Alan is all about how day one can set you up for the rest of your career…
My first day at Flare was amazing. I was a little bit nervous, as as you are when you’re at a new job, going down the elevator and kind of walking back and forth in front of the office half an hour early.
I didn’t want to be late, but I didn’t want to be too eager! And while I was trying to decide what to do, my team-mate Josh opened the front door and welcomed me into my new home and shook my hand.
I’ve been on Joshua’s team for the past two years and we work super close, so kicking off like that was perfect. A really nice way to be welcomed into the family. And following that introduction, I met with Steph, who’s our Director of financial well-being and got to know her, and I got invited out to lunch by my new co-worker Matt and by Dan Cohen who’s the co-founder and CEO of Flare. They took me out for a bite and we had a burrito which I’d mentioned was my favourite food, and it was a really, really nice touch.
When I got shown to my desk, I had everything there waiting for me. I had my phone, I had my laptop, I had my favourite coffee, my cappuccino, I even had my favourite brownie waiting on my desk. It was so warm, and just really different to what I’ve ever been exposed to at another job. I came back for day two, so itt was great.
I’ve been working at Flare for just about two years. Time has gone by really quickly. It’s been one of the most exciting roles I’ve ever had and one of the most exciting, businesses I’ve ever been part of. And I’m really looking forward to the next six months.
I’ve been working within the sales team, but the best part about the role is the fact that I get to be involved in many different discussions, including implementation and development, and I even get to be involved in product management. I love the chance to be in a room full of people who are way smarter than me.
“I believe the first day of any job is critical. It’s the first impression that the people in the organisation make on you and take from you. It’s where you first understand the culture and the values, and it sets you up to keep coming back for week two, month two and year two. The first day is the opportunity to really make people believe in what they’re doing. And the only way to do that is for people to practice what they preach. It starts on day one. That definitely had an effect on me, and it’s the reason I’m still at Flare.“
