passion rooted in my own job seeker experience, hoping to help others avoid the same situations of misleading job descriptions, unemployment stigma, switching career paths/industries, and ongoing education/professional development. That is when I found Indeed.
Since joining in 2014, I have taken on several different roles from client success to staffing sales, all of which enable me to stay committed to the mission of helping people get jobs. I am extremely proud of the work being done at Indeed and will always be excited every time someone stops me in the street to say they found their role on Indeed!
At one of our Idea Center meetings, a product evangelist made a comment that really resonated with me, “people are not coming to Indeed just to find their next job, they are coming to Indeed to change their lives”. This has been reconfirmed by every person that has shared their story with me, from the local grocery store clerk to a friend’s single parent to my own counselor, Indeed not only positively impacts the lives of those using our products, but goes above and beyond to deliver a fantastic employee experience.
You get to bring your true self to work every day
While I was unemployed, I started my journey of coming out to friends and family, but never could have imagined being open at work. However, after 1 week of getting to know my colleagues at Indeed, I quickly realized the culture was different from any company I had seen before, and instantly felt a sense of belonging. The friends I made from that first week at Indeed are still some of my closest friends now, traveling with them around the country as well as being part of their weddings (and mine)!
Early on in my career at Indeed, iPride primarily ran out of Austin, with no formalized group in Stamford. Seeking the opportunity to connect Indeed with the local LGBT+ community in Fairfield County, CT, I stepped up as the site lead, starting the iPride chapter for Stamford, CT. From there, I created a program helping those in need of job search advice with the local LGBT+ community as well as having led the Pride March in NYC back in 2017. Now that I have moved out to San Francisco, I’m continuing my commitment to the job seeker by volunteering with employment services at the SF LGBT Center.
I am grateful for the opportunities that iPride has presented over the years from traveling to different offices to helping those in need, and now I am eager to take on the role of Co-Executive sponsor.
With the LGBT+ community’s ongoing struggle for equality around the world, I am looking forward to hearing more stories from people all across Indeed and further understanding what else we can be done to create even more space for all to succeed here.
You get to make it happen
As part of my ongoing professional development, Indeed provided me with the opportunity to work with an executive coach that focused on bringing my true self to work. After only coming out at 24, I was always very aware of the opinions of people around me, and put a lot of pressure on myself to fit in. Instead of seeing what makes me unique as a strength, I spent an excessive amount of energy suppressing ideas that may have been perceived as “extra”. Once I began sharing these ideas to influence our products and processes, I was thrilled to hear the praise from my peers and management. As a result, I was awarded the most impactful salesperson in 2021, further demonstrating that Indeed actively seeks out new ideas to drive innovation internally, all of which start with people from all different types of backgrounds.
It is incredible to see the impact acceptance has on a person. Despite a privileged upbringing, I feel that my journey of acceptance is only just beginning as that privilege came with the pressure of conformity.
After a decade of shaking off who I thought I had to be, I am fortunate to have had exponential growth both personally and professionally, yet I still take comfort in knowing that life is about constantly evolving. I love the commercial Indeed released last year titled A New Beginning addressing this exact topic. Taylor’s smile says it all, once you provide someone with acceptance and a little kindness, you’ll be surprised at what they can accomplish.
While committed to the mission at Indeed, I have to mention one of the best perks which include monthly You Days in addition to our open PTO policy. Last year, my husband, Garrett and I were able to leverage some of that time off to drive cross country three times, finally settling down in our new city, San Francisco. When we’re not on the move, our free time is spent exploring SF, with our 2 dogs, Moose & Rein(deer). When our pups get tired of walking the hills around our home, you can find me training for an upcoming triathlon or baking gluten-free desserts.
As we round out Pride Month, I always like to reflect on the experiences I have had here at Indeed and ensure I pay it forward, allowing for the next employee to thrive while bringing their true self to work every day. We have lots of work to do for the LGBTQ+ community, but it all starts with an inclusive environment where all are respected, curious, and ultimately just kind to one another.
A mantra I leave my team with each week is “Make It Happen”, which summarizes the experience I want all to have at Indeed. If you can set your sights on something, whether that is the next promotion, hitting quota, or expressing yourself, you can make it happen.
