It’s our pleasure to introduce to you the newest member of the Carex Crew, Sophie DeRepentigny. Though she joined us less than one month ago, Sophie is exercising her expertise and has already made her first placement! We’re incredibly proud and excited to see how she and the Carex Scientific team grow together.
A Massachusetts native, Sophie went on to study at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She majored in Biology, and after switching focuses a few times she discovered her passion for forensics and DNA genetics. She also wanted to pursue another passion: travel and adventure. “I knew I wanted to move away from home. I thought, this is the perfect time to do it, and I’m a pretty independent person, so this is the right time for me to go.”
Following graduation, Sophie accepted a position in North Carolina, where she put her degree to work in a clinical lab as a cytogenetics technician. Her role focused around analyzing prenatal chromosomes and looking for abnormalities. “My favorite part of the job was being in the microscope looking at chromosomes. It was really cool work—maybe difficult to learn at first—but it’s very much like solving a puzzle!”
While she loved the science behind it all, Sophie craved a work environment with more social interaction and where she could help people more directly. “I’m a big people person,” she says. “I like talking to people and getting to hear their stories. Most of my previous positions prior to the lab all revolve around people or were people oriented. In my lab position I was still helping people, but it was more so behind the scenes—what I really wanted was to feel that direct impact and know ‘I just helped this person!’ That made me realize I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work in a lab every day, so I had to change gears and sit down and think about what I really want in a job.”
Sophie’s desire to help people ultimately became a big driver in her decision to leave the lab setting—in addition, she also grew tired of living down South. “I missed friends and family, and I was a little bit homesick. It was also hard to travel, since I spent most of my vacations heading home to Massachusetts, and I wanted to see more of the world. So, I decided to move back home.”
The perfect word to describe Sophie’s introduction to Carex is “serendipitous.” One of her friends was working with Carex on a potential career change, and they connected her with Andie, Carex’s Scientific Recruiting Team Lead. Sophie took a chance and scheduled a meeting.
“I told Andie, ‘I don’t think I want to work in a lab anymore, and I know that’s probably not what you’re looking for. I don’t want to lose all the work I put into my degree, and I still love the science world, but I want something geared more towards people than clinical lab work.’
She said she’d keep an eye out, and I continued my job search. A few weeks later, just after Christmas, Andie reached out to let me know that there was a new opening at Carex. We had a call, and everything she said about Carex aligned perfectly with what I was looking for.
I love the culture. I liked the option to be remote. It just felt like a really good fit. After that conversation with Andie, I met with Ginger [Carex’s Director of Scientific & Engineering Talent] who was so wonderful and nice. She reinforced everything Andie said, and at that point I knew I really wanted this job.”
The feeling was mutual and, to our delight, Sophie accepted our offer to join the Scientific Recruiting team! Her experience working in a clinical lab is invaluable as we work to expand the clinical opportunities within Carex Scientific.
Although she doesn’t have a background in recruiting, Sophie’s no stranger to helping people find their paths. In her free time, she volunteers as a counselor for Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit organization that provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention. “I love having the opportunity to help people,” says Sophie. “It’s definitely stressful and things can get intense and scary, but it’s also really rewarding when you’re talking to someone who’s having a crisis and you’re able to help them move towards the future.” One of the things she’s most looking forward to at Carex is translating that experience and helping our candidates move forward in their careers.
“I’m most excited for having that personal connection with people. I’ve been in their shoes and have personal experience in clinical lab work, so I think we can develop a great connection! I can’t wait to share in their joy when we find the right job for them.
A lot of people stress for interviews, and I think it’s nice that Carex does their best to make you feel comfortable. It’s a casual conversation to see what you want and how Carex can help. It’s not like how other recruiters will push you into a job you don’t like—Carex actually cares about what you’re looking for.
I’m going to strive to make candidates feel comfortable and heard and that we’re going to find the position that works for them.”
We’re so glad you’re a part of the team and can’t wait to see all you’ll accomplish at Carex, Sophie!
Sophie is part of Carex Scientific, which you can learn more about here. If you’d like to meet our team and learn more about Carex, head here.