Six months ago, I found myself at a crossroads in my career. I had spent two and a half years at a recruiting startup connecting millions of users with jobs they love. Over time, my role expanded from building and executing our email program to managing multiple channels. While I grew both personally and professionally, I missed being hands-on. I was eager to pivot back to my original passion: email marketing.
Simultaneously, Animoto was looking to backfill an email role for a team member who was transitioning from marketing to engineering. When the VP of People reached out to me, the timing could not have been better. It seemed everything was falling into place.
The Interview Process
After an initial phone screening with the hiring manager, I was invited to Animoto HQ for in-person interviews. If all went well, the final step would be a 30-minute call with CEO Brad Jefferson.
During my time onsite, I met with five team members across marketing and engineering, and completed two exercises specific to my role. While it may sound like an intense process, it wasn’t. I left feeling energized, with several important takeaways:
- Animoto’s strategic vision
- Animoto’s product roadmap
- Animoto’s customer and their unique needs
During the conversations, I was able to learn more about each employee on a personal level and realized many shared similar career paths. The entire process took about three weeks, and before I knew it, I was getting ready for my first day at work.
Onboarding
Before I started, I was introduced to the People Team at Animoto. They were there to help make the transition as smooth as possible and to answer any questions I had. They set me up with an Animoto Professional account (one of the perks of joining the team) and paired me with a “welcome buddy.” It was the first time I had an onboarding process which began before my first day, and it helped calm my new-hire nerves.
Animoto Intro Video
One of the first things I did as a new hire at Animoto was create my introduction video. It’s a fun tradition and rite of passage for anyone joining the team. These 60-second videos show off who you are as a person. It’s also a great way to familiarize yourself with the product and experience how our customers use Animoto. Each video is shown during our weekly Monday Morning Meeting, better known as MMM. If you want to win over the team, including pets is the way to go!
Coffee with a Team Member
Before the start of my first day, the People Team coordinated a coffee for me and a colleague who has been with the company for 3+ years. He shared his experience at Animoto, the history of the company, and how the product has grown. During our conversation, we chatted about hobbies, and he let me know of people to reach out to who shared similar interests. It was impressive to see how well he knew everyone at the company.
My First 30 Days
My manager put together a detailed onboarding document with everything I needed to know. It included how our team was structured, who I should meet, who I would be working closely with, meetings I should attend, and the processes in place. My first two weeks were primarily focused on getting up to speed on our tools and getting to know everyone. It was refreshing to see how aligned everyone at the company was, and how they could all speak to past performances, what worked well, what hasn’t, and the potential they saw for email.
Conclusion
Overall, my experience as a new Animoto hire has exceeded expectations. As I write this, it’s hard to believe that I’ve been with the company for over six months, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future.
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