Meet Farhat:
I am a Marketing LeadGen Specialist at Nonprofits Insurance Alliance and enjoy spending time with my partner and two kitties, Wayne and Quinn.
Where are you from? Where do you live now?
I’m from Bangladesh originally, but I moved to California when I was very young. I grew up mostly in North Hollywood and have lived in various places within California. I’m currently residing in San Diego County.
What are some of your hobbies, interests, or passions?
I love being creative and making things with my hands, so I’m a big fan of DIY projects. I recently took up crocheting and am trying to get back into sewing. I also enjoy gaming and play a lot with my partner and friends.
Farhat meets NIA:
How long have you worked at NIA?
I’ve worked at NIA for 3 years.
What did you do before that?
Before joining NIA, I was a gallery assistant for a nonprofit art gallery, and before that I was a graphic designer at a family owned printing company.
Farhat’s two kitties, Wayne and Quinn
How did you come to work at NIA? What interested you?
I had moved to Santa Cruz and got connected with a local recruiter that knew of NIA. My goal was to find an organization with a great mission and a place where I could help others — which I found here at NIA.
How did your job interview go?
I was a bit nervous since it was my first virtual interview and I had zero knowledge about the insurance industry, but it went well!
My interviewers were very friendly, and I could see how they genuinely loved working at NIA.
Farhat’s NIA Career:
Tell us about the growth of your career at NIA.
I started in the Insurance Operations department, which was perfect because I was able to learn so much about insurance and it created a great foundation for me.
I later moved onto the LeadGen team within our Member and Broker Services team, and I’m still here!
Now I help prospective nonprofits learn more about how they can get insurance with us.
Do you like working remotely? How often do you go into the office?
I really enjoy working remotely. It’s helped me be more productive and I can utilize my personal time better. Also, not having to commute or sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic is amazing.
Do you feel you have a good work/life balance?
Yes definitely — the flexibility that comes from working remotely has helped me in so many ways, such as taking better care of myself, spending more time with my cats, and being able to live closer to family.
Do you feel supported and respected by the people you work with?
Absolutely, everyone is so amazing. We’re all collaborating in one way or another, from big projects to small everyday tasks.
I always feel supported by my other team members regardless of how busy we all are. My supervisor’s support especially has helped me be more confident in my work, and knowing she has my back with any problem helps me excel in my work.
Farhat K. and her partner visiting the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico.
Are your ideas heard and acted on? Can you provide a short example/story?
Yes, my input in projects or day to day tasks is always welcome.
I was recently part of a project for one of our new programs. I helped with testing, documenting issues, and proposing solutions, which were implemented by the project’s software development team.
It was awesome seeing all the building blocks get put together for a digital space that my team uses every day, and eventually the rest of the company will use, too.
Have you taken advantage of any of the continuing education opportunities that NIA offers?
Not at the moment, but I would love to explore this in the future!
How is working here different from other jobs you’ve had?
I feel that I can make a bigger impact working here than I could have at my previous jobs, which were mainly at for-profit companies.
I love that helping others is part of our company’s values and I can see this reflected in the company’s decisions and actions from our Senior Leadership team all the way to the individual employees.
It makes me feel empowered to support the company’s mission in helping nonprofits to the best of my ability.
What is your favorite thing about working at NIA?
The fact that we help nonprofits! It’s so interesting to see all the different organizations that come our way. I love that we try to help as many people as we can.
Farhat’s Impact:
Can you tell us about some of your favorite/memorable nonprofits that we work with?
It’s hard to choose! I talk to nonprofits every day and primarily help the ones that are new to us.
There are many folks that are getting insurance for the first time as well, which can be confusing sometimes, so I enjoy helping them understand what it looks like getting coverage with us.
How has your work at NIA affected your life and/or community involvement?
Before working at NIA, I didn’t realize how many nonprofits there were in my community, but now I notice them more often and appreciate the work they all do.
Do you have any advice for others thinking about applying to work at NIA?
If helping nonprofits is something that interests you, then I would really recommend applying!
