Growth Stories – Culinary Director
A Northbridge Career Growth Story
Meet Andrea D’Angelo
At Northbridge we are proud to foster a culture of opportunity and growth for our associates as they learn about life in the community, working with our residents and about the senior living industry. Many of our associates have been able to thrive and grow with us and we are excited to share their stories with you!
Time at Northbridge: 1 year
First job at Northbridge: Sous Chef
Current job: Culinary Director
Community: Stone Hill at Andover
Andrea started cooking for her family at a young age and found that she really enjoyed it. She went on to attend a technical high school where she learned she was able to take something that she was passionate about and make a career out of it. After graduating from high school, she attended Culinary School and has worked for 20 years in the Culinary industry. It wasn’t until COVID that Andrea found the senior living industry and although it was a happy accident, she feels very fortunate to have found a job doing what she loves while maintaining a great home life balance.
Her story of growth:
- What have you learned as you’ve grown your career at Northbridge?
I’ve always loved cooking and the creativity that comes with it but working in senior living I’ve had to learn how to be creative while also accommodating different dietary restrictions. It’s been a fun challenge. - What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part for me has always been when someone loves my dish, or they are really excited to come and eat my food or see what’s on the menu. Working in senior living I love hearing from the residents how much they enjoy the food. I also enjoy watching my associates grow and explore and perfect different recipes. - What would you say to someone who is thinking of starting a job at Northbridge?
Change is good and for me this change was the best. Working in this industry I have benefits that I didn’t always have working in restaurants like great hours, interaction with residents, being creative with my menu and healthcare benefits. With this job I am able to enjoy a home life and I know there is always room for growth. - What differentiates Northbridge from other companies?
It’s a caring company. The residents enjoy living here and it makes you feel good knowing you work in a great place. I love being able to cook from scratch and knowing that my residents appreciate the time and effort put into creating the menu and preparing the food. - What have you learned in your new job since being promoted?
Everyone has a story and even though you think you know someone working with them as a coworker, when you start to manage them the dynamic changes. Leading isn’t the challenging part it’s learning everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and helping them to become better. I’ve been fortunate where I had such great relationships with everyone I worked with prior to being promoted that it’s been an easy transition. - One thing that surprised you about working with residents?
My people skills. I know I was friendly and easy to talk to, but the residents are so fun and the more I talk to and get to know them I am developing these great connections. It goes both ways I develop connections with them, and they develop connections with me learning about me and asking about my life.
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Working at a Northbridge senior living community
If you are considering a career in senior living, we hope you’ll consider one of our communities. Our team of associates makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our residents, every day. Because of that, we treat our team like family and we’re happy to offer:
- Competitive Pay
- Flexible Schedules
- Direct Deposit
- Vacation & Personal Days
- Paid Holidays & Sick Time
- Your Birthday Off
- Health Insurance to Qualified Associates
- 401k Company Match
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Ongoing Education
- Associate Appreciation
View our careers website today to view open positions, what a day working at Northbridge is like, and why our associates love to work here.
As a New England senior living company, we pride ourselves in being the local choice for families in need of assisted living or memory care. We look to our teams of associates to truly make our communities home for our residents. Whether that’s a helping hand or a moment to listen to a story, our associates are dedicated and compassionate. With 19 communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, we hope you’ll find your home here too. If you already love what you do, and want to love where you work, apply now! We look forward to meeting you.