
DigitalOcean Virtual Tech Talk & QA Follow-Up Questions
On May 7th, PowerToFly hosted a live webinar with the women tech leaders at DigitalOcean.
We're sorry that we weren't able to address all of your questions during the event (with over 180 attendees asking great questions, it gets tough!), but the DigitalOcean panelists graciously took the time to write responses to all of the questions we couldn't get to.
So if you attended the event and your question wasn't answered, take a look at the Q&A below to find your question and read the panelists' response! Still not seeing the information you're looking for? You can reach out to Limor directly with your question.
What kind of information do you need? Jump to the section you're looking for:
- Career Advice + Panelists' Personal Work Experiences
- Applying to DigitalOcean
- Working at DigitalOcean
- Webinar-Specific Questions & Feedback
- Engineering/Cloud-Computing-Specific Question
Career Advice + Panelists' Personal Work Experiences
1. Early in your career, how did you navigate the technical interview process in terms of preparation?
Jenni: I'm not sure I did much differently then than I do now. Which is to say, find out what you can about the company and what they're looking for. Lookup anything in the job listing you're unfamiliar with, and then be honest during your interview that you did that, but it goes a long way to being able to talk about what they are looking for and your willingness to learn. I never pretend to know things I don't, but I do offer educated guesses.
Sneha: One of the most important things for me is talking to individuals at the company (and those who might be in a similar role). I'd also agree with Jenni in that this is something I still do and something I did earlier in my career as well! I typically reach out to people at the company via Twitter and ask how the interview process is, what I might need to prep, etc. I also like checking Glassdoor
2. How do you build a network in your early career?
Limor: I built my network mainly though LinkedIn. When I moved to the US I had no connections and did not know anybody. I grew my network and improved, and it really paid off, as this is how DigitalOcean found me.
I also recommend attending local meetups, that can help you as well in expanding your network.
Sneha: So for me, I actually rarely use LinkedIn! After graduating, I started going to a lot of tech meetups, conferences, and reaching out to individuals at companies that I found interesting and asking if they'd like to grab coffee. I also leveraged the alumni network at my company. And one other thing is Twitter! Tech twitter - especially in the infrastructure space, can be quite friendly and helpful. I've met people who I pair program with, individuals who've suggested I apply to jobs, and others who've even suggested interesting conferences I attend via the platform.
3. What advice would you give to a new grad who is interested in tech but doesn't have that much experience?
Volunteer, contribute to open source, do your own side projects and put them on Github.
4. If You Have Been In Technology Sales/Account Management But Are Ready To Grow Within Marketing, Product Management, Channel Management. Do You Have Any Recommendations To Better Qualify For Those Positions?
The best way to get into roles such as Product Management, is to start building qualifications related to those roles. As an example, for Product Management, one can start by talking to customers and users, understand how they use the product, understanding where they feel the gaps, and then communicating those with Product decision makers. Another thing to do is to read up on product related topics -- there are a plethora of blogs, articles and books on the subject. And finally, talk to the Product Managers at your organization, and let them know of your intentions, and they will be in the best position to guide you.
5. How do you manage the job search process? In terms of dealing with failure and bouncing back
My advice to you is never take it personally, many times you might have been a good fit, but there was someone slightly better than you. I also recommend trying to get feedback from the recruiter what were the reasons for rejection and if there is anything you can improve on.
6. Being A Recent Boot Camp Full Stack Web Developer Graduate, Do You Recommend Remote Work Or Should I Work On Site First? Thoughts?
In general, we recommend engineers that are at the beginning of their careers to work out of an office that makes it easier to start their career journey. But it is specific to the team and the hiring manager. We try not to have strict rules and leave this up to the individual. (this is a personal thing, do they feel like they need colleagues around? do they feel like they can be productive in their home (or in an non-office environment)? do they feel like they can have the level of social engagement on their own that they may miss outside of an office? And just like a programming language or framework, working remotely is a set of skills you develop and improve over time and DigitalOcean really works hard to support its remote workers.
7. How Did The Individual Panelist Find Their Way To DO? Were They Recruited From Outside Firms? Did They Submit Resumes? Did They Have Contacts From Within DO?
Limor: I was contacted by Digital Ocean
Jenni: I randomly submitted a resume based on seeing a job listing on stackoverflow. I had never heard of DigitalOcean before and had to ask around to make sure it was legit. :-)
Sneha: I had been a long-time customer of DigitalOcean but hadn't thought of applying. An old engineering director/friend of mine suggested I talk to her friend who worked here; she was convinced it would be an environment I'd really enjoy. After speaking to her friend and visiting the office, I was hooked! I then submitted my resume via referral and the rest is history.
8. What Are Pain Points About Working Remotely?
Limor: It is very personal; I love working remotely and do not have any pain points
Jenni: It depends a lot on the person. Given the fact that the majority of people I work with are also remote, the actual ability to be productive and communicate with coworkers is not an issue at all. You're more likely to run into life-work balance things like not turning off work when you should, going stir crazy being in your house too much, or just turning into a hermit. There are lots of ways to counteract these as long as you know yourself.
Sneha: I agree with Jenni. I've found that I'm actually more productive working from home than when I was in the office due to fewer interrupts. I also still do pair program frequently so don't necessarily lose out on anything by working remotely. The bigger concern is the fact that a) it is very easy to turn into a hermit, b) often it is hard to put down work at the end of the day!
9. What are some good questions to ask when interviewing to make sure the culture is a right fit?
At DO we look for people who will add to our culture rather than fit in! Ask questions about a company's values, and what it takes to be successful. Ask your interviewers about what they like most about their jobs and their company.
10. What are some symptoms you have personally seen or experienced of someone who is poorly handling remote work life?
Typically lack of communication and lack of transparency about what they are working on.
11. What type of experience did you have when you first started engineering?
Jenni: It's been over 15 years, but I went a relatively traditional route. I got a degree in computer engineering from UofIL (so not computer science), but my first jobs were on a test team, then a tier3 support team, a software build team, and finally into development. When I first graduated, the only software development courses I'd had in school were an intro to programming class in java, some c++ from a data structures class, and x86 assembly.
Sneha: I actually didn't study computer science in school. I was an electrical engineering and economics double major...but in my senior year, I did some neural networks projects that required some very basic programming. Upon graduating, however, I realized that a) I was very interested in startups. b) I didn't want to work in silicon fabrication or embedded systems at the time. I ended up discovering a startup that allowed me to apply the math and stats I learned as an EE while writing C++ for casino games. I ended up working for a few more startups as a software engineer and learned a lot more on the job, by working on side projects, studying some traditional compsci textbooks, and finding mentors who pair programmed with me.
