Pros
The people here are incredible and truly care about the work we’re doing. I feel heard when I express things to leaders - not always, of course, but often - and that means a lot to me. I’ve been beyond impressed to watch all the growth in the org - from entire departments that didn’t exist to expanding to the west coast. I think that surprises people the most when they start at Per Scholas. We’re a ~30 year old non profit but our national set up is fairly new. Before a few years ago, there were barely any national teams or national support infrastructure . Everything was done locally, campus by campus on a very small scale. Now there are whole teams and resources dedicated to providing each staff member what they and our learners need to succeed and to scale this impact. There is a lot more work to be done on this front, I think our senior leaders aren’t afraid to admit that. But Per Scholas is the most nimble org I’ve ever been at, and in todays society (and in the tech industry as a whole) this is super important. While the mission and our model doesn’t change, how we tackle the work to achieve those needs does. I’m grateful to be part of helping people transform their lives and being able to bring change to how we do the work.
Cons
We weren’t set up for the growth we’ve had. Our staffing structure and technology was not ready and we feel it. There is so much forward progress though, truly. I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t believe in not just the mission but the promise that changes are possible in the administrative day to day.
