Every once in a while, we like to show off one of our hard-working, detail-oriented problem solvers. Take a moment to see who's in the spotlight today!
Name: Sofia Johnson
1st Day at Avalon: 02/08/2024
Current Position: Human Resources Specialist
Tell us “your story.” How did you end up at Avalon?
I told my friend that I was looking for a job after my internship ended, and she knew a recruiter who was looking for an HR coordinator. That Thursday, I started at Avalon!
What’s your favorite thing about Avalon?
The people. They are very genuine, and everyone is always happy to talk when they have time. They are also just so sweet and look out for me, which is fantastic at the start of my career, since I’ve had some “intense” coworkers in the past.
What’s your favorite thing about your position at Avalon?
I like that I can help people when things get hard. Either I can be someone they can come to for advice on managing work relationships or stress. Or maybe they are going through something, and I can work out how to get them time off, since family is the most important thing to me. I would appreciate the help I would need in return if I were in those situations.
What is your proudest moment at Avalon?
After less than two months of working at Avalon, Tony (our Director of HR) was on vacation, and I was running the entire performance management review process alone. Neither of us had worked on it before, but I figured it out, and then a massive bug appeared, which was quite surprising. Luckily, I figured it out, and it turned out okay in the end. But god was that stressful!
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I don’t think I have typical workdays, since there are different priorities. I spend a lot of time answering emails since I filter a lot of emails for Tony. However, I can spend the entire day on the phone calling candidates for a new position. Or I can spend my whole Monday onboarding someone and getting them situated virtually. Or I can be working with Excel all day; that’s not very fun, but AI isn’t yet a magic wand that does that part for me.
What’s your favorite workplace memory?
In the office, it was probably the first time I met most of my team in person. Tony was shocked that I was as tall as he was. Katie was the sweetest person ever. Darryl was just as big a personality as he is virtually. It was just fun meeting up with them and experiencing the Avalon team dinner as well.
What are you listening to right now (music/podcast/audiobook)?
My taste in music is trash. I listen to a bit of everything, but my playlist is so diverse that I skip every ten songs or so. I hear a lot of audiobooks; currently, it is Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green.
What’s a must-read blog or book that you’ve read recently and why?
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo is amazing. It is about a woman in South Korea balancing the extremely high expectations of what a woman should be at every stage in her life. It really hit home when she was navigating her career, and they looked down on her as a woman, assuming she would give up her career when she got married and had a kid, so she tried to prove them wrong. However, managing it all is so hard since she has to change her whole life, and her partner is great, but isn’t meeting her halfway, since that isn’t “the way it is” in South Korea. I also loved Starter Villain by John Scalzi, since it’s so fun and weird, and features sentient cats with real estate portfolios and evil lairs hidden in volcanoes.
What’s your favorite motivational quote?
“Just Do It!” It works, and the Shia LeBeouf meme is just too good.
If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would it be and why?
Either South Korea or Tokyo. Their culture is so interesting, and they both have such a unique blend of new pop culture elements and a rich history.
If you were stuck on an island and could only bring three things, what would they be?
I have no survival instincts, like, the Zombie Apocalypse I would die first. I hold little hope for myself. Is that an option, like just a really nice last meal and then….
What do you do for fun?
I am an old lady, I read, crochet, bake and watch obscure documentaries. I also am obsessed with very bizarre shows that only have clips on Youtube.
