By Tiffani Peeler, Sourcer at Skillz

When looking for new jobs, people often consider a good culture fit, collaborative work environment, interesting product, and more importantly, career growth opportunities. Most often, people look for other opportunities when they feel like there is no career growth within their current position or company. 

Coming from various administrative roles, I became all too familiar with this feeling, and felt discouraged about opportunities due to my lack of experience. However, working at Skillz  taught me that hard work, dedication and willingness to learn can change the course of anyone’s career.

My journey at Skillz began when I first started playing “Solitaire Cube.” While browsing, I saw Skillz had listed an Office Assistant position online, and was instantly interested – not only was I qualified for the position, it involved working with a product that I loved! After going through the interview process, visiting the office, and meeting the team, I was elated to be offered the position. 

During my first 7 months at Skillz, I learned a lot about the fast paced nature of working in a startup environment. As an Office Assistant, I was faced with many challenges that members of the team were unable to address up until that point. There were days where the workload was heavier, or when I had tasks that required additional time, and I took those opportunities to exemplify willingness and dedication to our mission. 

My hard work eventually led to an offer to join the Recruiting team, which has ultimately created a new, exciting career path for me. If this type of journey is familiar to you, or if you are looking for an opportunity to grow in your next role, here are 4 traits – inspired by our company’s core values – that have led to my success at Skillz:

1. Willingness – Skillz is at the forefront of a new, exciting market, which means every member of the Skillz team is willing to put in extra work, do additional research, and make connections that will help us all succeed. Instead of thinking “that’s not my job,” try to understand how much more productive a team could be if everyone thought “what can I do to help us achieve our goal?”
2. Collaboration – Skillz created an exciting, first-of-its-kind product, along with a lot of unanswered questions. The company encourages all teams to work collaboratively to give us a more holistic view of the overall mission, and make our product the best it can be. The opportunity to collaborate across different teams has helped me learn more about the industry and better our product.
3. Productivity – One of the things that has allowed me to grow in my career is the autonomy we are given at Skillz. At Skillz, managers value the quality of the work you are producing over the amount of time you spend being busy. They’ll give you the tools needed to work independently while offering support and mentorship.
4. Positivity – Positivity has made my journey at Skillz immensely enjoyable! Even with the best coworkers, coolest work environment, and all the delicious snacks, jobs can still feel overwhelming at times. Maintaining a positive mindset through any adversity will not only help you work through them easier, but it will boost the morale of your team.

Receiving an offer to join our Recruiting team has let me realize my full potential; I’ve realized that we are only limited by our own thoughts. Let your passion and work ethic shine through in the work you do, be vocal about your goals and aspirations, and work with your manager to strategize the best way to achieve those goals. 

If you’re interested in joining our team, check out open positions here!