Fast forward five, ten, fifteen years and here we are – many of us are in careers that line up with our goals as people and as professionals. Others may be in transition, looking for that great company to call home or for a better place to land.

Regardless, at some point you’ve probably reflected – maybe over your morning java – on where you are now and what you envision for yourself down the road. Could be you were triggered by the pomp and circumstance during the month of May or maybe you’re in a rut and in need of a workplace pick-me-up.

But, it’s important to remember that our growth and education doesn’t end once we settle into a career. It’s really just beginning.

One of the things I value most about C&A is the value they place on me and that’s reflected in the myriad of personal and professional development opportunities available to me and my co-workers (make note, new grads and job seekers).

At C&A, we have a dedicated training department, Aureus University, that not only provides initial training for our new team members but continued, career-long training for all of us. We keep them very busy.

For example, recently a class of 31 completed an 8-week Professional Development course. And soon a new group will begin our Pathways to Success course, which prepares employees who are interested in progressing to leadership and management roles. (Yep, we train our employees to become managers. This is huge.) Then Level II of Professional Development will begin and in the meantime, we’ll welcome a group of new employees and they’ll start their 12-week training journey into becoming rock star sales people. Oh, at some point in the middle of all of this we’ll add a handful of new books and DVDs to our corporate library, upload some new online training sessions to the Aureus University website, and probably host a guest speaker.

Not to get off-point, but while our training department is busy doing their thing, our wellness committee is knee deep in scheduling lunch-n-learns and health-related activities, all to help us achieve a work-life balance.

The best thing – our employees take full advantage.

So, for you readers who aren’t part of the C&A team, what can you do to keep moving forward as a professional and as a learner?

First, be an information sponge and seek out opportunities for learning. They don’t always fall in your lap, you may need to take the initiative. Read your industry trade publications and grab some books; find out if your company supports professional development seminars, workshops, or online courses; and visit reputable websites related to your business and field. Lastly, don’t ignore your personal self. Taking care of your body, mind, and spirit will help nourish your professional life.

Though your cap and gown may have collected dust, your role as a student has not. It’s a life-long thing, but only if you want it to be.

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Mary Carrick is a Sr. Communications Specialist with C&A, Industries. In her role, she’s responsible for crafting spot-on copy for internal and external audiences, coordinating public relations efforts, co-producing videos, and various other special projects. Outside of her career at C&A, she’s a professional singer, an actress, and a mom.

Twenty-two employees from across C&A participated in a fierce Cupcake Wars competition to determine who could create the best tasting and best looking cupcake confection. Entries were judged on presentation, originality, and taste on a scale from 1 to 10 with the three top highest scorers receiving prizes.

Congrats to (1st) Keisha in Aureus Allied Health (“It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere Margaritas”); (2nd) Jennifer in Marketing (“Over the Rainbow”); (3rd) Rebecca in Aureus Nursing (“Chocolate Chip Surprise”)!

In conjunction with the competition, more than 400 cupcakes, donated by C&A employees and local bakeries, CuppyCakes and TaylorCakes, were sold within our Omaha offices and generated funds for the upcoming 2012 NAMIWalk.

C&A is the Presenting Sponsor for the annual walk, to be held Saturday, June 9th at Turner Park in Omaha. The event is the major fundraiser for the Nebraska chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).

Want to walk with the C&A team? Click here to sign up!

This is the fourth year in a row that C&A has received Best Places to Work distinction in the category of companies with more than 200 employees. And let me tell you, it feels great. I’m not one to get all “braggy”, but four years? That says something. And to celebrate our “4-Peat” (do people even say ‘4-peat’), senior management distributed cookies while they thanked each of us individually for being a part of the company’s success.

One of the best things about being on the “Best” list is knowing that my co-workers were involved in the process. So, it’s not like an outside entity was judging our company with only surface-level knowledge about what it’s like to work here, but rather our own team members took part in a confidential survey and were able to be candid about C&A as an employer. I don’t know about you, but generally I like sharing my opinions so when I’m asked, I’m happy to participate.

I’ve always felt good about telling my friends and acquaintances where I work. And I’ve referred friends, too – one of them starts his new job here next week. When I mention C&A, some recognize our big building off the Dodge Expressway in West Omaha. Others have seen our name associated with various community events. And of course others know of C&A as one of the Best Places to Work. Me? I just know that I love coming to work each day, that I feel valued, and that what I do means something.

The other perks of working here – great Wellness program, summer events, family outings, first rate training, and lunches with our CEO? Those are nice, too.

Omaha’s annual Best Places to Work initiative is sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and Baird Holm.
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Mary Carrick is a Sr. Communications Specialist with C&A, Industries. In her role, she’s responsible for crafting spot-on copy for internal and external audiences, coordinating public relations efforts, co-producing videos, and various other special projects. Outside of her career at C&A, she’s a professional singer, an actress, and a mom.

Giving is a remarkable thing and gosh, if feels good.

One of the great things about working at C&A is the giving spirit that permeates our workplace throughout the year.

Our most widespread effort is AurElves, an annual C&A tradition. During the month of December, teams and departments across the company, including our regional offices, worked together to fulfill needs, instill hope, spread cheer, and just lend a hand. Together, we reached hundreds of families, children, seniors, and men & women of all ages. It’s hard to find words to explain the spirit and energy present at C&A during this time, other than “extraordinary.”

