Hunting for my career

On the hunt

I've been out of the Iron Yard for two full weeks now, entering the third. My time has been a mess of things happening since. HopCat shifts, dancing again, misc. things I had put off during the Iron Yard, seeing old friends again, and...oh yea - interviews!

The Interview process

I should start with a shout out to the Iron Yard. I had 3 interviews the first week out thanks to the Demo Day meetings with professionals, and another two the next week. This week I had a second-round interview with a start-up company. I'm really hoping it goes well, as I'd love the opportunity to work with this particular company.

So what kind of companies am I looking for?
Well, I'm hoping to join a smaller team. My thinking is that if I'm hired on a smaller team, I can get more knowledge across various platforms and learn more across the board than if I were with a larger company where I might become a simple cog in the greater machine. I also like the idea of knowing everyone in the company (but, let's be honest - like that's ever been an issue for me. #extrovert #chattycathy).

That being said, there's also pros to being with a company that is on the larger side. There are certainly benefits in the job security and stability. Also with a larger company, I could, in theory, make more connections.  ...I'm still leaning towards the smaller side, but from what I've seen of the larger companies, they do seem to have great culture, team dynamics, and unique perks. (Won't lie, the whole snack set-up at Salesforce was kind of amazing.) I mean, there is a reason that they have more employees.

The process for hiring...
Far different than what I've encountered before. There's multiple interviews and the process takes more time than to what I'm accustomed. I suppose it's understandable, making sure the individual is up to par with the technical side of things, making sure it's a good fit with the culture of the company, and making sure it's overall a good fit for both sides. Honestly, after beginning this process a number of times over the past few weeks, it shows how the tech world is much more focused on retention of employees, unlike the restaurant industry, where some companies are known to burn through their staff with little regard for if they leave or not.

LeadsI've got probably 4 leads right now, and I'll be sending off more. I'm kind of in full-on 'hunting mode' for locking down a position. The biggest hurdles right now are patience and scheduling. I understand it's a process for taking on a new employee, and I'm happy to go through the proper route...but I'm just excited to get to doing this stuff, haha! I still have to remind myself - I'm going to get paid to do this! Which is crazy!

And there's making sure the scheduling for all these interviews and meet-ups align with my schedule, while balancing HopCat, dancing, and the misc. things in life. But hey! I've juggled more before, and I can certainly make things work.

Onward!