How Can I Advance My Career at Mazzella Companies?

When you start at a new company, it may be hard to see yourself making moves down the line. Maybe this is the only role you feel yourself capable of. Or you may feel as if you’ve been given a fresh start in your new role, making the idea of change feel distant. While for some the reasons they chose their current job stay relevant, for others – priorities, aspirations, and comfort levels may change.

For a long time, diversified companies, like Mazzella Companies who is made up of seven subsidiaries, have been driving economic growth and creating their own competitive advantage through conglomeration. Innovation and a need for diversity bring changes to a company, as well as to its team members.

At first, these changes may create anxiety. But what may feel like a hindrance to success, can possibly lead to greater opportunities within the business you already work for without having to seek a role outside of your current organization. That’s exactly what team members at Mazzella Companies are doing.

We sat down with three team members who have moved roles at least once, and sometimes, more, within the Mazzella Companies organization to answer:

  • How did you start your career at Mazzella Companies?
  • What made you feel ready for a change of companies?
  • How did the conversation about changing roles go?
  • What effect did changing roles have on you?
  • Any other moves on the horizon?
  • What advice would you give to someone looking to change companies within Mazzella Companies?

Two men are working on a machine. One of them is african american wearing a yellow coat and the other is a caucasian male wearing a blue shirt and a green baseball cap.

How did you start your career at Mazzella Companies?

Nick Skoczen, a Regional Sales Manager for Mazzella FHS, started out as a lifting specialist, for Mazzella in Cleveland, and is currently working on his seventh transition within the organization collectively.

Bryan Yancy, Outside Service Manager for New Tech Machinery, says he started at the “bottom of the totem pole”, sharing that he began working at Sheffield Metals before it was acquired by Mazzella Companies, doing every job in the processing facility including sweeping floors, painting machinery, packing shipments, and operating machines, and down the line working in an operations role prior to joining New Tech Machinery.

Heather Rue, Accounting Lead for Sheffield Metals International, says she started in accounts payable debt collections, keeping track of assigned accounts, identifying outstanding debts, planning a course of action to recover those outstanding debts, and following up on payment statuses.

For Nick, it had to do with a shift in familial responsibilities, “I was looking for an opportunity to get out of Cleveland due to some personal family issues, and knew I needed to be in or around Florida, so I approached my manager at the time and told him about what I was looking for and what path I wanted to go on.”

In Bryan’s journey, he was ready to leave the company completely. “Usually, when you’re ready to leave, you’re ready to leave. The understanding that other people had of what I should have been doing was different from what my understanding of what I should have been doing.”

For Heather, it was all about looking for upward mobility saying: “I’m always looking for a new challenge, I always want to learn something different, something new, and excel at it. Once I get in and nail it, I’m ready to move on to the next thing, something more challenging.”


Related: Why Would You Want to Come Back to Mazzella Companies?


How did the conversation about changing roles go?

Nick says that he approached his direct supervisor with what he was looking for and what path he wanted to go on. It was at that same time that one of the executives at Mazzella Companies approached him with news that there was a potential acquisition in the South. Needing to be in Florida, Nick shared, “I had no real idea where I was going and didn’t know what the position would really look like, so for four months I had accepted a position without knowing what the position would end up looking like.”

For Bryan, he was immediately told to pump the brakes when he talked to his long time mentor about being ready to move on, and mentioned that his mentor understood when Bryan said he was burnt out from his position. After being reassured that there were options, his mentor said plainly that he knew, “someone who needs your exact kind of help.” At the time, Bryan was relieved and pleasantly surprised, not knowing this was even an option to exercise.

In Heather’s situation, she let her manager at the time know she was in need of a change and new scenery. Luckily, the conversation was had at the right time because Mazzella Companies was planning on moving accounting headquarters from Cleveland to be spread out at the individual branches, including Sheffield Metals International. “So that was the next step, like, let’s give that a try”, said Rue, mentioning she had already worked so closely with some of the people there already it was a natural next step.

What effect did changing roles have on you?

Nick says that when he first moved into the Product Manager role in Florida, it was a new concept which provided its own set of challenges and revelations about himself, “I learned I was not big on operations. I then moved into a Sales, and after a short time being an Account Manager, I became the Wire Rope Specialist and that’s ultimately been my favorite position.”

For Bryan, “it was almost seamless. It was almost like Friday I closed the computer working for Sheffield and Monday I opened the computer working for New Tech.”

Heather finally got her next step, and change of scenery, after transferring to Sheffield Metals International saying that her past work experience with the on-site Controller helped ease the transition and that while the drive might be a little longer, she says, “it’s worth it.” The office size changed too, which Heather said was a positive: “Everybody’s a lot closer than if I was in the corporate office, it almost feels like working for a small business.”


Caucasian male in a black shirt is pointing to CAD drawings on a computer screen.

Any more moves on the horizon?

While Nick said that his role as a Wire Rope Specialist has been his favorite, knowing that he has the support he needs at Mazzella Companies for potential future internal movement is key. “When you put yourself out there, ultimately, you’re going to find your team within the company”, says Nick, going on to say, “there are leaders outside of your department that really do want you to succeed and they’ll help you along.”

Bryan shared that he feels he’s in a great position now, not only working with customers he’s known for years, but also using the Engineering degree that he received in 2013 through Mazzella Companie’s tuition reimbursement program. He added, “I’ve always been kind of a gearhead, being able to think something or see something and then say, ‘I can do that better.’” He’s looking forward to his future in the role he is in now, playing a part not only in service-based engineering but also future, product-based engineering.

Heather shared that her, “let’s see where this goes”, personality drives her hopes for future moves, sharing that she’s always looking for a new undertaking.  One challenge always in her back pocket is wanting to work more closely with her Controller and eventually playing a larger role in the company’s financial planning, and possibly being Controller herself one day.


Related: What Education Benefits Does Mazzella Companies Offer?


What advice would you give to someone looking to change companies within Mazzella Companies?

Nick said that if you’re looking to make a move within Mazzella Companies to just do it. “I think, a lot of times we hold ourselves back because of fears, speculations, and assumptions”, bringing his level of success back to the support he’s received along his different paths within the company.

Bryan says, “at least ask somebody. Mazzella Companies has so many different parts within the company, so if there is somewhere or something that you could be doing that you’ll be more happy with, or more profitable from, talk to Human Resources.”

Heather’s advice was to make sure you speak up, saying, “they’re not just going to give you a promotion or change your department unless you say something. There are always new job postings out there. If you’re not happy where you’re at, the only person that could change it is you.”


Conclusion

Ultimately, businesses are not people. They are a collection of people with their own dreams, aspirations, and life circumstances. Even so, those who want to innovate may need help navigating where they have the most leverage. At Mazzella Companies, our Talent Managers and Lifelong Learning team are always available to share new opportunities or set goals to help you advance your career here.

Heather put it best saying, “the people at Mazzella Companies want you to succeed and at excel at what you do and if what you’re doing isn’t what makes you happy, then you need to bring it up and see if there’s a possibility to do something different.”