By Sivan Philo

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HealthSherpa strongly believes in creating inclusive, equitable areas, which construct belief, respect and a way of belonging which are important to our tradition and work. We’re excited to function our colleagues and listen to extra about their experiences at HealthSherpa, from their first touchpoints all the way in which as much as their tenure and development. On this publish, hear from Vice President of Product Administration Patricia Pichardo, who opens up about why she stated sure to HealthSherpa, her private journey to mission-driven work, and what her day-to-day appears like.

I’ve been at HealthSherpa for nearly 2 months now. There was an acquisition at my final firm, and it led to loads of change; it opened my eyes to exterior alternatives. I began getting pinged lots by recruiters and there have been fascinating jobs opening up. I’d labored in liquor instantly earlier than HealthSherpa; however earlier than that, I’d labored in a mission-driven setting, and I actually missed that mission connectivity. 

So after I began exploring new alternatives, what actually made HealthSherpa stand out was the mission, and the chance to do what I do professionally to usher some good into the world.

Personally, when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, I discovered myself advocating for Puerto Ricans within the diaspora – it actually wakened one thing inside me. With pals and different volunteers, we have been ready to take action a lot – we helped folks get out of the Island, helped feed kids who have been going with out meals, helped folks get entry to primary wants. 

After this expertise, I began excited about different points that weren’t essentially instantly impacting one thing that I used to be near. So when Sarah (Ahn, Senior Recruiter) reached out to me about this function at HealthSherpa, it felt like a complete match for me. How would I get higher if I acquired sick, and I didn’t have ample insurance coverage? That could be a actual subject, an actual drawback. And HealthSherpa is fixing it – and it’s a worthwhile firm, with a dedication to range, fairness and inclusion. It was a complete no-brainer to say sure to speak about this function.

There have been a number of issues that stood out to me:

• The human contact. I’d labored with good recruiters earlier than, however at HealthSherpa, it wasn’t simply the recruiter. Sarah launched me to the following individual, who introduced the identical nice contact and humanity to the method. It was clear that the recruiter and the hiring supervisor shared the identical values, and that there was clear intention informing the method. 
• The candor. Sarah and all the folks on the interview crew have been very candid with me about what the actual issues have been, the actual wants have been, and what the precise actuality at HealthSherpa seemed like.
• The belief. The crew trusted one another in a really implicit approach. Later within the course of, I acquired to satisfy a few of my teammates, friends and direct experiences. The conversations felt natural and real with the crew as effectively. It didn’t really feel just like the crew was being avoided the method; they requested questions (and vice versa), and it confirmed me that the recruiter and hiring supervisor positioned loads of belief within the crew, too – and from the conversations, it felt clear that the belief existed in each instructions.

So, not solely are they human, and candid, however they belief one another. They really feel actually snug about one another’s positions. After I spoke to George (Chief Govt Officer), he stated that he didn’t must assess whether or not I’d be an excellent product chief – that was Cat’s (Chief Product Officer) job. He simply needed to determine whether or not I’d be an excellent match for the corporate generally, and to supply the chance to ask questions of one other co-founder who wasn’t managing this function.

I get up within the morning and work out at the very least 3x/week earlier than beginning the day. After this, I sit down and have some quiet time. I spend time planning my day, organising my conferences, and making certain that I’m arrange for fulfillment for the remainder of the day. I often have conferences after that – roughly 2-4hrs of conferences per day, and 2-4 hrs of quiet time, whether or not pre-planned or ad-hoc. 

It’s an important combination of collaboration, listening in, and asking the suitable questions and ensuring that we’re ready to make the suitable choices. Normally my day ends with a gathering – a 1:1 with my supervisor or a direct report, or a company-wide assembly. I’d thought that this might really feel odd as a result of I used to spend time on the finish of the day by myself, however I’ve discovered this actually energizing. There’s additionally a lot to be taught – I go away the day nearly day-after-day feeling energized and like I’m studying. I go away the times very happy.

I’ve realized that there are issues that we take as a right, that aren’t as simple as they appear. Everybody is aware of about healthcare; no one goes by way of life while not having it, with out taking part on this system not directly. There may be a lot to be taught as a client – and it’s unusual to consider this, as a result of it’s one thing primary, regular, wanted, and important. You will get sick sooner or later, and also you will inevitably want healthcare. 

So, studying the complexities of the house is absolutely essential. There are issues that you simply may suppose are easy and you discover out that they’re truly very sophisticated. I’ve been approaching loads of this with humility, and counting on the those who I’ve been working with to assist me get on board. I 100% should depend on my teammates to organize me and maintain me up after I make errors.

I might say two issues:

• For those who’re excited about working right here, don’t suppose twice. It’s best to positively discover alternatives with us, and apply whenever you see one thing that may very well be an excellent match for you.
• For somebody who isn’t so positive about HealthSherpa, for no matter cause – think about the place you’re and the affect you make the place you’re, after which think about the potential affect you possibly can make engaged on one thing that can assist clear up such an enormous drawback. There’s nothing that feels higher than doing a job you get pleasure from, and understanding the way it will profit folks in an enormous approach.

Wish to work with Patricia and the remainder of our phenomenal crew? Click on right here to discover present openings and listen to from extra teammates at HealthSherpa!