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 Adrian Brady-Cesana and Jordan Quitko, who are both City Managers at Hometeam. They come from different backgrounds, but both found a place and culture they love at their new jobs. Together, they have the amazing opportunity to redefine and improve the lives and communities of older adults and caregivers.
Read below to learn more about their stories, then check out Hometeam’s offices and see how you can land a great new gig of your own.
Hi guys! Tell us a little about yourselves.
Adrian: I’ve been working in customer experience, sales, and operations roles for the past eight-plus years now, mostly at NYC-based startups focused on consumers and SMBs. Prior to Hometeam, I was working as the Head of Customer Experience at onefinestay in NYC. I enjoy building companies, processes, and workflows and helping to take things from the idea phase to reality.
Jordan: I’m a proud UMass alum with a background in art history. Over the last decade I’ve lead sales, client service, and operations teams all with a client focus. Before coming to Hometeam, I worked in the art world for eight years. Most recently, I was Head of NY Operations for AltSchool. In that role I opened the first AltSchool location outside of the San Francisco Bay Area and helped to empower the educators there. My passion comes from finding holistic solutions to challenging problems that really impact our client base.
What are your day-to-day roles like as City Managers for Hometeam?
Adrian: I basically oversee the Manhattan and Bronx markets here at Hometeam. I’m focused on building and growing our business and spend most of my time thinking about how we can optimize our client and caregiver experiences.
Jordan: I make sure older adults and caregivers in Brooklyn and Queens are cared for in the Hometeam way. I’m privileged to work with many individuals who have countless years of experience working in geriatrics, social work, and caregiving. As a City Manager I help my team build the best experience for older adults and help empower our team of caregivers. I spend a lot of my day thinking about how to build our culture of teamwork and support.
What were you each looking for in a job?
Adrian: I wanted to find a company that wasn’t a nice to have, but a need to have. Also, I wanted to make sure that my next role was fulfilling and had me feeling as if I was actually making a positive difference in my clients’ and team members’ lives. So far things are off to a fantastic start here at Hometeam, and we look forward to doing everything we can to change the landscape of the healthcare industry for the better.
Jordan: I was looking for another startup opportunity where I would get a chance to build from the ground up. I wanted to work in an environment that promoted teamwork and looked for everyone to contribute to changes. Because I also have a young son, it was also important to me to work for a company with a good work-life balance and family mentality.
What attracted you both to Hometeam when you found it on The Muse?
Adrian: I was attracted to Hometeam because of the mission that the company is building—focusing on improving the lives of clients and caregivers, and changing the way that the home healthcare landscape looks. This marketplace is massive, and I was drawn to being involved in a company that wanted to affect the way that such a large sector of our economy would evolve into the future.
Jordan: It was important for me in my search to work for a company with a strong, deep-rooted mission. My experience with my own grandparents connected me instantly with the mission and challenges we face at Hometeam. I didn’t know much about the caregiving workforce when I initially applied, so I started to do a lot of research on caregivers and felt I could really help empower a workforce that hasn’t changed much in the last century.
What are your favorite parts so far about working at Hometeam?
Adrian: We have an incredible team here at Hometeam, so I love working with this cast and crew each day. Our clients and caregivers are incredible people. We have folks from all walks of life that we work with. Some of our clients had amazing life stories (actors, musicians, business leaders) and our caregivers do some of the most amazing work. People have no idea what type of person and drive it takes to care for our older adults. All of them are incredibly hardworking, dedicated, and compassionate, and I’m continuously blown away by the work that they do day in and out.
Jordan: What I love about working at Hometeam is getting an opportunity to solve problems every day with such a dedicated group of individuals. When I go home at night it really feels great to know that each day we are making a difference and growing something much bigger than just one person.
What’s the coolest project you’ve each worked on so far?
Adrian: I’m currently working with our team to build up Hometeam’s first ever formalized customer experience team to serve on the front lines with our clients and caregivers each and every day. This group is going to be a big part of Hometeam’s success. I’ve been having an incredible time working to stand this team up and focusing on systems, process, workflows, and playbook creation. So far we are off to a great start, and I truly believe this team will allow us to become one of the top players in the home care space.
Jordan: From an early stage I was given an opportunity to dive into empowering our caregivers to have long lasting careers in this field. It’s been unbelievably rewarding to meet them and see how we’ve started to see the tides of change. One project I worked on was building a community for the caregivers so they can view themselves as part of a team and not just independent workers, which can be challenging since they are often working separately in clients’ homes. This change has paved the way for them to start sharing ideas and support each other through various problems.
Learn More About Working at Hometeam
Is there anything you did during your application process that helped you stand out and land the job?
Adrian: Before meeting with our COO, Christine, for the first time, I actually put together a basic 30-day plan to review exactly what I would start on. This plan highlighted all of the areas of the business that I would focus on out of the gate and gave Christine a good idea for the areas of the business that I tend to focus on: people, process, and product.
Jordan: I think what made me stand out was my passion for diving head on into challenges. When I met with the team we spent a lot of time talking about real-time changes that could happen and how I would implement them. All of my “interviews” felt more like brainstorming conversations rather than traditional interviews.
What advice do you have for someone who wants a job like yours or who is stuck in a difficult job hunt right now?
Adrian: Have as many conversations as you can! You should build a network that allows you to become exposed to as many companies, business leaders, and potential opportunities as possible. You won’t land your next ideal job by just sitting on your hands, so pick up the phone and call someone, and never say no to a meeting—you never know where it might end up landing you!
Jordan: Be yourself and talk to everyone. If you are always true to yourself you’ll never get caught off guard by a question or a situation. Figure out what gives you energy during the day and find a company that will allow you to work in that role.