Our mission here at The Muse is simple: to help you find your dream job. So, there’s nothing we love more than hearing about it when you do!
Today we chatted with Brittany Hanson, who wanted to find a quirky and passionate group of people to work with when she started looking for her first post-grad job. And she found just that! She now works as a People and Environment Coordinator at Method, where she helps organize the workplace and its amazing people by serving as an advocate and resource for all of her colleagues.
Read below to learn more about Hanson’s story, then check out Method’s offices and see how you can land a great new gig of your own.
What were you doing before you landed your new job?
I was born and raised in San Francisco and hopped across the bay to UC Berkeley for my bachelor’s degree. I spent the summer after graduation working with the Cal Alumni Association at a summer camp just north of Yosemite National Park. Sleeping under the stars every night and connecting with alumni was a great way to transition out of college into the “real world,” even though at that point I didn’t yet have a strong idea of what would come next. Not only was it fun, but the connections I made proved to be extremely helpful when I got back to the city.
When I started looking for the next gig, there were many different fields and roles—from working in education to health or environment-focused nonprofits to even people operations at tech startups—that interested me, but I felt myself gravitating toward companies with a community of passionate and engaging people. As I searched, I began to articulate my interest in mission-driven, values-based organizations, and I zoned in on personal connections.
What attracted you to Method when you found it on The Muse?
Right off the bat, the Method employees felt real. It seems silly to claim that the images or testimonials on the Muse page were able to give me that gut feeling, but they really did strike me as honest, unconventional, and weird (in a good way). The brand is strong, and now that I work here, I’m finding that all the quirks and spunky characteristics in the job descriptions and employee videos are a true reflection of the flair and forward-thinking at the company. Hook, line, and sink.
What’s your title at your new role? What does this actually mean in terms of what you’re doing day to day?
My official title is “People + Environment Coordinator,” which means I help to organize and facilitate the people and the environment of the business. I follow our employees, who we call People Against Dirty (PAD), through their lifecycle with Method—from hiring and onboarding to performance review and growth. My PAD title (which is the personalized title all PAD members create for themselves) is “PAD Whisperer.” I speak with and for the people, as their advocate, their resource, and their friend.
The energy, passion, and expertise that each person brings to the table is pivotal to the business, and I believe the process and strategy put into place by the People + Environment team is essential to empowering our people. Being socially conscious of our consumers and the entire Method team is one of our most important values and strategies.
What’s something most people would find surprising about working at this company?
First of all, the design and production of soap is actually incredibly interesting—much more interesting than I ever anticipated it could be. But I think that’s really a testament to how we do it at Method, which has surprised me most. We’re a concentrated, cross-functional group of team players who are making lasting impacts.
Challenging the status quo of soap and the business in general is empowering, and it impassions my colleagues to create clean and attractive products, collaborate creatively, and handle business and growth in a sustainable and socially focused approach. The passion and integrity that makes Method what it is would probably catch many people off guard, but it has certainly introduced me to the success and pride that can come from working for a company with such defined values.
What’s your favorite part so far about working at Method?
I suppose most small- to medium-sized companies have all-staff meetings, but upon entering the office each Monday morning, everyone in our office gathers for the weekly “huddle.” It’s modeled after the sideline, all-in, touch-base-and-motivate themes of an actual sports huddle: We sit, squat, and stand in our sunlit lobby and meet to summarize, introduce, celebrate, and announce. A town-hall vibe inspires everyone to speak, and values-related YouTube videos keep it weird.
Last week, following a crown-bearing and rap music-inspired employee of the month ceremony, projections for the quarter were reported, and then someone got up and ate spaghetti with a drill to offer a creative solution to our missing fork problem. Turns out Monday mornings aren’t so bad, after all.
Learn More About Working at Method
Is there anything from The Muse that helped you out in your job hunt?
The transition from college, a fairly predictable and semester-paced lifestyle, into “real life” was overwhelming, to say the least, but I found a sense of solidarity in online platforms that helped to alleviate the uncertainty and unsettledness. Talking through next steps with friends was helpful, but finding useful tools online (such as The Muse) helped to better illustrate and introduce to opportunities such as positions at Method. The job hunt became less intimidating and more tangible.
Is there anything you did during your application process that helped you stand out and land the job?
I’d like to think that I was honest and asked good questions, but I believe it’s what Method does at the end of the interview process for every candidate that allowed me to succeed: They ask you to present a response to the question, “How will you keep Method weird?” The potential hires perform what they’ve prepared for a team of current employees, and presentations have ranged from painting tutorials to comically-hosted game shows. For mine, I dumped a bag of costumes on the conference table for everyone to wear, played a blues-y, soulful tune, and got the room dancing. I got to be myself, and I got the job.
What advice would you have for someone who wants a job like yours or who is stuck in a difficult job hunt right now?
Ask questions always, but not necessarily ones with yes or no answers. Instead, ask open-ended questions, as they can inspire more informative and engaging conversations. By digging deeper into the way a person or a company is doing things and why they are doing it that way, you can begin to paint a picture of an opportunity and how you may be able to factor into it.
If that picture looks intriguing, or beautiful, or attractively chaotic, you’ve got a lead. My ability to articulate my feelings about Method’s business model and how I believed I could fit into the family of people who bring it to life landed me a job, and a great one at that.