One team held a holiday concert and purchased gifts for the residents of Maple Crest Nursing Home. Another donated thousands of diapers to Lydia House, one of our local shelters for women and children. Other departments sent cards to troops overseas; volunteered time at outreach centers, the Salvation Army Toyland, The Food Bank for the Heartland, and Open Door Mission; served meals; and purchased supplies for the Ronald McDonald House, Ted E. Bear Hollow, and Rainbow House. And, of course, many teams adopted families through organizations such as the Salvation Army, Angels Among Us, the Visiting Nurses Association, and WCA, among many other acts of kindness and generosity.

Now that we’re full throttle into 2012, I know there are activities on the horizon and more ways that C&A employees can make a difference outside of our workspaces, such as the NAMIWalks in June, which raises funds for the Nebraska chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and other events. In fact, our NAMI Committee is already busy coming up with a slate of fun ideas that will get our co-workers involved and energized.

Stay tuned for these accounts. The year has just begun!

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Mary Carrick is a Sr. Communications Specialist with C&A, Industries. In her role, she’s responsible for crafting spot-on copy for internal and external audiences, coordinating public relations efforts, co-producing videos, and various other special projects. Outside of her career at C&A, she’s a professional singer, an actress, and a mom.

C&A’s annual weight loss competition, Weigh-to-Goal, has kicked off and nearly one-quarter of our workforce is getting serious about diet and exercise. Two weeks in, weekly weigh-ins have begun and already we can hear more “healthy speak” in the breakrooms and around the water cooler.

In this competition, nobody gets kicked off and leaves the ranch. And, we’ve done away with awarding top finishers based on percentage, so as to encourage weight loss that’s achieved in a healthful way, without extremes.

This year, the contest focuses on personal goal-setting with prizes going to those who meet their mid-point goals and a grand prize drawing for those who meet and exceed their goals at the end of the 12 and 18-week tracks.

It’s early yet but if history rings true, as a group we’ll shed hundreds of pounds. It’s one of those times when it’s great to be a loser. We’ll keep you updated on our progress!

Hundreds of C&A employees converged on the Embassy Suites LaVista to recognize outstanding performers, get excited about our future, and celebrate the accomplishments of our organization over the past year. An entire event dedicated to our employees. It was inspiring and a lot of fun.

Everything from the configuration of our meeting room, to décor and hors d’oeuvres played off of our zen-like theme, “Satori: Enlighten & Ignite” (def. “satori”: sudden enlightenment).

Cy Wakeman, a nationally known writer and speaker kicked things off with a dynamic presentation that challenged all of us to consider whether or not we’re ready to use the abilities and talents we have to seize the opportunities presented to us. She pulled from her personal experience running a marathon and delivered it in her trademark straight forward yet humorous style. I know I was motivated and others I talked with afterwards were as well.

After Cy’s presentation a series of individual and team awards were presented, including our President’s Club, Outstanding Team Achievement, and Employee of the Year awards, among many others.

As employees moved to the post-awards reception, we were greeted by a rumbling “fire and ice” sound and light show. For a while I thought I was in Las Vegas. It was also fun just to mingle the crowd and talk with fellow employees and spouses about the event and just catch up a little.

It’s always amazing how many people work for C&A when you see them all together in one room. It was also a perfect opportunity to personally congratulate the award winners and thank those who worked so hard to organize the event.

As I was driving home, I was glad that our senior management team understood the importance of this recognition event. Even in a tougher economy, when many companies are cutting out the frills and extra expenses, they made sure that employees were recognized for their contributions, understood the vision for our future, and had the opportunity to celebrate accomplishments. I can’t wait to see what this upcoming year has in store for all of us at C&A.
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About Bret Williams: Bret began his career at C&A in 2002 as a recruiting manager. He was awarded C&A’s highest honor of Employee of the Year in 2005 and has continued to grow with the company as it has expanded, now serving as the Director of HR, a position he’s held since 2006. Bret has a bachelor’s degree in HR management is an active member of both The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the local Human Resource Association of the Midlands (HRAM) organizations. Away from work, family, church, and basketball consume most of Bret’s spare time. He serves as an Elder in his church and volunteers for many of its activities and committees. Bret also coaches girl’s basketball and is currently in his third season as head coach for one of Millard West girl’s feeder teams. When he’s not spending cherished time with his wife and two kids, Bret jumps on his Harley Softtail and goes for a ride or grabs a fishing pole and heads for the lake.

During the event, we also watched a video that highlighted the many ways C&A employees give back to the community. Working at a place that encourages this is an added bonus to being a member of the C&A team.
C&A employees have opportunities to give back year round but especially around the Holidays.

Some of the organizations that benefited from our employees contributions last year were: The Food Bank for the Heartland, Lydia House, Cooper Village, and Open Door Mission just to name a few. Seeing your co-workers giving back and creating strong ties in the community gives you some insight into what they are passionate about outside of work.

We recently kicked off our annual United Way Campaign and a company wide food drive benefiting the Food Bank of the Heartland. In the Human Resources and Benefits Departments we also typically help out with the Salvation Army’s intake for their Holiday programs as well as donating to Ted E. Bear Hollow.

Suffice to say, the giving spirit is alive here at C&A. And it’s great to be a part of it.