Applying to Digital Ocean
1. Are Interviews Also Done Remotely?
Yes, in fact the majority of the interviews are done remotely
2. Are The Posted Positions Super Strict On Requirements?
Depends on the position, we typically do not expect that a candidate will have all of the required skills, it is a wish list and we make compromises.
3. Is It Ok To Apply If I Have A More Varied Background That Reaches Into Different Areas, E.G., A Front-end/Web Dev That Also Has Marketing Experience, As Well As Programming Experience In A Language Other Than The One Required (Rails)?
I will say it is always better to apply than to not apply, worst case, we will tell you you are not a fit for what we are looking for. If you have specific questions, you can feel free to contact me directly at limor@digitalocean.com
4. Are There Any Positions For Recent Graduates?
Look at our careers page for current open positions. We do have summer internship program which is a great way to start at DO, we have hired several of our interns.
5. Are There Opportunities For Technical Writers?
In general yes, look at our careers page for current openings.
6. Are You Looking For UX Designers?
Yes, look at the current job description for a designer.
7. Are There Positions Available With Digital Ocean That Takes Experience Into Consideration Even If You Do Not Have A Typical College Degree?
It is hard to answer that question generally, but I can tell you that we do have some engineers without a college degree
8. Digital Ocean Technologies Are Infrastructure Cloud Storage. How Does Someone With Software Engineering Background Fit In The Organization?
Absolutely! We have multiple software engineering positions. Take a look at our careers page.
9. Do designers also work remotely? We have hired designers to work remotely. Our career page is the best place to look for open roles in Product Design or Web Design.
10. Do You Have Any Opportunities In "Sales" Department?
Look at our careers page for current openings, We do have a current opening of Director, Inside Sales
11. Do You Have Any Part Time-freelance Opportunities In Design/Graphics Or Entry Level Product Manager?
We don't hire part time designers at this time. Look at our careers page for current openings on our Product Team.
12. Do You Have Tech Support Jobs Here Too?
We have several tech support positions at our careers
13. Does DO sponsor work visas for people who are in USA?
If you have applied to a position and need immigration assistance, please discuss with your recruiter. For specific questions about your particular visa needs, email recruiting@digitalocean.com .
14. Does DigitalOcean offer any internships or mentor programs?
We do have summer internships every summer.
15. Does DO recognize and consider employing parents who have been out of job market due to parenting etc.?
Yes absolutely!
16. Does DO Provide Training For Their Open Positions?
I am not sure what training you refer to specifically. Every new hire is going through an on-boarding for their specific team. The team provides all the guidance and information the new hire needs in order to be successful at their job.13.
17. How Much Experience Does One Need To Have In Open Source And Linux Environments To Be A Do Customer Success Manager?
DigitalOcean's Customer Success team has a wide range of technical experience. Generally speaking, our Customer Success Managers are primarily responsible for understanding the ecosystem and being able to pull in the right people across the organization to help customers overcome their challenges. Direct experience working with open source or Linux itself is not necessarily a requirement, but you should be able to work very closely with people who are passionate about both these things, and willing to learn!"
18. I Am Canadian, Planning To Apply For Remote Jobs In The Near Future, Including For Companies Based In The Us. Not Sure Of About The Jurisdiction. I Was Wondering What Are Your Policies Regarding Non-American Workers.
We do have a legal entity in Canada, and our Canadian employees are employed by the Canadian entity.
19. I Am Nearing The End Of My Career, Hoping To Work For Another 6-7 Years Before I Retire. I Have Worked In The Same Industry For 35 Years. My Skills Are Dated But I Am Enthusiastic About Learning Something New And Contributing In Some Fashion. I Have Started Learning Python... Does D.O. Have Positions For Displaced Workers Who Feel They Can Still Contribute?
It is hard for me to answer; we do not have something official for displaced workers. You can contact me directly at limor@digitalocean.com and I will try to help.
20. I Noticed That Most Of The Posted Positions Are Technical. Do You Hire Functional Pms (Pmo)? Those That Generally Work In Concert W/The Technical Pm Doing Resourcing, Earned Value, Scheduling, Budgets/Forecasting, Metrics, Reporting, Etc.?
Not that I am aware of. You can look at our careers page for all open positions.
21. I See A Lot Of Engineer Positions. Do You Have To Know Actual Coding?
Each open position list the set of requirements from a candidate. Typically an engineer position would require to know actual coding.
22. I'm Making A Career Shift From A Very Different Industry, But Have Transferable Skills. Is DO Looking More At The Specific Skills Vs. The Industry?
It is hard for me to answer that genetically because that is depending on the specific team and what the hiring manager think his/her team needs.
You can contact me directly at limor@digitalocean.com and I can try to help.
23. I Have Only One Year Programming Experience And That Was Over 3 Years Ago As I Did Not Work Because I Was Raising My Kids. I Am Looking For Remote Job. What Advice Or Tips Can You Give On How To Land A Job Digital Ocean. Overall I Have 9 Years Of Experience In It.
Depending on which specific area you are interested in.
Volunteer, contribute to open source, do your own side projects and put them on Github.
24. Interested In Hearing About What DO Is Looking For In Terms Of Coming In With Experience In Their Specific Tools Vs Training
Typically we do not look for knowledge in specific tools or a specific programming language we are using and we expect a learning curve.
25. My Experience Is Mis, Finance, And Project Management. I Do Not Currently Hold An Engineering Degree, However, I Am Interested In Several Other Positions, Such As The Associate Customer Success Account Manager Position.
I recommend you apply directly. If you need any help or advice, email recruiting@digitalocean.com and a recruiter will respond to you!
26. What types of side projects would DO be interested in seeing by potential candidates?
It very much depends on the team.
27. What key qualities does DO look for in employees?
"We want people to have opinions and to express them, however we are looking for humility, ability to listen to others and consider that you might not always be right." - Limor
"I look for someone who is passionate about what they work on and get excited about new technical challenges." - Alexis
Working at Digital Ocean
1. Are all of the positions at DigitalOcean remote?
No, not of our jobs are remote. If you look at our careers page you will see location information listed under each job title. While the majority of our positions are open to remote applicants, some are specific to a particular office location. DigitalOcean headquarters is located in NYC in the heart of Soho. We also have offices in Cambridge, MA and Palo Alto, CA.
2. What are the typical/expected working hours at Digital Ocean? Do you need to be available at certain times/in a particular timezone? How Do You Handle Balance Between Work And Life, Especially For People Who Have Children?
