Career Progression - Jessie Hutchens Maxwell

From Manual Sample Processor to Bio-Analytical Instrument Technician

Nearly 7 Years with Quest 

Esoteric Region – Memphis, Tennessee

Q: How long have you been at Quest and what was your first role? 
Jessie: I started at Oxford Immunotec as a temp/contract position on the manual sample processing team before our site was acquired by Quest. I was promoted from the processing line to the project team, where we developed the automated process that replaced the manual processing of our samples. Now I am a Bio-Analytical Instrument Technician. My team maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs the equipment essential to the automated process

Q: What did you initially want out of your career? 
Jessie: I wanted a career in science to help people and be part of the innovations that improve lives.

Q: How has what you wanted changed over the years? 
Jessie: From processing samples to contributing to a more efficient process to fixing equipment, the ways I serve our patients and the lab as a whole has evolved.

Q: Did you ever take any risks with taking on a new role and, were you encouraged to move into different roles or did you move on your own? 
Jessie: With every new role comes risk: not fitting with the team, not being the right person for the job, not performing to standards. There has always been encouragement by leaders to work toward goals, personal and professional. I had a great team to learn and grow with in each position.

Q: What tools or offerings from Quest did you utilize to help you in your career progression? (tuition reimbursement, EMPower trainings, etc) 
Jessie: Encouragement from human resources and leaders to pursue open positions and to take advantage of tuition reimbursement opportunities. Being honest about my strengths and what roles those would best fit has really helped me along the way.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who desires more from their current career? 
Jessie: Take a real look at yourself, what you are good at, and where you see yourself in 5 years. You may surprise yourself! Don't be afraid to reach for beyond the here and now.

Q: Which of our 5Cs do you connect with most, and why? (Customer First, Care, Collaboration, Continuous Improvement, Curiosity) 
Jessie: Continuous Improvement-nothing successful stays the same. Processes need to improve to better serve our customers, and personnel becoming more efficient at those ever-changing processes is essential to that success.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share? 
Jessie: I am grateful for the opportunity to grow with Quest and look forward to future changes at our site and the company as a whole.