Our employees don’t just have jobs, they have the opportunity to grow a long and fulfilling career with us. Jay joined Spectrum in 2017 as a video repair agent, and was promoted to mobile billing lead two years later. Now Jay leads the Mobile Call Center in Rochester, New York as a customer service supervisor in the Billing Chat group. He applied for a supervisor role and didn’t get it on his first try – or second. But his determination to never give up, a can-do attitude, help from his supervisors and peers, and the connections he’s built with his team all helped Jay to where he is today.

Q:  What led you to seek a supervisor role?

A: Within six months of becoming an agent, I wanted to see how I could progress to a video repair lead. I started working with the supervisors and took advantage of the mentorship program that we had at that time. I jumped at opportunities to learn and do more, and I talked to my supervisor about creating a development plan to build my skills. Fast forward to one year later, I was promoted to video repair lead. With that promotion, my confidence level continued to build. I felt like I could take on anything, so I did.

After mastering the skills of a lead and having opportunities to coach and mentor new hires, I felt I was ready for the next step and applied for the supervisor position. To my disappointment, I was passed over more than once.

Q:  How did you handle not getting the role and promotion you wanted?

A: I didn’t let that derail my goal of advancing my career. It did just the opposite, making me more determined to get to the next level. I embraced the feedback I received on why I didn’t get the supervisor position and the areas of my development I needed to focus on. I noticed a peer who was promoted to supervisor had strong communication skills, and that inspired me to work on my own. 

While the courses were helpful, I realized I needed to put myself out there to apply what I learned. I began running a few team meetings while other supervisors were out, which gave me the confidence to communicate with a group. Soon after, another supervisor position became available. I felt I was ready to be a supervisor and so did leadership. This past February, I was promoted to a customer service supervisor. 

Q: How have your mentors at Spectrum helped your career growth?

A: My mentors have been instrumental to my success. I remember as part of the mentorship program, we had a mock interview with a member of the Customer Care leadership team. Mine was with Marco, Vice President, Customer Service, who gave me valuable insight on effective communication and what I could do to be successful at it. For example, I learned to quantify results with raw data whenever possible and add it to my resume to show my impact.

Another important mentor was my first supervisor, Bobby, who is incredible. He also did multiple mock interviews with me and was always there to support and guide me. I’m happy to see that he was recently promoted to a manager. To me, nothing is more motivating than seeing your coworkers advance in their Spectrum careers.

Q: How has what you learned helped you in your current role as a supervisor?

A: Again, communication is key. I have a great rapport with my team. I’m always looking for opportunities to grow myself and pass along what I have learned to help others advance in their career as well. When we work together, everyone achieves more.

Looking for opportunities to grow your career with us? Apply today: https://jobs.spectrum.com/