Written by Andrea Vargas
June 21st, 2021
Well hello there! My name is Andrea Vargas. If you have not heard about me before, it’s because I am the newest Customer Success Team member at FSR. I started this journey two months ago but it feels like I have been in the team for years. However, you might be asking yourself who I am.
I am an International Relations graduate from the University of Guadalajara, located in the city where I live, inside the estate of Jalisco, Mexico. My professional journey started in 2016. My main focus was to work for NGOs and I did it for five years. In my past jobs, I had amazing experiences with very different industries. First, I worked for the entrepreneurial sector for 3 years. I travelled around Mexico providing entrepreneurs tools to improve their careers. Then, I worked for an NGO focused on the educational sector. I worked there for two years. I was able to help change the lives of thousands of young women from the state where I live in.
So, how did I end up in FSR? Well, everything started in my previous job. We had an initiative that encourages young women to pursue tech-related careers. I was very motivated after talking to many women involved in the industry. When the program finished, I had to change teams within the organization. I got stuck with no growth and the lack of motivation started. One day, Gabriel (who is one of my husband's best friends and Customer Success Rep here at FSR) shared with us the open position at FireServiceRota. They both agreed that I would be a perfect fit for it. After three interviews the team gave me the news, and for me, a big change of career path started.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to work in a software company? Well, I have the privilege to tell you what it is like to be part of one. FireServiceRota is dedicated to providing scheduling and alerting software service for first responders mainly in Europe. With this small context, I can start with one of the most relevant points: working on a team with colleagues from different parts of the world. This leads us to have to adapt to cultural changes within our work environment, you must learn to say what you think without fear of being judged but also expecting others to have feedback on your work. Being open will be one of the skills that if you don't have yet, you will have to learn, openness of what you think, of listening to others and most importantly being open about how you feel.
Respect for the time of others is another of the top priorities, the whole FSR team begins every day together, at 8 am (Central Mexico time) we start with a StandUp meeting. In these meetings you have to be concise about what you share with the team, you would have to talk about what you accomplished the day before and what you want to accomplish on the day. The aim is to understand what our colleagues are working on, and with this, you will be able to know how much workload everyone has and ask for the support that you need.
The FSR team has proven to be the most human team I have ever worked with, they have shown me that the well-being of your team and yourself is what generates high job performance. Empathy is the rudder with which we navigate. Within this team, everyone will understand when you are not at your best or when you feel full of energy and both scenarios are fine. Thanks to FSR, I find myself learning about accepting my emotions and how they influence my performance. I have been learning to accept emotions either if they are negative or positive because having them is a part of being human.
It is nice to be in a team where I can see myself in the future. A team I can rely on and be certain that they will help me grow and become the person I want to be, not only as a professional but also as a person. All of these followed by my motto “Helping change other people’s lives.”
