Written by Guille Cruz
August 15th, 2021
3 years ago, I made a life-changing decision: to leave my job (which, by the way, was great) and started a new journey in an international company. Today I can say it was a risky move, but it has paid in full.
How it all started
Since I was very young, I have dreamt of travelling the world and working in a multicultural environment. I learned English by watching movies and listening to music (I had no idea how beneficial that would be in my professional life). I had the opportunity to visit Europe in 2015. It was a lovely trip, and from the moment I started planning the next one.
When I came back to Mexico, I was invited to join the Technovation Challenge. This program aims to provide young girls with the skills and knowledge to become technology entrepreneurs. There I met amazing women who connected me with FireServiceRota, and then the story began.
The possibility of being part of FireServiceRota's team wasn't an easy decision because it meant a drastic change in many areas. Still, from the very beginning, I felt very supported and received guidance and advice from all team members.
The best example was my onboarding process: it included a trip to visit several customers to fully understand their challenges and how they used our system in their everyday life. I had the opportunity to visit The Netherlands and work next to Cor for a week. Then I went to the UK to join Rebeca and meet personnel from different areas of several fire brigades. I understood some of the challenges our end-users were facing and how our system solved some of these challenges.
From that trip, I especially treasure the kindness and commitment of the Fire Brigade's staff: from operational to Fire Control, project managers of ICT and admin staff, they all solved my questions and were open to having conversations to create solutions together. When I returned home, I felt inspired to do my best to assist all those heroes without capes to perform their jobs in the easiest possible way.
Leading a project abroad… from home
Since everyone in the company is unique, our roles and activities adapt to our skills, interests and personal commitments; our growth in the company is an uncharted pathway, where each of us has the freedom and responsibility to find the right project(s) and rhythm to blossom.
This peculiarity has been significant for me because I became mother of a daughter last year, and FSR provided all the support they could during the process (that has no end). We went together through a process of adaptation where communication was key. On my return, I accomplished one of my biggest dreams: being the leader of my own project!
In a world where many women have seen their professional development truncated or paused because of motherhood, I am grateful that FSR is a company where objectives and expectations are discussed and agreed upon considering our dreams and priorities, not only the company goals.
A safe place to grow
These last years brought many changes and challenges in the personal and professional areas: I got married, my daughter was born and another baby is on his way! We moved to a new house, and during the last year and a half we had to adapt to live with many restrictions due to Covid-19. Through all these challenges, FireServiceRota played a critical role. Even when the isolation has been difficult, we have been there for each other as a team, and we proved that our values and principles are our true core.
We believe our success as a company depends on the members' individual success, not only in the professional life but to the full extent of our lives as humans. For that reason, the company goals are set considering reality and people's well-being.
In a world where uncertainty is part of everyday life, I am confident that I will continue learning and improving my skills. We genuinely care for each other. That is why our self-improvement process includes evening the ground to create opportunities for everyone to grow.
This is also true regarding our relationship with customers: we will continue doing our best to fully understand their needs and the why behind their requests to create solutions together. I like seeing myself as a customer service representative helping heroes do their jobs.
