Employee Spotlight: Alex Klein

How long have you worked for APTIM?

I’ve been with APTIM for a little more than a year.

What does a typical workday look like for you? Any big projects you are working on that you can tell us about?

I provide support for APTIM’s proposals team in our Denver office, both on Commercial and Federal sides, and also get to help APTIM’s Marketing department. So, there is never a dull day – there is always something to do.

I usually work on graphics for smaller proposals by myself and provide a second pair of hands for our Senior Graphic Designers on bigger efforts. However, recently I got to do all the graphics for a Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) proposal single-handedly, which was very exciting.

The biggest effort I have worked on so far would have been during my internship last year: our Commercial team was bidding on a renovation contract for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). It was a very large effort, which about a dozen people have worked on for several weeks, and the final proposal was almost 300 pages long including all the forms and resumes.

What do you like most about your job?

I like the diversity of work that I get to do. It is all within proposals, but APTIM is such a large company that every proposal teaches me something new about our company’s capabilities. The graphics needs vary quite a bit depending on the type of work we are bidding on.

What do you like most about working at APTIM?

There are two main things I enjoy about APTIM:

The people and the nature of our work. All the people I get the chance to work with are great, and our group in the Denver office is a very tight team. We work like a well-oiled machine: we embrace each other’s strengths and are always there to help out when needed. It is truly inspiring to work alongside these people. Management provides us with the environment where we can flourish and grow not only as professionals but as people too.

Secondly, I appreciate the type of work that APTIM does: to put it simply – we help people. APTIM’s efforts in sustainability, remediation, resiliency, disaster response, to name a few, are providing the public with a safer present and future. It makes me proud to know that I contribute to that mission.

What is the best career lesson you have learned so far?

Importance of creating an environment where people feel heard and valued. People at APTIM are always eager to acknowledge the successes of its employees. I haven’t realized how important (and easy!) that is, and how much it positively affects people’s performance.

What inspires and motivates you?

At work – being able to help out, to learn new things, and grow as a professional. And seeing the people I work with – if we all worked from home full-time, our team wouldn’t be that close and supportive, I think. There is just something special in being able to work in the same space with others most of the time.

In life – I try to be the best version of myself (though I am still figuring out what that is), I want my family to see that all the effort they put into raising me is paying off.

What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing this?

Just a few years ago I planned to work on making animated films. Now, I hope I’ll get to experience working for an advertising agency or for a magazine at some point. I also think eventually I’ll get my Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree and will work as an instructor in college.

Any interesting facts about yourself you could share with us?

I have two Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. I moved to the United States 13 years ago. I have a cat whose name is Vesta, she was named after a Roman Goddess of hearth and peace at home, and she is doing a splendid job so far.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I enjoy performing arts – I regularly see operas, ballet, and plays on screen or in a theater. I also enjoy film, so I attend and volunteer at Denver Film Festival every year – it is a great opportunity to see independent films from around the world. But most of my free time I spend with my friends, family, and my cat.

Do you have a favorite quote?

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “Le Petit Prince”

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