A compassionate agency with upward mobility and a great culture
Pros
I've worked my way through clinical and administrative departments over the last decade, and have always appreciated that the company has supported and encouraged my career goals. From entry-level Clinical roles to Training & Recruiting to Human Resources, I feel like I've been able to explore all the joys each has to offer. I've called FirstSteps my home for this long because my coworkers and I are all equally invested in the company's mission - to help our kiddos. This type of work naturally brings together individuals who are kind, warm-hearted team players, and I really enjoy that. The training for every new role is stellar, and focuses on quality so you feel confident jumping into your new role. For someone who had other career plans and originally saw this as a "temporary" or "starter" job as I graduated college and entered the workforce, I have been so grateful to and impressed by this company. I feel really fortunate that my first (and only) venture into the world of ABA agencies was at FirstSteps; it has been the best experience.
Cons
Not necessarily a "con": as an entry-level behavior technician, the work you're doing with clients in the field requires driving from location to location. That said, the Scheduling team puts a lot of effort into zoning you, so your clients are relatively close to one another, and you are paid drive time and provided with mileage reimbursement for travel done within your workday. I also feel like the commuting from client to client allows for a dynamic work day, which is preferable if you don't want to be sitting in one place all day. As a behavior technician, most of the work you're doing may not allow for interfacing with your coworkers very often (unless you're conducting sessions in the FirstSteps clinic, in which case you get a lot of face time with your coworkers!). However, the company does put effort into monthly social events for the team, and is ramping up efforts here as well. The social events have been really fun (pub trivia nights, rock climbing, game nights, murder mystery, etc.) and have helped me form a close bond with my coworkers.