My Journey to DuraBante

By Kelly McGillivray

2020 was a rocky year for all of us, but I spent the year job hopping in a few positions and companies before landing at DuraBante. I learned some valuable lessons along the way, culminating in a deep desire to find a work environment that felt like a home away from home: a place where I could make impactful changes for my service lines as well as my company. Being a new employee, I was asked what ultimately drove my decision to join the DuraBante team. This is my journey to this phenomenal firm and the takeaways that I have leveraged into actionable insight.

A Stage Set by COVID

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit my local hospital, where I had worked for the past three years, my position as a Business and Data Analyst for the cardiology department was eliminated. Having worked so hard to achieve my position, which I believe was unique and valuable to the hospital, I found myself right alongside millions of others who were jobless in the middle of a global pandemic. I decided I needed to take some time to regroup and focus on finding not only a job that matched my skills and passions, but a company in which I could feel at home.

Lessons Learned

Since then, I have realized that the only way to grow is to improve and evolve, a tenet that holds true in any industry. Furthermore, the only way to improve is to identify an area in need of enhancement, define its success, and measure the progress. DuraBante was founded with this same mindset and seeks to inspire this shift in their clients as they know that ultimately, in the absence of growth, stagnation overcomes.

I have also learned the difference between shopping for an employer and working for one. It’s one thing to research a company online; it’s another to live daily in a company’s engrained and accepted culture. The digital presence you may see or feel from online reviews or heavily branded marketing messages on a company’s website can often vary greatly from that experienced in day-to-day operations.

I was recently solicited by a previous employer, a prestigious firm in the consultant industry, for full-time employment. This large firm carries a reputation of exceptional quality and service, but having worked for them in the past, I am intimately aware of the culture and biases that exist within the company. While this firm is comprised of incredible people who do incredible things and provide incredible customer service to their clients, the ideals and beliefs of the firm’s senior leadership and management, unfortunately, do not align with mine. This past year has taught me two equally important things. One is that your skills must match the job description, and the other is that your beliefs, passions, and ideals should align with those of the company itself.

Even after joining with DuraBante, I had offers from several other employers with whom I had been interviewing. Each time I received an offer, I would judiciously, respectively, and prayerfully weigh it before responding. No one could match DuraBante‘s reputation, integrity, and indescribable culture of support.

Why DuraBante

From the moment I saw the unique designation of “Service-Disabled Veteran Owned” (SDVO) on DuraBante’s website, I felt an immediate connection to the company and its vision. My husband served 21 years in the US Army’s infantry, was a master parachutist, and retired in 2016 as a Master Staff Sergeant. I will forever be in complete admiration of his sacrifices for this country and its citizens. I loved the thought of working alongside others who had made similar sacrifices.

I also wanted the opportunity to work with a company that makes a difference for the American public. I started my career in public service 15 years ago and thrived there because of the impact I made on the lives of each member with whom I worked. I love the thought of having the opportunity to work with a company that is focused on service to the American public vis a vie both federal agencies and private corporations. At DuraBante, this principle is ingrained in the company’s daily activities, woven into the relationships it forges through operational excellence.

I wanted the opportunity to have a positive impact on my clients, customers, or service lines. DuraBante was founded with the principles of maximizing experience and minimizing organizational risk, all while having fun. Finding a company with a positive work environment and values that align with my own has remained a priority throughout my job search and DuraBante ranks at the top of the list. I was excited by the opportunity to work with an innovative, successful company such as DuraBante, who remains committed to developing innovative approaches that add professional value to every project for every client. I saw this role, specifically, as an opportunity to become a trusted advisor of DuraBante, its staff, and the clients they serve.

DuraBante is a company that walks the talk. The things that this company stands for are shown in every artery of its work. Every interaction, whether internal or external, is cloaked in integrity and visibility, and every stakeholder—from senior leadership to the employees on the floor—uphold those same values and ideals in every task, in every conversation, and in every produced deliverable. DuraBante is a company that does not hide its agenda. When you join in with DuraBante, you enter into more than just a company and employee relationship. You really do enter a family of trust, support, loyalty, integrity, honesty, and transparency. These are the fundamental tenets by which I live my life, and I am thankful, grateful, and thrilled to be a part of an organization that mirrors those same principles in every aspect of its work.