‘I Love My Job’: At My Company, ‘You Can Carry Your Career Wherever You Go'

Welcome to I Love My Job, the series where we hear from women who really love their jobs. In this edition, we sat down with Thays Brown, a Project Coordinator at Navy Federal Credit Union.

Brown’s career at Navy Federal Credit Union began five years ago when she says she “took a leap of faith” by entering the company as a part-time member service representative (MSR) with no prior financial industry experience or college degree. “At that time, I was an Air Force spouse who had just turned 21 with no clear idea where my career would take me,” Brown recalls. 

This turned out to be a great decision, and, thanks to her hard work and the company’s  support, Brown became a full-time MSR in under a year. During her time at Navy Federal Credit Union, Brown has worked at five different branches in two different states and has continuously grown her career and experienced new positions throughout it all. “This whole journey with Navy Federal has truly been one of the best experiences of my life,” Brown tells us.

And, throughout her journey, Brown notes that she has been surrounded by “the amazing people” at Navy Federal Credit Union. “We are all united under our common mission, which is to support our members,” states Brown. “This is the fuel that guides us, regardless of the department that we're in or the role that we have.”

In the video below, Brown tells us more about why she loves working at Navy Federal Credit Union. We also provide lightly edited highlights from the video discussion in the following article.

In case you have trouble watching this video, please click here to watch it on YouTube.

How would you describe the culture at Navy Federal Credit Union?

A supportive community of people who connect to our mission and work in a “do, learn, grow” environment that equips us to always thrive. We act to support our mission, we learn from what we do, and we continuously grow along the way.

What is your favorite thing about Navy Federal Credit Union?

You can carry your career wherever you go. In early 2020, I was going through a divorce and trying to figure out how to be a single mom to a one-year-old, work, and also go to school. Due to personal circumstances, I also had to relocate from Virginia all the way to Florida.

Thankfully, the one thing that was always certain is that I knew I would always have a job with Navy Federal. Our organization has never had a single layoff in our history, which truly speaks volumes on how we're always there to support our team, no matter what they're going through.

How does Navy Federal Credit Union support you?

Navy Federal's adoption of a hybrid work model has been a giant step forward. I can work from home and have flexible work hours, as well as [the ability to] connect with my team in the office.

Navy Federal also provides employee education reimbursement, which has allowed me to get my associates, recertifications, and supported me with my bachelor's degree this year. In addition to our education reimbursement, we also have access to LinkedIn Learning, which is filled with a ton of resources to further develop our skills. 

One thing that is near and dear to my heart are our eight hours of volunteer leave, as well as our eight hours of personal leave. This time allows us to get out of our work and go give back to our community, but also take time for ourselves.

What advice do you have for other women looking to work at Navy Federal Credit Union?

Don't be afraid to apply to an industry that you have no prior experience in. That was me five years ago… You do not need to know everything to be able to do a job well. If you have the drive and willingness to learn, then you're already halfway there. Navy Federal will provide you with the support needed to further develop your career.

All you have to do is take a leap of faith!

Fairygodboss is proud to work with Navy Federal Credit Union. Find a job there today!

Check out other posts in the ‘I Love My Job’ series:

• ‘I Love My Job’: Making an ‘Upsized Impact’ on How Finance Is Done at a Mission-Driven Company

• ‘I Love My Job’: My Company Supports My Development and Creativity — From a Software Engineer

• ‘I Love My Job’: ‘It's Not All About Bugs’ — Why Pest Management Is an Incredibly Rewarding Field

• ‘I Love My Job’: How I Feel Empowered to Innovate, Explore, and Grow as a Software Engineer

• ‘I Love My Job’: ‘Building a Place Where Our Associates Can Flourish’ as a President & ERG Sponsor