Turning a Meaningful Part-Time Job into a Full-Time Career

I started at ACR Homes as a Direct Care Professional during my junior year of college. I had previously worked in retail and customer service, and I wanted to find a part-time job with more purpose. After hearing from a friend about her job at ACR, I decided to apply. I was hired and placed at the ACR Home on Bicentennial where I got to work with a great team helping four incredible residents. Like most people, I needed that steady paycheck, and as a millennial I also needed purpose, connections with my co-workers, and work-life balance. In the process, I came to realize that working at ACR helped me discover that I had other passions and skills.

Photo by Stacey Repinski Photography

The Realities of Life-After-Graduation

I also learned that in life-after-graduation there are realities that you don’t necessarily consider while still in college–student loans come due, along with monthly rent, car payments, and other expenses.  As a music major in college, I knew that full-time jobs in music were hard to come by.  I needed full-time hours and affordable healthcare benefits, and I wanted to be in a work culture that matched my own sense of values and integrity and encouraged my professional growth.  ACR has provided me with all of that and more.

I’ve been with ACR for nearly six years. I am happy to say that I have advanced into a full-time career level position with ACR that continues to be rewarding, and I pursue my love of music in a part-time capacity. What started out as a part-time job that I hoped would be meaningful has turned into a full-time career that I hope will last a lifetime.

When I was an 18-year-old deciding to major in music, I never thought I would end up working for a healthcare company.  As I learned who I was and grew throughout the years, I came to realize that I have found a job and a company that’s a perfect fit for who I am.

—Brianna Palkki, Recruiting Supervisor