Putting My Best Foot Forward

Name: Venus
Title: Senior Account Specialist, US Cards
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Chicago, IL

My personal brand

I am a lover of life and an encourager. Each day I come into work, I make sure I speak life into someone whether I know them or not.

Who I am and what motivates me

I gain purpose by just waking up to see another day. I also gain purpose from my family and friends. One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is being a single mom and being able to raise three beautiful daughters on my own. They have each pursued their passions, educationally and professionally.

I’m working on evolving by not doubting myself as much. When I first started at Discover, I remember going home each night during training, feeling I had so much more to learn. When you get up in age like me, the classroom learning experience can be intimidating. As the journey continued, I started to feel like I could do this and so far, I am doing it. I am evolving by putting my best foot forward and continuing to learn with the resources available to me here at Discover.

My role and what I’ve learned

I would describe my job as the comparison between making a homemade cake versus buying a box cake. As a customer, you swipe the card and pay the bill. But it is so much more! With a store-bought cake, you add a few ingredients, buy the frosting, spread it on, then voila! With a homemade cake, you must buy all the ingredients and go through many steps. I now know it’s more than just swiping a card and paying the bill when it comes. I now know about APRs, Travel Notifications, Suppressions and more. It’s an ever-changing lesson; and I love it.

Some of my biggest “learning moments” have been trusting the process. During training, I was amongst younger trainees who are more computer literate than I am. I felt the need to speed or hurry so I didn’t get left behind. I learned to just go at my own pace and do a good job, rather than rush. Quality work is most important.

I love that I’m learning more in my current role. I was hesitant to move to another department because I was comfortable, but I decided to go for it. My favorite part is when a new service procedure is introduced and I master it.

I value working at a company that allows you to be who you are. I have found that here at Discover. I have always had a creative side of me. Every day I get to be myself—with colorful hair for the celebrations and holidays throughout the year and my fun personality.

I value a company that recognizes you even when you are not looking to be recognized. I came to work one day and my co-workers said, “check your email,” and to my surprise, I received a bonus on my check for Top Performer. I was super excited to be recognized when I was just doing my job the best I could. I value a company where even when you make a mistake, they coach you and give you the opportunity to get better. I feel valued.

Inspired to join the Discover team? Explore careers with us.