Why I Chose Itential to Take My Career to the Next Level

Making a career change is never easy but can be a very rewarding decision. Recently, I made the tough choice to make the switch from mechanical to software engineering through self-teaching. As I entered this new field, I was extremely eager to land in a role that provided the opportunity to continue to develop my technical skills, but my first job as a software engineer lacked proper training and support. This made it more difficult to reach my full potential, so I started looking for other opportunities.

This search led me to Itential, where I started in March 2022. Even before my onboarding began, I could tell Itential would be the perfect place for me to receive the support and training I was searching for through our mentorship program as well as Itential’s inherent collaborative culture.

Why I Chose Itential

During my initial interview process at Itential, one of the main topics that piqued my interest was the extensive training process, including of a mock project that mimics the type of work new Itentialites would face when they were placed on their first project with a customer so they can feel confident and prepared.

As part of my interview process, I was tasked to solve problems using Itential’s JSON Schema Transformation tool, which is a software Itential employees use regularly. The goal of this task was to give me an idea of the type of work I would be doing if I joined the company. The information provided to me to learn this tool was very organized, which I appreciated since it was not a software I had ever used before, and the Itentialite that I was in contact with during the interview process was very responsive to any questions I had along the way.

These were all very good signs to me right off the bat that this was the perfect environment for me to grow as a fresh software engineer as well as the general friendliness and professionalism the interviewers showed me. This made me eager to accept a position if it presented itself, and so I am so happy I did!

Connectivity & Support Throughout Onboarding

When I began my role as a Network Automation Engineer, I was impressed with the onboarding experience. I was immediately paired up with a mentor, added to multiple slack channels where I could get technical questions answered while also get to know my co-workers on a more personal level, and had the opportunity to have regular contact with other new hires. Having that transparency with co-workers who started at a similar time as you is extremely helpful and allowed for a lot of collaboration and learning for all of us.

The training modules were organized and extremely helpful, as was the mock project that I had the opportunity to go through with many of my new peers. Any time I’ve had any sort of trouble with any subject and I post a question in a slack channel, there is always someone who reaches out and wants to help. Often times, this person is not someone I have even met previously which has been a great way to get to know more and more Itentialites. This collaborative dynamic encourages me to help others and contribute wherever I can, as others have for me, which has in turn allowed me to learn as well.

Most companies make promises about the resources and culture they offer, but Itential really proved itself to me as a company. I have grown my skills in the ways that I wanted to, I have countless resources and co-workers to support me and my work along the way, and I see a lot of opportunity for growth as a professional here at Itential.

If you’re looking for a collaborative and supportive environment to take your career to the next level, check out our full list of job openings here. I hope to collaborate with you on a question I have in the future.