When Opportunity Knocks, Pay Attention

Growth is the only evidence of life.  ~John Henry Newman, Apologia pro vita sua, 1864

I’m growing.

After spending the last several years at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, I have made the challenging decision to take a position at another organization.  My time working at Children’s has truly been some of the most rewarding of my career.  Being able to see how my actions have an impact on the people that care for pediatric patients gave a special value to my work.   The leaders and staff I had the pleasure of working with have been extraordinary people.  They are caring beyond what any parent could hope for, they are top-notch in their knowledge and experience and they are the passion that keep St. Louis Children’s Hospital running.  I am grateful to have been a part of that.

But sometimes, even when you are in a good place and doing exciting work, opportunity knocks.   When first contacted about a position through LinkedIn, my initial thought was to refer the company to several HR professionals I knew.  However, the more I learned about the company goals and the energy and drive behind it, the more it sounded like an opportunity I wanted to consider for myself.

I am excited to say that I will be taking a position as the head of HR for an IT management consulting firm called Perficient.  Perficient is well known for the high level technology solutions they provide to their clients.  Their strong partnerships with the likes of Oracle, IBM and Microsoft coupled with the professional services firm model make this role a perfect fit for me.  I’m excited to have the opportunity to come in and create strategic solutions from a people perspective.

The next month will be full of transition for me.  It will be a time of reflection on all I’ve learned in my career  and how I can best bring that to my new team at Perficient.  I will hold my colleagues from St. Louis Children’s Hospital close in my heart as I make the move and I look forward to building new and exciting relationships at Perficient.

I’m glad I paid attention when opportunity knocked.

Any words of advice as I start on this portion of my journey?