My first year experience

Describe your First Year Experience in one or two words: Whirlwind

I’d love to hear about your career journey. Can you talk about what led you here and your decision to join Thoughtworks?

My career journey has been a bit odd. I fell in love with tech and programming quite a while ago while in college, but it took me some time to start a career out of it. I spent quite a few years taking a few college courses part-time, as well as freelancing as a developer part-time to gain experience, but I always knew freelancing was not for me. I also worked in construction on-and-off, ever since I was young. I knew I wanted a career, I wanted to be a part of something. I did a 6-month stint at a crypto-currency startup, and then went back to construction. I had a friend who had recently started working at Thoughtworks, and they always recommended it as a great place to work, and offered a referral, so I applied, and interviewed, and evidently I did well enough. My start was a bit unusual, due to the pandemic, as my start date was pushed back a year, I was really eager to join Thoughtworks, so I went back to construction for that year and started in 2021. I will always be grateful that Thoughtworks gave my cohort that opportunity to to join and "held our spots" during the early onset of the pandemic, I know they didn't have to do that. 

Ok take me back to your first day at Thoughtworks. Your first week. Your first month. How has your onboarding and First Year Experience differed from previous onboarding at other companies?

My onboarding and First Year Experience here is the first time I really had any onboarding at all. Honestly it was mostly "here's the code, orient yourself, then come back to me for tasks." That was a big part of what attracted me to Thoughtworks. I wanted to be part of a team, and wanted some training was that I knew it was a place where there was both structure and resources to help bring you in and get you going, but also a ton of freedom to self-direct your growth journey, as long as you put the work in, take initiative, and are willing to learn and be flexible.

What has been your favorite part of your Thoughtworks career to date? Any milestones? “Ah-ha” moments?

It is hard to give a single moment. I think early on in my first assignment, I was extremely worried about new (to me) tech stacks, new (to me) development and project management methodologies, and etc. But teammates and leadership were there to teach, share resources, and mentor. it started to feel natural to have to jump headfirst into something new and rapidly educate myself on it. Eventually I was helping new people do the same thing. That sense that it is a permanent campaign of learning and that here at Thoughtworks, you are never on that campaign alone, and that I am in fact capable of it, is probably the most valuable realization I have had here.

What advice would you give to someone who is starting their first day at Thoughtworks?

My advice to someone just starting at Thoughtworks: you will have the opportunity to meet a lot of great people, from trainers, to your Thoughtworks University cohort, to teammates and role models. Realize how lucky you are, and reach out to, learn from, and build bonds with them.