Meet Mikki - It's Never Too Late

When Mikki started at TTEC in 2014 as a Talent Acquisition (TA) Marketing Specialist, she didn’t expect it to be a long-term career. TA Marketing was different from the Business Processing Outsourcing roles she had worked in since she was 18. But she soon experienced something different at TTEC, something that didn’t happen in her previous jobs.

Mikki’s career journey is a personal one. Mikki found herself at the age of 23 a divorced, single mom with no college degree. It was a low point in her life, and she felt like a failure. Maybe that’s why when she started at TTEC, she didn’t expect much. She’d had such a tough road already, what good could possibly follow?

Instead what Mikki experienced – and what she credits with her now 6-year-long tenure with TTEC, her longest with any company – is a culture of support and compassion. When asked what keeps her here, Mikki credits the mentorship she’s received from supervisors. Even though she has worked remotely, her leaders showed her that they believed in her ability to be a leader too.

They encouraged her to develop her skills and to apply to jobs to advance her career. To aid her development, she uses TTEC University coursework, which she says give her “helpful snippets…things you don’t really learn in school.” Mikki has also used the iAspire process to apply for roles to progress in her career, from marketing specialist to senior specialist to now a supervisor in TA Marketing.

Mikki shares, “I’ve been so fortunate to be part of such a compassionate, understanding and supportive team. I want to pay this forward with my team members.” Just like her father who has been a university professor for over 30 years, she tries to coach her team, help them develop their skills, show them that she believes in them, and support them in their development. “I enjoy seeing my team grow.”

But it’s not only about professional development. Mikki says her mentors promoted not only her career growth, but her personal growth as well by encouraging her to keep going and earn her college degree, using TTEC’s Tuition Reimbursement program for support. She hopes to achieve that goal in September. ​​​​​​​

When asked what advice she would give others, Mikki said, “It’s never too late to start dreaming again. After all, it’s not a race. So what if I finish college at 33 or 34? The point is, I did. I did it despite all the challenges and struggles. It makes it more fulfilling. The victory is sweeter. If you are feeling a bit lost, looking for your place, you can find that, it will come.”

​​​​​​​It’s never too late.