The Women of Aftermath is a periodic feature of the Aftermath blog. We hope you enjoy getting to know a few of our hardworking and dedicated employees. To read last week’s feature, click here.
Mother, Veteran, and More
Dulce Casas is an Aftermath Client Services Manager, working out of the company’s home office in Aurora, IL. In her role, she works with all aspects of the business; from project managers and field technicians, to customers and insurance providers, Dulce’s goal is to ensure Aftermath customers receive the highest quality service available.
Before joining the Aftermath team, Dulce worked in communications as a member of the 3rd Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps. She was stationed in Japan, which allowed her to travel to interesting places like Korea, China, and Australia. She achieved the rank of E6, but after being sidelined by a medical issue, she felt she could not give the job her all. With great difficulty, she made the decision to return to civilian life after 8 years: “I just loved it. It broke my heart when I had to leave, but it was the right thing to do.”
A Perfect Match
Back in the US, Dulce applied herself to school and received her Associates degree in IT. Immediately, she went to work at the Chicago Board of Exchange. She also continued to pursue higher education, but became quickly frustrated. “I didn’t feel like I was helping anyone,” she says. “I enjoyed it, but it did not feel right to me.”
After a few years working in other fields, Dulce finally decided on a career in funeral services. She attended Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling and worked locally within the industry for a few years. She loved the job, but discovered the business was difficult to get into. She was just about to move across the country to California to pursue a job offer when another opportunity came along.
She took a chance and applied with a company she’d discovered at the Illinois Funeral Association Conference: Aftermath Services. “I learned about the company at the conference, then picked up a copy of the Aftermath book. Apparently it planted a seed in my head – right after receiving a job offer to work in California, I woke up out of a deep sleep, went online, and applied for a position at 3AM. I got a call back at 10AM the next day. It seems it was meant to be!”
It’s All About the Families
Dulce is excited about her current role on staff, and about the new opportunities and challenges she faces every day. “I enjoy what I do,” she relates. “When I interviewed with the company, I was interviewing them, too. I wanted to establish myself. I did not want this to be just another stop in my career.”
As a Client Services Manager, Dulce interacts with over 30 different crews. She also coordinates between the different departments within the home office. To her, one of the most challenging aspects of the job is the ambiguity that comes from working with various management styles. “I deal with many different supervisors and managers on routine basis,” she explains. “Learning to ask the right questions at the right moment can be challenging. There are different personalities involved each time. You learn to work with an individual at their level, whatever that may be.”
Though she doesn’t work in the field, the Aftermath mission is a central part of what Dulce does every day. To her, it’s still “all about helping the families.” Her compassion comes across very clearly: “The people are the reason why I do what I do. We come in and help them. That’s the most rewarding thing to me. While we might not heal the situation completely, we can get something off their plate so the family can focus on what matters most.”
Be A Part of the Aftermath Family
And family is what matters most to Dulce. The native Chicagoan now lives in suburban Shorewood. She comes from a big family, and has three adopted children of her own. “Many foster kids get looked over. The whole adoption process was very eye opening to me.” In the past, she volunteered with several children’s charities in the city, collecting supplies and speaking with foster parents. Since moving to the suburbs, Dulce has donated what little spare time she has to the Will County Battered Womens Shelter. There, she has coached workshops on topics such as resume writing and helped collect business and interview attire for the women.
Dulce offers this advice to women in the workplace: “I am all about conquering my role. Be 100% knowledgeable and people will listen. Get your bearings, then listen some more.”
If you share Dulce’s confidence and compassion, a job with Aftermath may be the perfect fit for you. Find out more about careers with Aftermath, or check out our current list of job openings nationwide.
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