Office Vibes: How I Found and Built My Career | Andie Ibanez

Office Vibes: How I Found and Built My Career

It's interesting how your whole life can change in just a few years and few decisions. Growing up I wanted to be the President of the United States of America. That dream ended when my friend's mom told me that I couldn't actually be President because I wasn't born in the U.S... So I had to change course and adapt.
Andie 4 President 2032

The year was 2012 and it was full of changes and new experiences. I was 20, turning 21. I got married, moved to my own apartment, graduated from college, got my first big girl job and bought a car. It was weird to think I was still in high school two years prior.

In college, I studied and graduated in Business Management as well as Peace & Justice Studies. I had to write a senior thesis combining my two fields of study. My thesis focused in on Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) with a deep emphasis on Mediation. ADR is typically a Human Resources function in organizations, which is how I ended up pursuing a career in HR.

After graduating from Utah Valley University, I took the summer off and really just played for 3 straight months - which is so not like me. I've always carried a full plate of school and work. Mind you, I was still working on the Ford Street Team, which paid more than most college grads make at their first job sooo I was still doing ok. However, once August came I knew I needed to get serious and focus on my career.

UVU sent me a few opportunities they thought I'd be interested in. One of them was for an HR Clerk at a tech startup called InsideSales.com. It looked interesting so I applied. The HR manager called me a few hours later and scheduled an interview for the next day. I showed up and realized that it really was a startup. There straight up was an extension chord running across the hall that no one seemed to notice. I met with the HR Manager who then asked me to meet with the Vice President who then asked if I would meet with the CEO, Dave Elkington. Talk about a fast interview process! 

The next morning I got a call from that same HR manager offering me a job. However they wanted me to be their Corporate Recruiter instead of just a clerk. A bigger salary and title before I actually start? Works for me! This was all new to me and very exciting! He then asked if I could start on Monday... 
Daniel took a picture of me on my first day of work. Excuse the poor camera phone quality. It was 2012.

Fast forward nearly 4 years later and I am now a Senior Talent Advisor for EMEA & Executive Talent. Since moving to NC, I transitioned to working out of my home office. InsideSales.com has shown me so many opportunities. I've hired hundreds of people in Provo as well as in other parts of the US and even in the UK. I've led teams and worked on many valuable projects. I've worked with some of the best executives in the country from companies like Salesforce, VMWare, Backcountry.com, Citrix, etc. 

I was here when we had like less than 100 people and now we have over 700 employees all over the world. I joined when we were self funded and now we have a list of impressive investors and hundreds of millions in VC funds. It has been so neat not just to see the company grow but to actually be a direct contributor to that success. I know my colleagues feel the same way! There is just something special about building something.

These past few years at ISDC have been a wild experience full of ups and downs. But even in the downs there was always a lesson to be learned. Its interesting that the same attributes you apply to your relationships can help you get the most out of your career.

Cheers to our partnership, ISDC!

You can learn more about my amazing company here.
Now, as much as I love my company, a girls gotta go "out of office" from time to time. ;)
Here are some outfit details for both in and out of the office!

Top: Banana Republic. Similar styles below.
Pants: Francesca's. Similar styles below.
Shoes: Rack Room Shoes. Similar styles below:

Purse: Kate Spade. Similar styles below.

Thanks for reading! And remember, be so good they can't ignore you! -Steve Martin
Xo, Andie




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