We are pretty flexible, we do not have a specific time frame in a day you have to be working, however we do want to make sure every team member gets face time with the team on a daily basis, so as long as there is daily overlap we are good.
We do have a lot of flexibility with the working hours. Therefore, if I need to pick up my kids from school, take them to the dr. or anything else that pops up, I make sure to either block my calendar or notify my teammates.
3. What Support Do You Receive From Digital Ocean To Make Sure You Are Able To Work Remotely In A Successful Manner?
We each get a workstation sent to our home that includes a monitor, mouse and keyboard.
We have the right tools we need to get the job done and keep the communication channel, some of the tools we use extensively are slack and google suite. In our offices each meeting room is equipped with a TV and a chrome box so you can connect to the google meet from the office as well.
4. Are There Any DigitalOcean Employees Who Work Remotely Outside Of The Us?
Yes, we have employees around the world, mostly in the US and Canada, but also in Europe and India.
5. Does The Company Have A "Slack Code Of Conduct"? Haha For Example: Only Use @Channel If Something Is On Fire.
We do not have a Slack Code Of Conduct. Best practices are using @channel for emergencies.
6. How About Career Tracks? Do You Have An Engineer Track That Takes You To Staff Or One For Managers?
We do have Individual Contributor vs Management career tracks. Also we do allow a move from one career track to another.
7. How Are New Remote Employees Trained? Describe Your On-boarding Process. What Kind Of Mentorship Does DO Provide? ....What does the on-boarding, training, and integration of new people look like?
New hire on-boarding sessions are held every Tuesdays at our HQ in NYC. New hires spend their first week in NY learning about how to navigate DigitalOcean. After general on-boarding, new hires begin team specific on-boarding. Checkout my article on DO's employee experience.
Each team has their own on-boarding process, we have a lot of documentation for each team to make it easier for a new hire to get up to speed. In addition to that each team will make sure the new hire is paired by someone from the team to help him/her getting up to speed quickly.
8. How Do Engineers Work Together Remotely? Do They Pair Program Or Mostly Work Independently?
It depends on the team. We do use slack quite intensively for daily communications. Teams meets via google meet on a daily or weekly basis depending on the team. And there are ad-hoc google meet depending on the need.
9. How Does Digital Ocean Determine If A Position Should Be Remote Or Not? I See A Data Scientist Position Listed As Not Remote But A Data Engineering As Remote. Is That Team Specific Or Does Any Listing Have The Opportunity To Be Remote?
It depends on the team and their needs. It is a decision the hiring manager makes.
10. How Does Engineering Work With Creatives, Product Designers?
For each project we have a designer assigned and the designer is working closely with the engineering team as well as with the product team.
11. How Does The Friday Chat accommodate Different Time Zones?
The Friday chat we have in Compute is mostly accommodating US time zone, as it is happening typically Friday afternoons.
12. How many employees does DigitalOcean have?
We have just reached 500!
13. Is it harder to assimilate into a company when working 100% remotely? What are some tips you have for someone going into a remote role for the first time?
I personally do not think so. You can read an article I wrote where I provide tips for working remotely.
14. Is remote work an option for early career <5 years for engineering? Or do you prefer experienced people for remote work?
Absolutely possible. If you do not have any experience at all, it will be easier for you to start working from an office than starting to work remotely.
15. Is Digital Ocean remote worldwide or just US based?
We hire remotely in the United States and Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
16. Many Companies That Are All Remote Or Have A Significant Number Of Remote Positions Have An Annual Retreat For Everyone To Get Together In Person. Does Do Have Anything Like That?
Yes, we do have an annual all company event called "Shark Week" when the entire company meets for a week. We also have team offsite meetings from time to time where teams meet up in NY or other locations to collaborate, plan and create.
17. Specifically how does everyone set-up times that work for everyone to work together at specific hours? Or do you work by yourself most of the time?
We trust our people to manage their time, we do not micromanage working hours. The only thing that is important for us is that there will overlap with the team.
The question about working by yourself most of the time depends on the position.
Someone at a leadership role will have more interactions than an individual contributor. Although we do have a lot of engagement between team members and no one works completely by themselves.
18. The current company I work for (remotely) 200-250 hours a month, what is a typical amount of work time a month?
Generally speaking, we don't have a typical amount of work time per month but most of my colleagues work around 45 - 50 hours per week.
19. What about training programs or courses? Are there learning resources available? What about tuition reimbursement?
We do support learning and career growth. We do have an education budget for training, conferences and higher education.
20. What do you love best about the company products and vision of the company since you've been there for +3yrs?
I love our engagement with the developer community and the passion about helping developers and shipping products which make their life simpler.
21. What is the male/female ratio...roles wise? Equal distribution on the teams...with the same roles? 50\50 engineers on a team?
We wish we had 50% representation in terms of gender diversity in engineering and across the company! We are still very much a work in progress when it comes to increasing representation from all under-represented groups.
22. What is the ratio of remote workers to office workers for DO as a whole?
Almost 50% of our employees are remote.
23. What is the turnover rate at DO?
We don't publicly disclose our attrition rate but it's consistent with other tech companies of our size and age!
24. What kind of clients do you have?
Our customers vary from single developers, such as students, hobbyists, indie developers, to startups and SMBs, and development teams in larger enterprises and Fortune 500 companies.
25. What resources do you get for setting up your home work environment?
We have a workstation program which includes a monitor, keyboard and mouse of your choice sent to your home, we also have a headphone program, you can purchase headphones of your choice and expense up to $100
Webinar-Specific Questions & Responses to Feedback
1. Are All Of The Panelists From Strictly Engineering/Programming Backgrounds?
Specifically, for this webinar all the panelists were from engineering background
2. Will Any Follow Ups Be Made to Invite Webinar Attendees to Apply or Interview for Roles?
We received the list of webinar attendees from PowerToFly and our recruiting team will look at the list and contact any attendees they find relevant to our open positions. In addition to that, feel free to contact us directly. You can reach out to me also at limor@digitalocean.com
3. Can YouShow An Example Of What The Client Side Sees As A Product Of Ui Ux, Or How We Deal With The Client Side Protocols As Far As Product Base And What It Particularly Does?
I am not sure I understand the question. Feel free to reach out to me directly at limor@digitalocean.com and I will try to help
4. Do.Co/Candidates Has Lots Of Resources For How We Evaluate Candidates, How To Prepare For Interviews At Do, And More. Not Tech Specific But A Good Resource Nonetheless!
I am not sure exactly what you are looking for, feel free to reach out to me directly at limor@digitalocean.com
5. Does Digital Ocean Have A Returning Mom Program? I Was an IT Manager For A Trading Firm And Took A Break For Some Time And Thinking Of Returning Back To Work. There Are Lot Of Companies That Have This Program, But Looking For Something Remote.
