Featured Sponsored Employee
Opening doors to new opportunities
"Anyone who walks through United Way's doors gains a new appreciation for the city in which we all live and work," says Jullie Tran, a consultant from Accenture Inc. who joined United Way as a Sponsored Employee in 2007. Jullie arrived at United Way's doorstep with high expectations for the position. Within the first few days of the 15-week placement, she knew she wouldn’t be disappointed.
The program gave participants an opportunity to improve numerous professional skills in a positive and supportive environment. "The Sponsored Employee Program leveraged people's skills well and allowed participants to develop based on individual interests and needs," says Jullie. "Yet we still learned how to look at the big picture to achieve a common goal." Collaborating with United Way Resource Development Managers to oversee workplace campaigns gave participants a variety of responsibilities. Sponsored Employees were encouraged to use initiative and creative thinking.
In fact, the program got Jullie thinking about how much she likes making things better for others. Now she is connecting colleagues with community agencies and is looking forward to taking on a mentorship role for those interested in the Sponsored Employee Program at Accenture.
The program has also opened up exciting new doors for Jullie. Next she will be taking her goodwill and new skill set overseas on a six-month Accenture development partnership project in Tanzania—an opportunity made possible through her recent Sponsored Employee experience. "I obtained a direct skill set at United Way that definitely made me stand out," says Jullie.