Can we all be honest – making the transition from college to corporate America is hard. I remember being a first-year associate in public accounting and feeling like a fish out of water. From the corporate lingo to navigating the waters of office politics, entering this world is daunting and scary. It took several years into my career before I felt I finally belonged in this space.
The biggest piece I missed from my collegiate days was the ample opportunities to impact my community. During my four years at UNC Charlotte, I was heavily involved in community service and philanthropic activities. There was never a shortage of opportunities to serve my community and it gave me purpose beyond my studies.
I found this passion for giving back harder to fulfill as I transitioned into full-time employment. My free time was limited, and it was no longer as simple as signing up to volunteer through the student activities center or sorority chapter meeting.
It became apparent to me that I valued working for a company where my personal passions aligned with the corporate strategic priorities. You might be thinking, “Don’t you work for a bank in finance? How does that align with your personal values?”
Since joining Ally in 2018, I’ve been fortunate to have leaders and colleagues who encourage and support giving back to our communities. We are awarded 8 hours of volunteer time off each year along with a generous company match to the organizations we serve. Our corporate citizenship team relies heavily on employee volunteers to plan and execute volunteer events for our teammates. It’s been an incredibly rewarding piece of my job and I’m continually blown away by our company’s commitment to our communities.
If you’re feeling lost as a young professional, I encourage you to take time to identify what you’re passionate about and how that can be brought to life in your role. Whether it’s planning a volunteer event for your team or being a mentor to a colleague – finding purpose at work outside of your day-to-day job function is possible, and I’d argue, critical to your professional success.
Meaghann Dunlap is a finance director at Ally Financial. You can connect with Meaghann on LinkedIn.