We do not currently have a specific program for returning mom, you can look at our careers page and if there is any open position that you feel like can be a fit for you, please reach out to us. Feel free to email me directly at limor@digitalocean.com
6. Excellent And Impressive Information, Overview, Panelists. What Are The Top 3 Open Remote Non-tech/Non-engineering Positions At DigitalOcean?
Look at our careers page for details on all of our open positions.
7. Good Morning Beautiful Sisters ~ Great Information! What About Project Management Positions?
Look at our careers page for details on all of our open positions.
8. Hearing From These Ladies Have Sparked My Interest In The Company. I Appreciate Their Time And Candor.
Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate your participation at the webinar.
9. Hi! I'm A Quantitative Researcher And Analyst Who Is Looking To Transition From A More Academic Context To A Business Context. I See That DO Says They Hire For Potential And Raw Talent. How Are Things Like Career Transitions Or Shifts From Academia Handled At Do?
It is hard for me to answer without specific information about you, feel free to reach out to me directly at limor@digitalocean.com and I will try to help you.
10. How Did You Know The Abuse Blacklist That Was Faulty Handle The Client That Was Not Really Abusive And Blacklisted
I am not sure I understand what's being asked here. Feel free to reach out to me directly at limor@digitalocean.com and I will try to get your questions answered by our security team.
Sneha: Was this in reference to the tech-talk?
11. I Can Imagine How Big The Blessing Is If You Have Infant And You Can Work Remote
Absolutely!
12. I Have Worked Remotely For 2 Years At A Non-remote Friendly Company. Hearing This Is Refreshing.
We are happy to hear that!
13. Is the reason the tech talk was about monitoring, is this the type of roles do is currently looking for?
There was no specific reason, we felt it is an interesting topic that the audience will be interested in hearing about.
Sneha: Yep! I thought this is simply an interesting topic given the sheer volume of services we have powering the cloud.
Engineering/Cloud Computing Specific Questions
1. Does DigitalOcean's Observability Team Offer A Federated Logging Product? (For Example, If A Company Is Sitting On DigitalOcean Products For Infrastructure, Is There A Place To Access A Global Log That Contains Everyone's Logging Across All Applications And Apis? :) If Not, Do You Think You Will See Such A Product In The Pipeline?
We do not offer a logging product.
2. Does The Load Balancer Consider Types Of Users Or It Is User Agnostic?
Load Balancer is user agnostic.
3. How Do Your Products Differ From AWS Offerings?
AWS offerings dozens of IaaS and PaaS offerings, and DigitalOcean offers a subset of those, primarily - Droplets (VMs) and related storage, networking offerings, Spaces (object storage), DBaaS PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, etc. The primary differentiator DigitalOcean provides is the simplicity of its packaging and pricing, ease of use (both UI and APIs), supported by a strong community of tutorials, articles and excellent support.
4. I Know The Company Is Still Relatively Young, But Have Any Of Your Teams Experienced An Aging Tech Stack? How Have You Seen The Organization Respond To How Quickly Tech Changes. (I.E. New Front End Frameworks Every Few Years)
As in any company, we do have technical debt which we are constantly working on improving. We do have some "legacy" code in production that has served us for many years. In recent years we have made a pretty aggressive transition from ruby/rails monolith to a Golang microservice approach. And now we're also looking at our frontend tech stack and evaluating what our next steps will be to modernize how we deliver client experiences. As we already have such an established (and large) product we are not planning a big rewrite but will continue to extract and update functionality where it makes sense and deliver our new product experiences using modern tools and tech. I think the key is to create architectures that enable us to bring along the "legacy" as we move forward with the new.
5. Internally Does The Company Itself Use Its Own Observability Products?
Internal observability is not handed by customer facing products. We have four main internal observability systems that cover metrics, logging, distributed tracing and error management. Three of these services (metrics, logging, and error management) are a combination of open source software and internally developed software. Distributed tracing is a combination of in house developed software and a third-party service (Lightstep).
6. Is agile methodology followed in the software development process at DigitalOcean?
Yes, Agile is the primary development methodology used at DigitalOcean, although there is variance from team to team as to the maturity of the implementation/usage.
7. What's the advantage/difference of DigitalOcean Droplet & Virtual Machine if any?
DigitalOcean Droplets have multiple advantages over competing IaaS providers. DigitalOcean is well known for its ease of use, with a simple UI and easy to understand pricing and packaging of its offerings, excellent documentation and an extremely large supporting set of tutorials and community articles. Additionally, DigitalOcean Droplets all comes with SSD storage as standard, and in various 3rd party benchmark testing, they achieve industry leading price-performance in many categories (CPU-Memory performance, read speeds, etc.)
Best Work-From-Home Companies 2022
Every year, PowerToFly creates a list of the best work-from-home companies. Now that over half of the U.S. workforce is remote, compiling that list was a bit more challenging.
This year, we prioritized selecting companies that are remote-friendly—meaning they have both remote and in-person roles—but they have made long-term commitments to hiring and supporting employees who choose to work from home; and we think they have the perks, values, and organizational framework to allow all employees to flourish in their careers, regardless of location.
Keep reading to see our top 15 work-from-home companies for 2022, along with a description of what they do, why we like them, and who they’re looking for.
PowerToFly's Best Work-From-Home Companies 2022:
Bumble—Create a world where all relationships are healthy and equitable
What they do:
Bumble is the parent company that operates Badoo and Bumble, two of the world’s largest dating and connection apps with millions of users globally.
Why we like them:
“We’re a diverse and international bunch, with over 600 employees working across four key offices in Austin, London, Moscow and Barcelona. We also have employees working in other parts of the world too, including Germany, Australia, Mexico and India.”
They believe the best way to create a more equitable and healthy world is by starting within. Uber offers a highly competitive benefits package with benefits that are designed to support you in your health and wellbeing, financial wellbeing, happiness, community, and learning and development.
Who they’re looking for:
Product Designers, Developers, Partnership Directors, and more!
Audible—Listen more
What they do:
Audible is an online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content.
Why we like them:
“Audible's People Principles celebrate who we are and where we've been, and guide the way we work shoulder to shoulder to enhance the lives of our millions of customers.” This company offers exciting benefits include wellness reimbursement, fertility coverage, and childcare benefits.
Some of their other benefits include:
- Health: Dental and vision plans, life insurance, and the medical plan options that suit individual needs.
- Savings: Plan for your future with employer-matched savings accounts.
