In 2016, I graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in finance — and no clue what I wanted to do as a career. I was surrounded by people in my life who had a clear vision of their path and sought out degrees to become specialized in their field, but finance jobs weren’t as cut and dry. I decided to move back home to Texas and began my job search in Houston. The sales development representative (SDR) role at DISCO caught my eye, and I applied without even fully understanding the company’s mission or the legal industry.
I became Employee #38
When I was hired, I did not see myself staying at DISCO for long. I knew that my finance degree gave me flexibility and felt that the SDR role was a job for the time being. But before I knew it, I was a year and a half into my SDR position. I genuinely believed in DISCO’s ability to transform the legal industry, and seeing legal professionals embrace the magical experiences that DISCO products delivered was the best part of my job. DISCO moved its headquarters from Houston to Austin in 2018, and I took another chance on the company to move with them. I was promoted from my SDR position and became an account manager. I knew by continuing to put in the work, I could have the chance to move up the ranks in sales — but I felt something was missing.
Lateral moves empowered my career path
In January 2020, I pivoted laterally within the company to business operations, completely shifting departments. While this role ultimately was not the right fit for me, I gained additional experience and by networking internally, discovered my passion for marketing. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to move into the role I currently have: field marketing specialist. In this role, I manage DISCO events, from our participation at major conferences to client entertainment such as a baseball game. Some critical skills in my role are negotiating contracts, sourcing event space and vendors, and ensuring all costs are within budget. My role entails significant travel to ensure all events run smoothly. Although my title did not change in seniority, I viewed this new job as an improvement as it put me on the path I want to take with my career.
In my opinion, lateral pivoting is best suited for those who are teachable and are eager to learn. I was challenged by every role I held at DISCO, all of which have helped build my skills and continued to refine my knowledge of our industry.
Although this job is different from being an SDR, what is consistent is how we highlight DISCO magic to our clients and prospects. I have found my home in field marketing because it encompasses various skills I have learned in my other roles and is also something I truly enjoy.
I took a chance on DISCO when I couldn’t answer the question, “What do you want to do after college?” Now, five years later, I can happily say that I’ve found the career that I see myself in for the foreseeable future. DISCO’s unwavering support and faith in me has been the backbone for a great post-graduate career. I’ve found that DISCO rewards those who ask questions and make themselves known. Through perseverance and dedication, I was able to find a niche where I am happy and successful.
If you are interested in an early career journey like Sarah’s, check out our Emerging Leader Rotational Program (ELRP). ELRP is a multi-year career journey with structured learning, rotation work experiences, a capstone project, and ongoing learning and career development. At the end of the program, associates have completed an accelerated path to graduate into a lead role in either a thought leader or people management career path.
