{"id":24727,"date":"2023-05-16T14:16:41","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T18:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.parsons.com\/?p=24727"},"modified":"2023-05-16T19:41:25","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T23:41:25","slug":"image-next-the-people-make-the-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.parsons.com\/2023\/05\/image-next-the-people-make-the-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Imagine Next: The People Make The Place"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Key<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In our Peachtree Corners office, in Georgia, we have a diverse team of people representing countries from all over the world, and nearly 50 percent of the in-house engineers are women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s something you might not see at a lot of other companies, but gender diversity is an important part of our overall diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Our chair, president, and CEO, Carey Smith, prioritizes DEI through the implementation of employee business resource groups, diversity training and policies, and hiring practices that continue to enhance our gender and racial, and ethnic diversity year over year. Because we know that by fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, we\u2019re attracting people who imagine next, increasing innovation, and building a vibrant culture that offers everyone opportunities for growth.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Meet Emilee<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Emilee grew up in north Alabama with a penchant for solving problems and finding creative solutions to complex challenges. The oldest of two children, she was a natural leader who decided during high school that she wanted to study civil engineering. She went to college at Auburn University and did exactly that. Upon graduating, she wanted to live and work in the Atlanta area, so it was kismet when she was hired 10 years ago to work on our Northwest Corridor Express Lanes project<\/a>, which is\u2014to date\u2014the largest project ever constructed in Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emilee knew when she interviewed that Parsons was where she wanted to be: \u201cI knew right away that Parsons was the best fit for me during the interview process because of our reputation, the diversity of the projects we work on, and how authentic and genuine the questions were that were asked of me. My interviewers wanted to know about me as a whole person and were so personable. They understood that Parsons would have to be a good fit for my life as much as I needed to be a good fit for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we have turned out to be an excellent fit for Emilee, as much as Emilee is an excellent fit for us. Not only has she been able to work on exciting projects, but she went from being a junior entry-level engineer doing drainage design on the Northwest Corridor project to being a project manager\u2014an impressive rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople here have so much knowledge and experience to share with each other. And if you\u2019re willing to listen, your opportunities are endless,\u201d says Emilee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Aggressive<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not to say that Emilee waited around for an opportunity to fall into her lap. She admits to being aggressive when it came to going after what she wanted and saying yes to everything. Emilee says, \u201cI\u2019ve been judged based on my performance, not years under my belt, and the same opportunities are available to everyone. I just made sure that I went after all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She credits her leaders, too, who recognized her tenacity and willingness to jump in and solve a problem whenever she could, as well as her willingness to continue learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n