At SurveyMonkey, our goal is to be “where the curious come to grow.” We believe strongly in giving everyone a path to growth and an opportunity to shape what’s next in their career.
In that spirit, we asked SurveyMonkey employees to share their own journeys and talk about how they #StayCurious. Each team member has shared their own unique experience, what motivates them, and lessons learned along the way, in the hopes that it will inspire you and give you an idea of what it would be like to be part of our community.
Curious about career opportunities at SurveyMonkey? We’re hiring! And as we looked to reimagine work for our employees, you have the power to choose where you work from.
Meet TJ Jackson (she/they/them)
Role: Recruiting Coordinator
Time at SurveyMonkey: 3 years
Office: Ottawa, Canada
How does someone with a passion for customer service and building connections launch into a career in tech?
TJ Jackson, a recruiting coordinator at SurveyMonkey, knew their experience working with customers at Starbucks and Apple would be valuable in the tech space—but they wanted to find a place that melded this with a personal passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
TJ says they found both at SurveyMonkey, and are ready to keep growing.
Finding their passion
TJ first joined SurveyMonkey on the customer operations team, providing queue-based support for customers who need help navigating our products. After spending 1 1/2 years in customer support, TJ knew they were ready to move on; they just needed to figure out the next step.
After being given the opportunity to represent SurveyMonkey at a Gradient Spaces event, a Canadian community that supports 2SLGBTQIA+ innovators, TJ felt a strong passion for talking about their own experience, our products, and why people would be interested in working at SurveyMonkey. This led them to consider a future career in talent acquisition.
Learning to trust themselves
In order to figure out if talent acquisition was the best next step, TJ focused on networking internally and having conversations with as many people as possible. TJ credits a mentorship opportunity for the push to apply for an open role.
“I signed up for a SurveyMonkey program called 'Leader Chats' and was paired with a senior director in customer success. When I mentioned my curiosity about talent acquisition, I listed all the reasons I didn’t think it would work.” TJ says imposter syndrome kicked in. The leader told them, “I’m going to stop you right there. You’re closing that door before it’s even open.”
This advice helped TJ shift their perspective. “I was reminded that if you’re passionate, skills can be taught. You need to have drive and be willing to learn.”
TJ applied, interviewed, and moved into the recruiting coordinator role a few months later.
Encouraging others to harness their own power
Since TJ made the move to talent acquisition, many of their former team members have reached out asking for advice on leaning into a new role. TJ says their best advice is to “network with as many people as possible and don’t be afraid of titles; most people are willing to talk to you about growth.”
In addition, TJ said it’s “important to own and understand your impact at the company. Know that the work you’re doing doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Want to start your career journey at SurveyMonkey? Check out our open positions.