- Stock: We grant our employees Amazon restricted stock units, because we want them to think and act like owners.
- Time off: We love what we do but everyone needs the opportunity to hit the refresh button. Take advantage of vacation days, sick days, and personal days to rejuvenate.
- Social: From tickets to local events and exciting company-sponsored events, regular outings and team-building events foster our spirit of collaboration.
- Amazon discount: As part of the Amazon family, Audible employees are entitled to a discount on products on Amazon.
- Fitness: Discounted sports clubs or fitness reimbursements.
Who they’re looking for:
Software Engineers, Director of People Analytics, Strategic Advisors, and more!
ServiceNow—Making the world of work, work better for people
What they do:
ServiceNow is a cloud computing platform that delivers digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity.
Why we like them:
“We strive for a fair system of opportunity and treatment for all. Competitive health, wellness benefits, zero-tolerance for any kind of discrimination, and protection from social stigmas such as mental health are core to our values and beliefs.”
Who they’re looking for:
Accounting Managers, Sales Representatives, Product Managers, and more!
OfferUp—Buy. Sell. Simple.
What they do:
OfferUp the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S., that offers iOS and Android apps that make selling an item as easy as snapping a picture from your mobile device.
Why we like them:
“We’re a diverse team with diverse passions and skills, but we’re united by a shared commitment to helping people accomplish their goals through the power of peer-to-peer commerce.
Our company culture makes us unique. At the best companies in the world, work and life aren’t just balanced, they’re blended. Team outings, virtual celebrations and lunch-n-learns, informal gatherings, and family events keep our neighborly culture strong. We’re a diverse team with diverse passions and skills, but we’re united by a shared commitment to helping people accomplish their goals through the power of peer-to-peer commerce.”
Who they’re looking for:
Chief Technology Officer, Content Writers, Business Operations Analyst, and more!
Work & Co—Digital product design and development
What they do:
Work & Co is a digital product agency that defines and launches digital experiences people love using every day.
Why we like them:
Some of their benefits include:
- Zero Timesheets or expense reports
- 18 weeks paid parental leave
- 100% health, dental, vision coverage (they also pay your entire monthly premium and cover 70% for spouses, partners, and dependents)
- Nonelective 3% match (they contribute to every person’s retirement account regardless of their own contribution)
Who they’re looking for:
Designers, Technology Directors, Marketing and Communication Leads, and more!
Relativity—Organize data, discover the truth, and act on it
What they do:
“We create intuitive software that helps law firms, government agencies, financial institutions and other major corporations quickly find the truth in data.”
Why we like them:
Relativity's software helps users organize data and quickly identify key issues during litigation, internal investigations, and compliance projects. They offer their employees great benefits like:
- Competitive healthcare, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability plans
- Hybrid work model: In-office once we re-open, fully remote, or a mixture of both
- Unlimited Time off
- 401k matching
- 12 weeks of 100% paid leave for the primary caregiver and 6 weeks of 100% paid leave for the secondary caregiver
- 2 week-long company breaks in the winter and summer
- Wellness perks such as virtual yoga classes, financial wellness sessions, access to meditation apps, etc.
Who they’re looking for:
Software Engineers, Marketing Managers, Customer Success Managers, and more!
GoTo—We live the work-from-anywhere life, too
What they do:
GoTo provides the most-comprehensive, secure, and flexible suite of products to help businesses embrace remote work, learning and customer engagement.
Why we like them:
“For bold and creative individuals, LogMeIn provides limitless growth opportunities. We hire extraordinary talent who continually seek opportunities to tackle challenges. We pride ourselves on an inclusive culture and collaborative spirit. Speaking up and listening to others is not just encouraged here, but expected.
We thrive together and champion each other’s successes, providing our employees with rich experiences to help them develop resiliency and skills; positioning them to grow into future roles either inside or outside GoTo.”
Who they’re looking for:
Technical Writers, Global Markets, Compliance Leads, and more!
Autodesk—We make software for people who make things
What they do:
Autodesk is a global leader in design and technology.
Why we like them:
“At Autodesk, we believe flexibility in where and how work gets done will better enable our people to thrive and realize their potential. While most roles may be required to be in the office, we also have roles that are home-based, and hybrid. From implementing virtual learning platforms to promote personal/professional development, to virtual marathons, DIY craft kits, scavenger hunts to virtual wine tasting and everything in between – we’re doing our best to champion for a workplace culture that spanning boundaries and borders. That’s #Autodesklife.”
Who they’re looking for:
Engineers, UX Designers, Business Analysts, and more!
Veracode—Keeping your business confidently secure
What they do:
Veracode delivers the application security solutions and services today’s software-driven world requires.
Why we like them:
“Veracoders are dedicated to creating a world where the software fueling our economic growth and solving some of society's greatest challenges is developed secure from the start.”
Here are some great reasons to join Veracode:
- PEOPLE & TEAM: Veracoders help their peers grow, achieve, and see the best in themselves.
- CHALLENGING & INTERESTING WORK: Veracoders are passionate about solving one of the most important challenges facing our digital world, securing the software changing our world.
- INDUSTRY-LEADING TECHNOLOGIES: We are the pioneer in the AppSec market and a continued leader in secure development innovations
Who they’re looking for:
Sales Leads, Talent Acquisition Partners, Product Managers, and more!
Unstoppable Domains—Building decentralized digital identities for the world
What they do:
Unstoppable Domains brings user-controlled identity to 3 billion+ internet users by issuing domain names on the blockchain.
Why we like them:
“Unstoppable Domains’ remote, international team is made up of a wide range of diverse experiences, languages, cultures, nationalities and backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive employer with team members in over 18 countries.”
They’ve also offer benefits:
- Equity in the company
- Annual work from home stipend
- Crypto education program
- Full medical, dental and vision coverage
Who they’re looking for:
Art Directors, Community Managers, Growth Marketers, and more!
Helm—A team of scientists, designers, engineers, and campaigners
What they do:
Helm is building a data and technology platform for organizers and issue advocates.
Why we like them:
“We are assembling a team who understands, shares values with, learns alongside, and stands with the people who are doing the work to change the nation. We are seeking team members who want to see a more equitable future in their lifetime, and who have the passion and skills to help us get there.”
They’ve also got incredible benefits like:
- Comprehensive health plans
- Unlimited PTO
- Paid parental leave
- Paid volunteer time
- 401K
- Stipend to enhance your home office
Who they’re looking for:
DevOps Engineers, Account Managers, Customer Support Analysts, and more!
Lattice—Making work meaningful
What they do:
Lattice is the people management platform that empowers people leaders to build engaged, high-performing teams that love coming to work.
