From Receptionist to University Recruiting Lead: Meet Thea Bruner

So, what’s your story? What led you to GoDaddy (culture, employer brand, product, etc…)?

Prior to GoDaddy, I was looking for a company at which I’d have the opportunity to grow long-term. I became privy to a relatively new local office near me in Kirkland and decided to research the company. After learning about the company's mission and values and reading Glassdoor reviews, I knew I had to give it my best to land a job at GoDaddy! I had an amazing interview experience and landed my first role as a recruiting coordinator in early 2016, and I’ve been here ever since!

How has GoDaddy helped you grow as an individual?

I’ve been so fortunate during my time with GoDaddy to work with incredible peers and leaders who have always pushed me to grow in a professional and personal capacity. One thing that GoDaddy emphasizes for employees who want to explore new opportunities is stretch assignments. I was given several stretch assignments early on to work with our employment brand team, procurement, and other teams within recruiting to really get a feel for the company and how we all join forces together. The experience gained from stretch assignments helped me successfully apply learnings into new recruiting roles and eventually led me to the University Recruiting Lead role I currently have.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I’m usually incredibly absorbed in my hobbies involving video games, trading card games, thrifting for deals, and exploring the outdoors with my Pomeranian puppy. I also dabble in content creation, and previously did freelance writing, and currently stream video games. One of the GoDaddy values is Living Passionately, and I love having a job with a true work-life balance which affords me the time to deeply explore my hobbies. I recently got a Nintendo Switch and have been obsessed with Metroid Dread, and can’t wait to dive into more games on the system!

What’s the last song or podcast that you’ve listened to?

The Cryptonaut Podcast is my current favorite! I’m fascinated by all things paranormal, spooky, and alien to our world, and Cryptonaut covers some of the strangest cryptids and encounters in a fun, well-researched, and skeptical format. I especially love walking my dog in the dark with a spooky podcast playing in the background.

What is your personal philosophy?

I’m guided by the philosophies that I should never settle for mediocrity, and there are always opportunities to learn. As humans, we are inclined to feel like we know all the answers or are the best at something, but I’ve found incredible value in taking a step back and saying, “I don’t know” at times and actively finding ways to learn new things and improve myself. I believe when someone makes an effort to learn and do the best in their work (whether personal or professional), people will take notice, and good things will follow.

As someone who has enjoyed the #GoDaddyLife, why should job seekers join GoDaddy?

GoDaddy is seriously invested in its people! I can speak to this from my personal experience — I got my start in recruiting as a receptionist prior to GoDaddy, and now function as our University Recruiting Lead. However, I also know from a recruiting perspective that we are committed to hiring people who want to grow and develop with GoDaddy long-term. There are just so many opportunities to do interesting things at GoDaddy, and everyone is encouraged to come to work as their best authentic self. I’m so excited to see what the future brings for all of us here at GoDaddy and where we go next!

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddyLife social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERG’s, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.