Welcome to our July edition of “My Steps to WorkStep.” Each month we feature a member of the WorkStep team and dive into their role and what led them to it, tips for applicants, and a fun fact about them. This month we talked to Miriam Moreno-Martinez, a Customer Support Associate, who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay area. She talks about what led her to wanting to help people, how her journey from Mexico connected her to the work she is doing with WorkStep, and how being open and asking questions can lead you to where you’re meant to be.
What is your role at WorkStep?
I am a WorkStep Customer Support Associate, so I help with all things support as it relates to helping our candidates that are looking for work and hiring managers that are looking to fill the roles that they’re hiring for. I also assist with any technical difficulties they may be experiencing or any clarifications that they need around how our product functions. So that’s my main function here.
What is your typical workday like?
So my typical day starts out with checking in with my support teammates. I’ll see if there’s anything in particular within our queues that they need me to help them with in case they haven’t gotten to it. So typically it starts with our support queues and any assistance requests that we have received from our hiring managers. We also assist with billing. I clarify any basic billing questions such as, “Can I have my invoice?” or “Can you tell me who this invoice is for? And if something does need to be escalated, I surface those to our Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable Manager so she can help. Then of course jumping in to assist our candidates. We have a candidate inbox where if they have any questions regarding their interview or next steps along their hiring process, we’re there to help answer that for them or help guide them in the right direction so that they can keep moving forward and ultimately help them get hired.
What was your path to this role like?
So this is going to sound not related at all, but it actually started with animals. I love animals. I’ve always been a fan, especially those in the shelter community and rescuing. I realized that the most fulfilling part of helping animals is helping their people, their owners. There’s just such a fulfillment you get out of knowing that you’ve helped them because they’re worried about their pets. And so once you’re able to help their pets, you realize how that changes the owners and how that makes them happy. So I realized that my passion was really helping people, and that turned into me looking for a job where I could do that. I found that with WorkStep. I feel like we’ve all been in a place where we’re looking for a job and, and we know how stressful it can be at times. And so when I realized that this is an opportunity to not only work with companies and help them meet their hiring needs, but also help candidates that are looking for work and interact with them through perhaps some stressful times. I think the other part of it, as far as helping people is, it kind of reminded me of when I came here from Mexico, because I needed a lot of help to establish myself in this country. And there were a lot of people that did help me, especially with the language barrier. That was really a big thing for me. So it’s kind of like my way of giving back and helping people, because I received help at one point or another.
Do you have any tips for aspiring WorkSteppers?
Take advantage of the opportunity to collaborate with your peers and don’t be afraid to provide feedback and ask questions. Know that your opinion matters. If you have any questions, make sure you ask them, chances are that there is at least one other person with that same question. Questions often lead to some really good conversations, and those conversations may lead to bettering our product, but also developing some professional skill sets. Asking questions may lead to more questions and having to do some research. But you do get a lot out of being able to do that research. And in the long term, you end up learning a lot. Ultimately you become a resource for your peers, so that if anyone does reach out with questions or needs help, you’re that go-to person. So I guess not being afraid to ask questions too, and become that go-to person. It builds relationships among your teammates, which makes for a strong team.
What is something people may not know about you?
I love cars almost as much as I love a good road trip. My husband and I love going to car shows and working on cars together. Recently, he taught me how to change the brakes on the car and the gasket on my transmission fluid pan. It was so much fun getting to pull something apart and being able to put it back together knowing that it is in a better condition than when you started. The reason why I love road trips just as much is because I love driving. When I am not driving, I like looking at cars on the road, especially when it’s a unique car or a car that has been customized. The drive to the destination can sometimes be just as fun as the destination itself. At least half the photos on my camera roll are cars, with the other half being pictures of dogs. 
What advice would you give to your past self?
I guess not being afraid of change and exploring new fields. For instance, I thought I wanted something in particular. I thought VetMed was my calling. But in exploring other things and talking to people and asking them, ‘What is it that you do?’ and ‘How did you get here?’ in turn has helped me figure out where I want to be. So I guess not being afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone.
What do you enjoy the most about being a WorkStepper?
Oh, what, what do I not enjoy? I guess I’m gonna have to bring it back to my love for people. Everyone here is so amazing. I like to say that I can really approach anyone at WorkStep, whether it be with a question or even if I just want to have a conversation, everyone is super friendly and ready to help answer any questions you may have. I feel like I’ve gotten to know a lot of my teammates through WorkStep’s virtual coffee chats and, and we’ve built bonds over things that we like to do outside of work. People here are amazing, and there’s so much that I’ve gotten to learn from them as it relates to their careers. Everyone is just so open to helping you out.
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If you would be interested in learning more about open job opportunities at WorkStep, please visit our careers page. We’d love to hear from you!
Kristina Finn, Content Marketing Manager | kristina@workstep.com