Why we like them:
“We’re growing extremely quickly, hitting all of our financial targets for the last 2 years. We also have a negative net retention rate, meaning customers are staying and growing with us.”
They’ve also got incredible benefits like:
- 401(k) package
- Maternity & Paternity leave
- Medical / Dental / Vision insurance
- Flexible equity terms
- Commuter benefits
- Learning & Development reimbursement
- Flexible time off
Who they’re looking for:
UX Writers, Account Executives, Program Managers, and more!
MongoDB—Build faster. Build smarter.
What they do:
MongoDB transforms industries and empowers developers to build amazing apps that people use every day.
Why we like them:
At MongoDB, you can grow your career in the direction that you want it to, gain new skills, experiences, and relationships that will stay with you forever.
Some of their stand-out benefits include:
- Mental health counseling and resources, and complimentary Headspace (meditation app) access
- Rich health insurance coverage, including Transgender-inclusive coverage
- Fertility and adoption financial assistance
- 20 weeks of fully paid gender-neutral parental leave, parental counseling for new parents, and flexible work arrangements
- 4 weeks of emergency care leave
- Global and internal mobility opportunities
- Equity and Employee Stock Purchase Program
Who they’re looking for:
Sales and Technical Recruiters, Product Designers, Engineers, and more!
Uber—Move the way you want
What they do:
Uber is a mobility service provider that constantly reimagines how we can move better.
Why we like them:
“We welcome people from all backgrounds who seek the opportunity to help build a future where everyone and everything can move independently. We publicly support policies that drive diversity and inclusion in the countries where we operate so that people everywhere have the right to live, work, and be their authentic selves.”
They’ve also got incredible benefits like:
- Unlimited PTO policy
- Maternity and parental leave
- Monthly Uber credits
- Medical, dental and vision coverage
Who they’re looking for:
Marketing Leads, Account Representatives, Operations Specialists, and more!
Guru—Organize company information and access it anywhere
What they do:
Guru reinvents the way people connect with meaningful information at work by providing customer-facing teams access to expert-verified information where they work and when they need it most.
Why we like them:
“At Guru, our core values bind us together, influence how we work.”
They’ve got incredible benefits like:
- Competitive salary
- Employee Stock Option Plan
- Generous health and commuter benefits
- Dog Friendly Office
- 401k Program
- The chance to contribute to an upbeat, fully engaged culture
Who they’re looking for:
Marketing Leads, Sales Development Representatives, Web Designers, and more!
Don't see what you're looking for? Check out a fill list of 5,000+ open remote roles here!
Flywheel's Harsha K.'s Journey from Student to Senior Software Engineer
Software development is in Harsha Kethinene’s blood. “Both of my parents are in the computer science field,” he says. “So when I was younger, they introduced me to programming.” By the time he was in middle school, he was creating his own text-based video games. “I liked learning different languages and different ways of how to program, and by the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to go into a STEM field.”
And that’s exactly what he did. Today, Harsha is a senior software engineer at Flywheel, a biomedical research data platform. We sat down with him to learn about his journey from college student, to intern, to engineer. Keep reading to hear his advice to smooth the transition from school to industry.
Figuring Out Next Steps
Harsha knew that he wanted to focus on science and technology in his career, so he originally opted for a double major in physics and computer science. “I had always been interested in astrophysics and space, and I wanted to learn more about that,” he reminisces. “But then I took my first physics class and thought, ‘alright, nevermind, we're going to stick to computer science.’”
With a new found focus, Harsha began tackling his classes and learning about different aspects of computer science, but he wasn’t sure which area he wanted to focus on. “It got to a point where I thought, ‘Is computer science really what I want to be doing?,’ he explains. “Because what I was learning was interesting, but it didn’t seem to fit with what I wanted to do.”
That’s when he decided to get some experience outside of the classroom to help him secure his career path. “It was my sophomore year, and I thought, ‘I want to get an internship because it seemed like what smart people did,’” he laughs. After hearing about Flywheel from one of his colleagues at an on-campus student group, Harsha decided to apply for an internship.
After a series of interviews, they welcomed him on the team. He got the opportunity to dive into the industry and get insight on the different fields he could potentially work in. “Everything kind of clicked together and I thought, ‘okay, this is what I want to be doing, software development.’”
Diving Into the Real World
This internship revealed some major differences between his development classes and the projects he was working on at Flywheel. “At Flywheel, what I was working on could change very fast,” he elaborates. “At school you have a syllabus, you know what you are going to be working on.”
While at university there were structured problems that had a neat solution, he realized that in the real world, he had to identify the problem first, and then try to solve the problem. “Sometimes you almost feel like a detective trying to figure out what's going on and why it's not working,” he says. “So that's always fun. It keeps you on your toes.”
“I'd say the hardest thing to learn, and what probably took me the longest to learn, is in school, when you write code, you just need to write it once, to get it to work, and then you can kind of ignore it for the rest of your life,” he laughs. “You can't really do that in an industry. You need to write it and then make sure that six months from now you can still understand what you wrote.”
Flywheel’s dynamic, collaborative environment ultimately led Harsha to accept a full time offer as a software developer. Four years later, he’s continued to climb the career ladder and is thriving in his current role as a senior software developer.
Tips for Transitioning Into the Industry
Harsha knows, first hand, that going from student to professional can be challenging. Keep reading for his advice to help smooth the transition.
Tip 1: Actively search for experiences and internships. Gaining real world experience is key to making the transition from student to professional smooth. One way to do that is through internships. “It feels very daunting when it comes to searching for an internship,” Harsha confesses. “You see all of these postings online and you think, ‘am I qualified for it?’ Other times you get automated rejections.”
When Harsha was looking for an opportunity to gain hand-on experience in the field, he relied on a network of support. “The reason I got my internship was by meeting somebody who mentioned this company that I'd never heard of.” In addition to networking, Harsha recommends using other tools. “Try multiple avenues of looking for jobs and internships.” Some of the avenues he suggests are industry meetups, school networking events, and conferences. “You need to break out of your shell a little bit to meet your people, to find these opportunities,” Harsha advises.
Tip 2: Let your passions shine in the interview. After applying to a job or an internship, the second step is to prepare for the interview. Harsha’s interview experience taught him that employers look for passionate people. “One of the people that interviewed me mentioned that they looked to see if candidates were doing any programming outside of school,” he says. “That shows that you have a passion for it.”
These days Harsha finds himself on the opposite side of the table as an interviewer. “When I'm sitting in on an interview, I tend to look for that [passion] as well, if they would enjoy working here in the software development industry.”
