Twice annually, we have the wonderful opportunity to celebrate and recognize employees that have been promoted into a new role. With the kick off of Protiviti’s Promotions Week yesterday, we are truly feeling in the spirit!
Did you know that studies show the best way to get to know an organization is to learn about their employees? Well, I’m here to make that easy for you with #ProtivitiPromos – our month-long series that enables you to get to know our promotes from around the world.
First up, we’re heading to Beyonce’s hometown to meet a man who is twice as talented – especially when it comes to SAP consulting. Yes, I said it. As someone who has spent many summers training our interns alongside him, I can say that with confidence. (Full disclosure: I’ve never spent a summer training interns with Beyonce, so maybe this observation is unfair.)
Meet Vijan.
As a graduate of Texas A&M University in 2008, Vijan is no stranger to Texas. He graduated with a B.S. in Management Information Systems and began his career with Protiviti as a campus hire almost 11 years ago. As he continued to build his career at Protiviti, Vijan took advantage of the opportunity to gain his MBA from the University of Texas.
I recently sat down with Vijan to ask him a few questions about his career, life, and how great advice has helped to get him where he is today.
What is your current career solution and focus?
“I’m in our Technology Consulting practice. More specifically, I operate in our Enterprise Application Solutions group with a focus on our SAP solution offerings. I also spend a fair amount of time helping with IT SOX and IT Audit work for customers that use SAP as their main enterprise application. Being in Houston, I naturally work a lot for clients that are within the energy industry, however, I’ve also touched on quite a few other industries over the years.”
In regards to building your career, what piece of advice would you offer?
“Take pride in your work. While we should all work to live and not the other way around, we spend too much time at work to not be able to look back at the work we did with pride. Mailing it in on an assignment only creates negative downstream effects on your career, your clients, and our firm. This advice should apply to anyone in any career. Whether you’re in food service, landscaping, an industry job, or consulting, you’ll never regret having given your work the diligence and focus it deserves. Your team will take notice of your hard work and will only get more interested in helping you build and advance your career.”
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on at Protiviti?
“While I’ve enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment at the end of numerous difficult projects over the years, my favorite projects tend to be more about the team I was working with and the memories we made. There was one in Gainesville, TX and another in Atlanta, GA that come to mind. The people I was working with (they know who they are!) made the work fun and the time outside of work equally fun.”
What achievement or contribution are you most proud of?
“My successful transition into being a working father. My son Julian was born almost two years ago and finding a way to balance being a full-time parent and full-time employee is not easy, especially with my spouse also working full-time. That being said, many people before me laid the groundwork on how to do it successfully and over time I was able to find the balance that I required to be present at home and present at work at all the right times. It’s not an easy balance to maintain by any means, but most rewarding things don’t come easily. Protiviti has provided me a lot of support and flexibility to make it work for me.”
At Protiviti, we love a little inspiration. What are some words of wisdom that have been impactful to you throughout your career?
” ‘Keep doing the right things and the results will come.’ While I am very excited to be at this new career level, all career journeys have both ups and downs – its inevitable. These words from my career advisor, Tyler Chase, were a helpful reminder during those rough times. It can be hard during a year where big sales efforts don’t go your way, to continue to practice the right behaviors and continue working towards future success, not only for yourself but for those around you. However, it will be difficult to ever get out of a rut or make a meaningful impact on the careers of your team members if you let the occasional failure change your good behaviors. I’m sure there are many more ups and downs yet to come; these words inspire me to carry forward so I can continue to have an impact at Protiviti.”
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
“I typically fill my free time by spending time with my wife and son, traveling, sporting events (Gig ‘Em Aggies!), playing golf, and good food/drinks with family/friends. Once upon a time, I used to be an avid racquetball player, runner, and cycler. I look forward to doing more of those things in 2019!”
