‘Never Stop Developing Yourself’ — How This Leader Powers Career Growth for Herself and Other Women

Want to advance your career? If so, “never stop developing yourself,” advises Candice Jeffery. “Connect with people in an authentic way (because you care not because you want something from them), take care of your ‘personal self’ first, learn lessons from life, move on by not letting setbacks bring you down for long, turn your fear into an enabler, challenge yourself, and be curious.”

By relying on these tips, Candice was able to grow her own career and become the Head of Corporate Learning & Development at Sunrun, a home-solar, battery-storage and energy-services provider that exists to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy while building a sustainable future. 

“In this role, I oversee all talent management programs, leadership development, compliance training, and learning technology,” she explains. It’s also a role that enables her to continue learning and growing — in fact, the whole company has an emphasis on employee development.

During her four years at the company, Candice has found that Sunrun is truly exceptional at empowering all employees to thrive — with a particular focus on encouraging women to bring their whole selves to work, lean into all conversations, and grow together! Due in part to this culture, the company has many women leaders who are in prominent positions, including their current CEO, Mary Powell. 

As Candice puts it, at Sunrun, you get the opportunity to grow and learn a great deal in a safe and supportive environment. “Sunrun makes diversity, inclusion, and belonging a focus and priority,” she states. “We don’t just talk about it, we act on it.” Further, as a company, “we are always growing and changing, which opens up many new opportunities,” Candice explains. “You get to be part of writing the Sunrun story.”

Here, Candice tells us more about how she’s helping to write Sunrun’s story by making a real impact, how she’s empowering other women, and her most memorable piece of career advice…

To start, can you tell us more about your role? What projects or programs are you currently working on? What about this type of work most excites you?

We have so many great projects at Sunrun. Some of our top initiatives include:

• Launching a new learning management system, Sol.

• Preparing to launch a new People Enablement Program with a focus on People Reviews (aka performance reviews). 

• Partnering with the business to improve new employee onboarding, which is called Project Sunrise. 

• Facilitating workshops for teams on how to work as a high-performing team.

All of this work excites me because it aligns with my purpose and values. My leadership purpose is to discover and develop potential, and my personal values are very much focused on learning, growth, and development — both my professional and personal values and purpose align nicely with my profession.

How have you used your role to help bring up other women behind you? How do you build time into your schedule for this kind of work? 

I have used my role in leadership to create opportunities for those who have the potential to do great things. 

For example, I’ve used my experience as a woman in business and as a tenured professional to provide guidance on how to navigate tough situations; how to collaborate, partner, and have a voice; and how to just enjoy the journey. 

You make time for what you really care about, what you value. 

Do you participate in any employee networks or leadership/development programs?  

Yes! I take part in:

• Tribe HR: an Executive Tribe Network.

• The Somatic Coaching Program.

• The Compassionate Listening Program.

Finally, what’s the most memorable piece of career advice you’ve received? 

Stop treating your career like a destination (e.g., by focusing on your next promotion or next title change). Instead, just enjoy the ride and career journey.

Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Sunrun. Find a job there today!