Getting to Know Claira: Briani Boyd

Welcome to our weekly corner: Getting to Know. Every week, we’ll take a few minutes to catch up with a Claira team member to help our readers and users get to know them better. You know what Claira does, so let us highlight the people behind the machine and what makes them an expert in workforce development through different questions. Hopefully, this will give you a glimpse into their personalities and even their competencies.

This week, we’re getting to know Briani Boyd, a Business Operations Manager at Claira. Briani holds a BA in Psychology from Georgetown University with a background in operations in both government and IT sectors. Hailing from New York City, she thrives on creative problem solving with a get-it-done attitude.

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Do you have a personal connection to Claira’s mission?

Finding a job has always been a daunting task for me as well as my peers. Even if you know you can do the job, have the work experience, the education… our resumes were turned away for someone who went to a more prestigious school, had a more Anglican name, etc. I used to half-joke that the reason I got initial phone interviews was because my name looked like “Brian” if you read it too fast. It’s very discouraging to be “counted out” when you know you can do the job based on your competencies, when you know that if given the chance, you could be an amazing asset to a team. Resumes and how they’re presented, shouldn’t make or break your career and I, as well as Claira, firmly stand by that

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What is your favorite part about working at Claira?

My favorite part about Claira are the people and the culture (I believe culture and people go hand in hand). Claira doesn’t necessarily hire the cookie-cutter corporate suit, so I’m able to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds and interesting viewpoints. It’s refreshing that everyone has a voice and that I don’t have to play politics to see progress.

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What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done?

When I visited Egypt, there was an exhibit of a tomb within a pyramid that I was warned would require me to be on my hands and knees crawling for almost half an hour in near-darkness in order to reach the exhibit inside. I didn’t even think twice and started crawling. I’m a “think-it-through” kind of person, where I must analyze the situation fully before jumping right in—I surprised myself by immediately agreeing to this with no second thoughts. It was one hundred percent worth it.