Cassie P. (she/her) is a Development Project Manager at Paycom. She has a background in event planning and human resource management with a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Two years ago, Cassie P. was looking for a career change in which she could still use her organizational and communication skills. She wanted to lean on her background in HR to help improve the lives of people in the workplace, and that goal led her to Paycom.
Cassie’s friends who worked at Paycom always talked about the benefits of a career there.
“I loved the feedback I had heard from Paycom employees about how taken care of they felt by Paycom,” said Cassie.
We caught up with Cassie to understand more about her role as a Development Project Manager at Paycom.
What does a day in the life of a Development Project Manager look like?
My day as a Development Project Manager typically involves reviewing the status of active projects through dashboards and trackers while prioritizing and planning maintenance tasks, especially those reported by clients. I also support the team by handling ticket creation, scheduling meetings and connecting them to the right resources.
As a Development Project Manager, communication, organization and anticipation are the first words that come to mind when describing what we do. We wear a lot of hats, but most importantly, we are communicators. It is crucial that we are consistent and ensure everyone stays on the same page to avoid any missteps.
We also stay organized and anticipate changes. Luckily, Paycom has great resources, so we are given a lot of autonomy to identify tools that work best for our groups and their leaders.
What does a perfect day in the office look like for you?
A perfect day in the office for me starts with arriving a few minutes early to get organized before diving into my work. All my friends are in the office, so we frequently bounce ideas and questions off one another.
I enjoy seeing team members becoming more self-sufficient and confident in their work, and a team lunch with my Dev PMO group for bonding and relationship building is always a highlight. The day ends on a high note if projects hit their deadlines and I can close some of them out.
What classes or experience prepared you for this role?
The entire human resource management path was beneficial for my role here at Paycom, and the courses I took in management information systems (MIS) and business analytics were crucial to the business and tech knowledge in my role today.
How does Paycom help you achieve your goals?
When starting as a project manager, one of my main goals was achieving certifications and expanding my knowledge base. Since starting with Paycom, I have received my Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification and my Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) certification.
Enhancing my leadership abilities has been an underlying goal throughout my time at Paycom. I have been given many opportunities for practicing leadership qualities without being a formal “leader” within the company. This has given me a lot of experience and learning opportunities to increase my confidence in potentially moving into formal leadership in the future.
What’s one of your favorite Paycom memories?
One of my favorite Paycom memories was a team celebration after finishing a large and impactful development project.
We were able to bring our Grapevine developers to join the celebration, so the whole team was together. We took a couple hours to praise the team for their accomplishments and had fun learning more about each other. It was great for relationship building and gave the team a much-needed opportunity to recharge after the work that went into the large project. These are the small things that make Paycom’s culture great!
What is your favorite #PaycomPerk?
I appreciate the $1 health insurance the most. I also love the $4 pre-tax lunches. It is great to go downstairs every day and have multiple options to choose from!
What advice do you have for someone going into this role?
We have a very strong group of Development Project Managers who are all very open and willing to help, so take advantage of the expertise around you. Also, find your people here. Having a group of best friends at work has made my time here even better. My co-workers are now lifelong friends!
Cassie’s Paycom journey shows that every career in tech starts with a different background and path. Even though Cassie didn’t start in the tech world, she’s using her unique skills to make an impact on Paycom’s team and clients each day.
Want to see where a career as a Development Project Manager would take you? Explore opportunities here.
