NOTE: After 9 years with Accent, Cheryl has moved on to another opportunity. We wish her the best!
If you ask Cheryl Carlson’s co-workers to describe how she goes about her work, you’re going to hear words like – focused, thorough, accurate, and fast, all wrapped up in a can-do attitude. And if you ask Cheryl why she takes such pride in what she does, and why she is driven to do her best for clients and teammates, you’ll find out that what’s on the outside is totally guided by what’s on the inside.
In both of the roles that she has filled at Accent – first Project Coordinator and now Procurement and Design Desk – Cheryl’s underlying motivation is to be helpful to her teammates, and to reduce stress and worry for others. She knows that her job contributes to the success of the company and her co-workers, whom she considers her second family.
“This is my family. They’ve helped me so much in so many ways, personally and in my career,” said Cheryl. “You’re not just an employee here. You’re someone special.”
Key Contributor to Team Success
Cheryl started at Accent as a Project Coordinator, and even though she had already been working in the IT industry for more than five years, she had a lot to learn. She also had a lot of responsibility knowing that her work directly impacted the success of the Project team.
“It was very exciting and a little bit scary but I set out everything from scheduling, to paperwork and accounting, to making sure all the hardware and software for the projects were here,” said Cheryl. “I laid it all out for the guys, organized and ready for them. They didn’t have to worry. They just had to do their work. I’m proud of that.”
Grabbed the Reigns of a New Position
When a new position for procurement was introduced, Cheryl was a natural choice to fill it. She had the skills and her track record proved that she could get in there, put her head down and figure out what was needed.
“We created the position to remedy a bottleneck in our organization,” said Corey Kaufman, Director of Client Development and Cheryl’s supervisor. “When Cheryl was put in there, she took it by the reigns and made it her own. When we send things to Cheryl, she knows what to do with it and it comes right back out. This makes our clients and our team very, very happy.”
Genuine Caring Attitude Found at Accent
Making people happy is what makes Cheryl happy. A good day at work for her is when a stressed and frazzled co-worker comes to her and she’s able to give them an answer that helps them resolve their problem right away. When she’s the one encountering difficulties, she knows she can turn to her co-workers for help, and that management is not only approachable but genuine in their caring attitude.
“If you really look within the company’s structure and their goals, you’ll see that the people running the company want the best for each and every one of us,” said Cheryl. “They respect you, who you are and what you do, and you do the same thing for them.”
Cheryl views the freebies and perks at Accent to be another way that the company shows that they care. Everyone looks forward to free lunches on Fridays when employees take time out to eat and visit together. Because they enjoy spending time together, the Accent team sometimes meets up on weekends along with their families for hikes and other fun activities.
Advice to Job Candidates
Cheryl has been with Accent for nearly seven years. She came to further her career in the IT industry. She stays because the people here are like family to her. Here’s her advice for you if you’re considering a career with Accent.
“Don’t lose this opportunity to work with this team. We’re different. We’re unique.”
