Sometimes the best career paths are the ones we never planned.

For Beverly Aldridge, a career in Civil Service was never part of the original plan. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Beverly moved to Utica in 2018 before settling in the Hudson Valley in 2022. Her professional journey began at age 18, when she went to work for Discover Card, followed by training and working as a Medical Assistant. It was later, while working for the City of Oneida, that she found her way into the world of Civil Service.

Today, Beverly serves as a Senior Personnel Clerk with the City of Kingston, a position she has held since May 2022. What began somewhat unexpectedly has become a career that has challenged her, strengthened her, and helped her discover skills she never realized she would need.

One of the biggest lessons Beverly has gained from her work is the importance of communication. Working with people from different positions, backgrounds, stages of life, and motivations has taught her how to explain even complicated Civil Service concepts clearly and effectively. Along the way, she has also developed something she didn’t always have: confidence in herself.

“I have never considered myself someone who was good with conflict,” Beverly admits, “but this type of career has made me more able to face it without wavering when necessary.”

That growth has been particularly meaningful in a field where doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest thing. Beverly has learned that sometimes standing by the law means standing firm, even when the answer isn’t the most popular one.

Her advice to those beginning their own Civil Service journey is refreshingly honest: learn as much as you can, ask questions, accept that mistakes will happen, and give yourself some grace when they do. But she also offers a reminder that sounds very much like Beverly herself:

“There are no Civil Service emergencies, so take your time and research what you need to—they can wait for the right answer.”

Outside of work, Beverly enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and trying new things. And despite growing up in the Arizona desert, she has developed a genuine love for snow—a fact that, she admits, once made her friends in Utica wonder when she would finally stop asking when more snow was coming!

Perhaps Beverly’s own unexpected journey is also why she feels so strongly about helping others discover Civil Service. She believes introducing young people to public service earlier could help them recognize the many career opportunities available within the system—and help preserve the merit system for generations to come.

Beverly is also quick to recognize the people who have helped her along the way. She credits Robin Kimble, Jackie DeCicco, Jessica Kaiser, and Lee Ann Wells as wonderful and supportive mentors whose guidance has been instrumental in helping her reach where she is today.

From the desert of Phoenix to Upstate New York, from an unexpected career change to a growing sense of confidence and purpose, Beverly Aldridge’s story is a reminder that sometimes the path we never planned becomes the one that fits us best.