This year WordStream was named one of the best places to work in Boston—for the fourth year in a row. But ever wonder what WordStream employees are doing in between working on new product releases or helping our clients reach their PPC goals that makes this such a great company to be a part of?
Here’s what we’ve been up to at WordSteam the past few months.
Reigning as softball champions
On October 25, we started the playoff game by inviting former team members who had played the last time we claimed the title of national champions onto the mound to throw the first pitch. Oh, wait. No, that was the other champion team from Boston playing that night…
While the Red Sox were winning the second game of the world series, WordStream’s softball team was playing in their own championship game. WordStream plays in the novice division of a marketing agency league. This might seem like the stakes weren’t quite as high, but our team made it to playoffs with a stellar record after a, well, less-than-stellar previous season. (The enthusiastic team of talented WordStreamers won just a few games and finished with the least runs scored for any team in the league.)
After making it all the way to the championship game this year, the WordStream softball team was down 6–9 in the 7th inning. Enter Erik Lindgren, accounts receivable specialist and softball team MVP, who hit a walk-off double that ended the game and nabbed WordStream the championship.
Fundraising for Thanksgiving dinners
For the second year in a row, WordStream has passed on collecting cans in a food drive and committed instead to raising funds for Thanksgiving dinner donations. Last year, WordStream donated $1,000 to the Greater Boston Food Bank; this year, we’ve decided to sponsor local families to provide them with full Thanksgiving dinners. WordStream worked with Boston Scores, a local non-profit organization that helps create after-school soccer and enrichment programs in Boston public schools, to identify 10 families to receive packages filled with all the holiday classics, like turkey, stuffing, and sweet potatoes.
Additionally, WordStream has teamed up with Westwood Middle School to help supplement the student body’s fundraising efforts. The students are creating food baskets to donate to families experiencing homelessness who have children attending a local elementary school. WordStream is providing gift cards to Stop and Shop so that these families can purchase a turkey, chicken, or ham to complete their Thanksgiving meal.
Grooming the next generation of marketers
In October, WordStream hosted the marketing club from Bridgewater State University for their annual office visit. The students started off their visit with CEO Howard Kogan, who shared the qualities that he looks for in potential hires.
Howard Kogan (left) with students from Bridgewater State University.
The marketing team also joined the group for a panel discussion. We each shared our educational background and the career trajectory that brought us to WordStream. We answered questions the students had about preparing for the post-college job search, what opportunities to take advantage of on campus, and even the future of marketing as an industry. (Key takeaways: Yours truly was far from the only English-major-turned-marketer, and email is here to stay… for now.)
The Bridgewater students finished their visit with Michelle Cataldo and Nicole DeSisto, both recruiters here at WordStream. Michelle and Nicole reviewed the students’ resumes and offered their expert advice. They also shared some tips for interviewing both over the phone and in person: be on time, answer your phone professionally, and (of course) do your homework.
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