Making a Career Change Within Punchh

Working for a company that is growing quickly can be exciting – it comes with new challenges and new opportunities around every corner. You invest a lot of time in your career and the companies that you work for, so it’s important to work for a company that invests time in your growth as well. I recently had the opportunity to make a career change within Punchh, from the Executive Assistant to the CEO to our People Team. 

As a fast-growing company, multiple people have changed roles and teams. We’ve had people move from Implementations to Business Operations, Marketing to Finance, Customer Success to Sales, and other areas. Most employees who have made these transitions have worked at Punchh for years. They have been supported by the company to take on new opportunities for growth. Watching my coworkers choose their paths encouraged me to think about my own career development.

While I was excited about the opportunity to make a change, there were a lot of questions that I considered while I was making the transition: What did I see myself doing in the next 5 – 10 years and would this new role help me get to where I want to go? Who was my new team going to be? Would I be able to contribute to my new team the way I wanted to? How would my work day change?

When thinking through these questions, I considered three main areas that have helped make  my transition smooth:

Support

I have a support structure within the company. I’ve known my teammates for years and I know I can lean on them for assistance and training. We’re all learning new things as we grow and we all know that we can reach out to each other when we need it. Punchh encourages collaboration and communication, which helps team members to be heard and really fosters creativity and innovation within our company.

Institutional Knowledge

I have a knowledge of Punchh, our history, and our goals. My background here has meant that I’ve been able to spend less time studying organizational structure and more time working through new projects. When we bring new employees to Punchh, many people are involved in the onboarding process to help ensure that new hires feel welcomed, are integrated into the organization and performing their new roles successfully. Understanding the existing teams that made up Punchh meant that I could redesign the process to add value for new employees and create clarity for our internal team members as well.

Creativity in My New Role

I was able to be creative and work on my own job description. We are a fast growing company and there is always work to be done. Being able to voice my opinion on what I am passionate about meant that I was able to start a new path that is meaningful to me. I’m excited about my new opportunities for growth and to take on a role that I am able to help shape within my organization. 

Ultimately, there have been a lot of adjustments as I’ve transitioned but also a lot of new opportunities that I’m excited about. In my role on the People team, I’m more connected to our employees across the company. Every company’s HR needs are unique, and as we continue to grow, I’ll be able to dive into new aspects of the role and really deepen my knowledge in different areas. 

Katie Hess serves Punchh as our Executive, People. Previously, she served as the Executive Assistant to our CEO. Before joining Punchh, Katie worked in Events Management and Community Success at Galvanize and Silicon Valley Bank. She graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and a B.A. in Arts Management. In her free time Katie enjoys caring for her pet rabbits, reading, playing the piano, and attending live performances.