Tip 3: Don’t let your degree limit you. While Harsha pursued a degree in computer science, he’s seen that there’s no one correct path to a successful career in tech. “A computer science degree isn't really necessary at all,” he elaborates. One of Harsha’s former colleagues was a self-taught programmer. “He picked up small contract work online writing code and developing websites. Now, he’s a software engineer at another startup.”
Everyone’s journey looks different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all way to a successful career in tech. “Computer science was the path forward for me, but there are so many paths to take. Experience, passion, and curiosity are more important than a specialized degree.”
Are you ready to put Harsha’s tips into practice? Check out Flywheels’ open roles here!
Careers in Web Development: Which One's For You?
We all have our favorite websites– the ones we frequent, bookmark, and recommend to others. You might even enjoy some website features so much that you’ve found yourself wondering why they aren’t more popular. Or maybe you’ve experienced times where you were frustrated with a website and wished you could add features or even design your own!
If you’ve ever found yourself intrigued at the prospect of designing and developing your own websites, then a career as a web developer might be just for you!
As a web developer you would be responsible for coding, designing, optimizing, and maintaining websites. Today, there are over 1.7 billion websites in the world and, in turn, the demand for web developers is on the rise. In order to figure out what kind of web development work best suits you let’s start with an introduction to the three main roles in web development that you can choose from.
The Three Types of Web Development Jobs
Front-End Web Development: The Creative Side
Think of front-end development as the décor of a house. The color scheme, furniture, manicured lawns, and overall aesthetic. In terms of a website, front-end development is laser-focused on the appearance of a website and its presentation on different devices. If you’re considering a role in front-end development, it’s important to learn programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These three languages go hand-in-hand. HTML allows you to create user interface elements, CSS helps you with stylistic elements, and JavaScript allows you to incorporate online tools and connect your website to back-end functions.
In addition to programming skills, front-end developers need to be detail oriented, creative, willing to keep up with the latest trends in web development, cyber security conscious, and geared toward user-friendly designs. The median salary for a front-end developer can reach well into the $90,000 to $100,000 range.
Back-End Web Development: The Logical Counterpart
While a house can be beautifully decorated, it’s incomplete without a solid foundation and efficient infrastructure. Similarly, a well-designed website depends on logical and functional code to power the features of that website. Back-end web development is code-heavy and focused on the specifics of how a website works. If you enjoy the analytical challenge of creating the behind-the-scenes code that powers a website, then back-end development is for you.
Since this role is more code-heavy, it’s important that you learn numerous programming languages and understand algorithms and data structures. Some languages that are essential to back-end development are Ruby, Python, SQL, and JavaScript. Back-end developers also ensure that users can successfully retrieve and access data. This requires creating and using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) which act as messengers that relay data related requests. Additionally, developing the code for the inner workings of a website also requires back-end developers to be conscious of the user interface features designed by front-end developers and to internally mitigate potential security risks. Due to the increased technical aspect of this position, back-end developers normally earn higher salaries than front-end developers. The average median salary for this role is around $118,000 per year.
Full-Stack Web Development: A Little Bit of Everything
A full-stack developer is essentially the Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades in web development. Full-stack developers need to be knowledgeable about both front-end and back-end roles. This does not necessarily imply that you would need to be an expert in both roles, but you should fully understand the different applications and synergies they each imply. In order to work in this position, you will need to know the programming languages used by front-end and back-end developers. In addition to these languages, full-stack developers also specialize in databases, storage, HTTP, REST, and web architecture.
Full-stack developers are often required to act as liaisons between front-end and back-end developers. Full-stack developers need to be both problem solvers and great communicators. The end goal for a full-stack developer is to ensure that the user’s experience is seamless, both on the front-end and on the back-end. In return, you can expect to earn a median salary of $100,000 – $115,000 a year for this role.
Taking the Next Step
Web development is both in-demand and lucrative! All three roles described above contribute to specific aspects of web development and the scope of each one can be customized to the industries and positions you feel best suit you. Regardless of which role you choose, all of them need a foundation in programming.
To gain the programming skills needed in each role, you can enroll in courses or learn independently. Coding bootcamps are a great way to boost your skillset quickly and efficiently.
Click here for some of our highly rated programming bootcamp options! Make sure to check out the discounts available to PowerToFly members.
Job Openings At Okta - Inside The Sales Team
💎Check out the sales job openings at Okta! Watch the video to the end to learn all about working on the Sales team at Okta.
📼 Don’t miss the job openings at Okta if you want to kickstart your career in Sales. Meet Rachele Zamani, Business Development Associates Manager at Okta, who will explain why Okta is a place where you can thrive and what they are looking for in candidates.
📼Check out the job openings at Okta to kickstart your career in Sales! The Business Development Associate role is an entry-level role that does not require any sales experience. Customer service experience is a plus. Everyone is welcome to apply to any of Okta’s BDA (Business Development Associate), BDR (Business Development Representative), or SDR (Sales Development Representative) roles, even if you have a non-traditional background or if you do not hold a degree. While all of their positions are remote, Okta is finding out that each team is benefiting from spending some time in the office, so they want to make sure their talent can commute to an office with ease. And this is why they're looking for talent in the Bay Area, the Seattle region, the Chicago region, as well as their D.C. region.
📼 To apply for any of the job openings at Okta, it’s essential to understand the company’s mission to show how you align with it. As Rachele explains: Okta’s mission is to improve the connections between people and tools to make companies more productive and secure. Their vision is to be a platform that enables any company or any person to use technology. As sales representatives, you will be on the front line; being the liaison between product value and customers. So it's incredibly important that the sales teams bring a solution-based approach, a very friendly attitude, and an opportunity to create lasting relationships that Okta knows to make a huge impact with their customers.
Job Openings At Okta - Showing a Strong Desire Is The Key
Okta is always looking for folks who have a strong desire to be in tech sales, but perhaps they are unsure of where to begin. Rachele loves speaking with candidates who have diverse backgrounds and experiences, that perhaps have been in customer service roles, and are unsure of how to leverage their skillset; their customer service skillset, their relationship skillset, or perhaps their desire to connect with people. All of those skills transfer really well to sales, and you would be surprised at how well those folks do on their sales teams.
🧑💼 Are you interested in joining Okta? They have open positions! To learn more, click here.
Get to Know Rachele
An experienced Program Leader, Coach, and "Talent Spotter" with over a decade of experience in leadership roles, Rachele has managed and developed effective teams of diverse leaders across multiple departments. As a coach, her goal is to empower individuals to reach their full potential and break barriers to elevate their careers. If you are interested in a career at Okta, you can connect with Rachele Zamani on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to mention this video!
