I began my RPM career in 2014 as a summer intern with Weidner Apartment Homes and quickly moved to a permanent position with the company. Now, two and a half years later, I am the community director of the Ondine at Juanita Bay in Kirkland, Washington.
As a recent graduate with a degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, I wanted to enter an industry where I could wear many different hats and strengthen my leadership and professional skills. In RPM, I can practice management and leadership techniques, community outreach, marketing, and accounting all in one day.
I attribute my success in the RPM industry largely to my ability to listen to the people around me. Listening to residents, community members, and fellow employees helps me grow as an individual and as a team member. I try to take advantage of the unique perspectives and knowledge of others. Most of the difficult situations I have faced in RPM have been resolved by using the advice others in the industry have given me.
My favorite aspect of my RPM career is that I can move to almost any urban location and know there is work available. I’ve moved across the country while working in RPM, and I’ve had no problem finding both RPM work and housing. I love knowing that my life and location can change, but I will still have the comfort of a consistent career and home.
As an RPM Careers ambassador, I hope to share what it is that makes this industry so exciting. While I still have a long way to go in my career, I am confident in all I have learned and the professional I have become. I want to let others know that RPM is a great industry with a variety of flexible and fulfilling career paths. I hope that young professionals and recent graduates like myself can see the benefits this industry has to offer.
If you know someone who would make a great RPM Careers ambassador, email Sarah Levine.