School is Cool

One of the many things I’m thankful for at Pop Art is the chance to further my career through educational opportunities. Before I started my new position, I’d planned to pursue a higher degree but knew it would be difficult to stay sane as both a full-time student and employee. Fortunately, I stumbled upon Portland State’s Professional Development Center and gratefully, the Pop Art team acknowledged my desires to grow as both an individual and member of the staff.

It’s refreshing to learn about companies that encourage its team members to pursue higher educational opportunities, whatever they may be. I think a number of organizations deject this benefit with concerns that the employee will fall behind on tasks at work or the classes will conflict with meetings. While these are reasonable apprehensions, it’s important for any company to establish a learning program that is flexible for all parties and can be tailored to each individual’s needs. Plus, the long-term benefits will far outweigh the short-terms costs for many reasons.

I love being surrounded by colleagues who express excitement about the classes I’m taking and want to work with me to maintain a consistent and tailored training program. This challenge is one of many reasons why I look forward to coming to work each day. Not to mention, our new office space has a killer view!