More About Okta
Okta powers identity for the internet. They are a trusted partner to businesses worldwide and give their customers the confidence to reach their full potential. Since 2009, they've secured some of the world's most innovative companies.
From Programmer to VP: Ribbon’s Sarah Walker on Impactful Career Advancement for Women in Tech
Native New Yorker Sarah Walker loves everything about city life. “I grew up on Long Island and I currently live in Downtown Manhattan,” she says. “I'm a New Yorker through and through.” But she doesn’t mind getting away from the city every once in a while to spend time in nature with her husband and daughter. “We love to boat, we love to ski, we love to hike,” Sarah elaborates.
When she’s not exploring the bustling city or spending time outdoors, she’s leading a team of leaders as the VP of Product and Engineering at real estate technology company Ribbon.
Sarah has grown her career intentionally around social impact. We sat down with her to learn more about her journey from a Programmer to VP, and to hear her advice for other women looking to advance in their tech careers.
A Marriage of Business and Technology
Sarah’s initial plan was to pursue a career in finance when she decided to major in business in college. “My first two years really focused on broad, business-oriented classes like marketing, finance, accounting, et cetera,” she says. But when she scored a summer internship doing Quality Assurance at her father’s employer, something shifted. “I really enjoyed it. I thought, ‘I don’t love my finance classes, but I really love this.’”
This experience led Sarah to shift her concentration within business to Computer Information Systems. With this new trajectory, she was able to craft a career path where she’s gained experience that allowed her to leverage both her business and tech skills. “In my career, I’ve always not been just a pure technologist, and I've never been purely a business person. Now, I'm running both product and engineering and I feel it's a perfect culmination of my skills and experiences,” says Sarah.
Intentional Career Moves
Having graduated at the cusp of the dot-com era, Sarah’s been able to see the evolution of the internet and technology industries. “I saw all this activity going online, and it was really exciting,” says Sarah. With many businesses aiming to build an online presence, she worked as a programmer for consulting companies and delved in the ad-tech space. “I loved it because of the complexity of the technology and it was really interesting work on an intellectual level,” she states. But she wanted to use her skills for something bigger. “Optimizing advertising campaigns doesn't really have the greatest impact on the world.”
So, she searched for an industry that would allow her to work toward a cause she aligned with. “ I wound up taking my ad tech skills and working at a cybersecurity company focused on ad fraud prevention and detection,” she explains. With this new endeavor, she did more than just fight cybercrime, she focused on getting to the root of it. “We worked with the FBI, got servers seized and shut down overnight, and individuals got arrested,” reminisces Sarah. “It was this amazing time in my life where I was using technology to stop criminal activity."
Her time in cybersecurity sparked her journey to work for more mission-driven companies. “I like when [my work is] not [just] about increasing the number of customers, but it’s focused on solving problems,” she says.
This mindset shift led her to the nonprofit world. “I worked at Thorn, a nonprofit that was founded by Ashton Kucher and Demi Moore to identify and build technology that helps rescue children who are victims of child sexual abuse," Sarah explains. "It was really hard work. Probably the most important work I'll ever do in my career.”
But the emotional toll and the hardships of the pandemic resulted in burn out. “It was a hard subject and it was just really hard for me to think about enduring for the long run," Sarah admits. So she took some time to contemplate what her next career move would be.
“I thought, ‘I can’t go back to an ad-tech job or any type of fluff work. I need to do something that has a true mission,” Sarah explains. That was when she was approached by Ribbon, which offered her a space to do impactful work within the real estate space. “[At Ribbon,] I could work on a mission of hope versus a mission after something terrible has already happened," she shares.
Fulfilling a Mission at Ribbon
Ribbon is a first-of-its-kind technology company transforming the real estate transaction by delivering certainty, transparency, and joy to the home buying process. “We turn everyday buyers into competitive buyers,” Sarah explains. “When you put in an offer on a home backed by Ribbon, you become an all-cash offer to that seller which makes you more competitive."
Adapting to the new space at Ribbon, she quickly learned that homeownership in the United States is a key to intergenerational wealth among other physical and mental health benefits. “What compelled me to go to Ribbon was [the possibility] of helping individuals and families be able to build wealth and to change the rest of their lives," she shares.
Just over a year after joining the company, Sarah accepted a promotion as the Vice President of Product and Engineering and has been developing the team in that role for almost six months. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss some aspects of programming, though. "I love to get into the details, and sometimes, I wish I could spend all day coding,” she elaborates. “But I think the reason I've always been drawn to leadership is just the impact I could have."
Now as VP, Sarah is impacting multiple areas from project strategy discussion, people management, and company culture. “I put a heavy emphasis on really making sure my leaders are supported, and helping unblock them from their challenges, giving them coaching, and supporting them as they work through projects," Sarah says.
Advice for women in tech
In the world of tech, everyone’s career path looks different, and Sarah reminds us that the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re looking to become a highly specialized individual contributor or move toward management, here’s her advice for advancing in your career:
1. Build community. “Find your peers. I've gotten the best advice from others, even if they're not in tech,” Sarah says. Navigating through challenges is a lot easier when you know someone who is experiencing similar obstacles. Sarah encourages women to tap into their communities when they feel the pressure of being an “only” in certain spaces.
2. Don’t let the fear stop your progress. “There's going to be times where you're going to feel like, ‘If I take this particular role, I'm going to be an only for a little bit.’” But you must stay strong. “It's worth sticking it out because the rewards are great.”
With more women in positions of authority, bigger changes can be made that allow more women to move up the career ladder. “We need more people on the other side of the table,” says Sarah. “So, that might mean you have to stick it out, even when faced with adversity."
3. Keep up to date with your technical skills. Technology is constantly changing, so Sarah encourages women to stay on top of it. “Be an expert in an area, but have a good breadth of understanding. If you're a front-end engineer, learn back-end. If you want to accelerate your career, you have to have more under your umbrella.”
This is especially important when looking for new professional opportunities. “That's how we assess who we're promoting next; how they have proactively expanded on their skills,” Sarah shares.
These skills are also important for those looking to join the team at Ribbon. "On the skill side, we're looking across the board. From designers to engineers, to product managers, we have all those roles open,” says Sarah. “We're willing to train on different parts and we're open to helping people expand their skill set. But we do look for at least one area of strength, within the technical dimensions.”
But tech isn’t everything. She wants passionate and innovative professionals to join her team. “We're looking for mission-driven people,” says Sarah. “We want people that are coming here because they're passionate about what we do."
If you’re ready to start advancing in your career at a mission-driven company, check out the opening positions at Ribbon by clicking here.