At Avantpage, we believe in providing the opportunity for all people to pursue their dreams. Not only do we live this through our mission to provide translations that help immigrants to understand the world around us, but we also live this in our daily actions as well.
The journey our employees go on throughout their time at Avantpage highlights our desire to allow others to pursue their dreams and grow both professionally and personally. Fatima’s journey from Project Manager to PM Team Manager is just one example of how we live our mission.
Fatima’s Journey
Fatima Perez started working with us as a Project Manager in our Mexico City office in January of 2015. She was inspired to apply at Avantpage because she was always drawn to languages. She struggled to find a position like this, but she found Avantpage and submitted an application to be one of our Project Managers. Even though she hadn’t studied in the industry or worked in it before, Fatima knew this was where she belonged for many reasons.
“I was drawn to the company by its diverse employees with many different nationalities. During my interviews, I noticed that Avantpage really chooses the people that will be a company fit, not just based on work experience. I like that it’s not a huge company and everyone in it knows each other. Even the CEO knows who you are, and you know him, which does not happen in every company.”
Fatima’s journey started with her being accepted to the open role of Project Manager. As a new Project Manager, she worked closely with our more experienced team members to set-up translation projects and provide excellent service to our clients. After a few months of this kind of training, she had some of our key clients assigned directly to her, giving her the opportunity to work independently on every stage of processing requests.
For the first three years of her time at Avantpage, Fatima was focused on getting to know the industry and excelling as a Project Manager, handling some of our most demanding accounts. In her third year, she was offered the opportunity to start a transition to take on a wider leadership role within the company. This transition allowed Fatima to become our PM Team Manager, where she now oversees the entire Project Management Team at Avantpage.
“Now, in addition to keeping some key accounts that have more complex projects or demands, I lead the Project Managers and Project Coordinators and support them with whatever they need. I give them advice on how to handle projects they are unfamiliar with or that require specific details. I’m also responsible for distributing accounts as evenly as possible according to each person’s skills, spotting areas of growth and development for team members, and assessing how we can be the best, most knowledgeable team possible.”
While Fatima’s journey wasn’t easy, she “now feels in control and comfortable in [her] new position.” She had the opportunity to develop her leadership skills through coaching sessions, attend a conference, visit clients, travel to the Davis, CA office, and grow an entire team of Project Coordinators.
Fatima’s journey has allowed her to grow both personally and professionally. “All of my experiences at Avantpage have helped me personally, to deal with people, handle stress, improve presentation and self-promotion, take on new challenges, learn about technology, and much more. I was a recent graduate when I joined Avantpage, so they have really held my hand through the process of maturity and what it means to really work. I now know what it feels like to work in an industry you like and to enjoy what you do. I know what it’s like to lead a team, to be in front of a client, to hire new people, and many other things.”
Fatima’s journey is a testament to the opportunities we give to our employees, and the dedication our employees have to their work. Of her journey, she says, “In 2 words, I am honored and grateful. I think I’ve come very far in only a few years and I don’t think other companies would give such an opportunity to someone so new and young within the organization.”
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Ash is the Marketing Coordinator at Avantpage, Inc. Ash works to create high-value, targeted content that allows consumers to connect with us at Avantpage. They are a strong proponent of everyone having equal access to communication and information. They have written and created content for a variety of online platforms, and have been published in over 30 online platforms with varying topics. But Ash is other things too! An avid athlete, Ash enjoys spending their free time rock climbing, partaking in aerial circus sports, and practicing acroyoga.