When I first moved to the Bay Area, I quickly realized how different things work in the software engineering world. People tend to switch companies quite often; sometimes it’s because of a start-up failing, because they want to get ahead faster, or because they got a big sign-on bonus or salary bump by changing things up. Over the years I’ve followed this kind of formula — I’ve gotten ahead, and not once did I really look back. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve really enjoyed all of the roles that I’ve had, but none have felt like home.
My journey to Thumbtack
A year and a half ago, I was once again looking for a new role at a different company, fresh challenges, and a salary bump. I was ready to follow my job search formula again and I started taking an influx of recruiter calls. My call with the Thumbtack recruiter started off like any other, but my attention turned when we started to talk about the people and the team. My recruiter turned out to be from Mexico City (like me); we connected on a deeper level and my interview continued in Spanish. As we talked about inclusivity and social responsibility, many of Thumbtack’s initiatives caught my attention.
My first interview went well and I advanced to the virtual onsite interview. I met with several engineers from the team and had some of the most pleasant exchanges I’ve ever had while interviewing. The team was solid, diverse, but most importantly, kind and extremely bright. Many of the engineers shared my love for product work and promised that I would have plenty of it to work on if I joined their team. A fellow iOS engineer showed me Thumbprint, the company’s open-source framework. As I learned more, I got excited because it validated that the company cared about product and great design. Everything about the opportunity looked promising, so when the offer came in, I immediately accepted.
Joining the team
Onboarding usually goes something like this: welcome, sign here, this is your manager and team, let’s set your computer up…..and you’re off to the races with very little support; but at Thumbtack, you’re assigned a proper mentor. My mentor, a fellow iOS engineer, set two weeks aside to help me get immersed in everything. We worked on a few tickets together, he supported the knowledge gaps I had, and he was always available for questions. After my onboarding, he continued to check in daily. After one month, I felt confident that I could take on any challenge that might come my way. I was integrated into the team, had someone to support me, and the Engineering Team had an impressively comprehensive documentation system. I still haven’t been able to find things without documentation, and to my surprise, our code base is modern and keeps up with the latest swift updates. We are also embracing combine as we get ready to bring swiftUI to the table.
Growing as an engineer
From day one, I learned that we had 1:1’s with co-workers to socialize and build connections as well as weekly talks on tech topics, social issues, and a clearly communicated policy of transparency. I’m free to start new initiatives and take the lead on projects I come up with. Most importantly, the company will support me with the resources I need to succeed, the time to learn new technologies, the flexibility to explore outside my sandbox and opportunities to gain cross-functional experience. I feel supported by co-workers and feel empowered to bring my ideas to life- all while I contribute to my team to help the company succeed.
Why I choose to stay at Thumbtack
My managers in the past have worked on career development plans with me, but I didn’t really care to envision myself being at those companies a few years into the future …. until I joined Thumbtack. The question had always been, “What incentives will get me to join the next company?” Now, my focus is on why I plan to stay and continue to feel fulfilled, challenged and excited about what we do. As an iOS engineer who loves product work, good design, modern code and working with great people, I feel at home. I’m excited about where my career is headed with the rest of the team, about building a stronger company and most of all, about growing together.
Interested in joining our Engineering Team? Check out our openings at thumbtack.com/careers.
