A Guide to TribalScale: Lessons from the Coops
By David Tang and Zara Zhang
Since a full-time job consumes such a large portion of our lives, it is important that we can wake up and look forward to work. In the hopes of encouraging a pleasant experience and taking advantage of everything there is to offer at TribalScale, here are 5 tips from TribalScale’s Winter 2018 coops:
1. Be Proactive
TribalScale is a place full of opportunities, whether they be technical, social, or career-related, there is always room to improve yourself. However, while there may be an abundance of opportunities, it is up to each individual to be proactive and take advantage of it. Instead of being asked to take on a challenge, offer to take responsibility for it. Instead of hoping for an event you’re interested in, plan it yourself. There is always room to grow, and TribalScale is very supportive of allowing each person to reach their potential.
“TS is very unique…You are free to grow and learn fearlessly…You are able to try and do new things with your work…I don’t think you’ll get the same experience anywhere else.” — Ben, Engineer Coop
2. Embrace Change
In such a fast-paced, Agile, working environment, every day can be different and holds new surprises. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. By embracing the constant changes, one can learn and gain experience working in many different situations.
“No day is the same — challenges and changes are good.” — Kanika, PM Coop
3. Learn from Others
An integral part of TribalScale’s success is the focus on a collaborative environment. With an open office, help is often just a few steps away. A challenge never has to be tackled alone. TribalScale’s team members are easily accessible and are happy to provide their knowledge and share experiences to help you solve any problem.
“Since we do pair programming, it’s very easy to ramp up with things and learn new skills — for example, I was not an iOS developer and now I am… You always collaborate with others… pair programming opens your mind to a healthy balance of working with other developers. The collaborative culture here, especially with the engineers, stood out to me.” — Lindsay, Engineer Coop
4. Interact with Different Departments
A project’s success relies on a diverse team with members in different roles, responsibilities, and experiences. Making an effort to understand the work of people in other roles allows for more efficient and effective teamwork, and a greater appreciation for the necessity of a diverse team.
“TS brings a lot of versatility…working with so many different types of people coming from different backgrounds in this space opens my personal perspective, and helps me see how different parties come together and make something beautiful.” — Kanika, PM Coop
5. Speak your Mind
With transparency being one of TribalScale’s three core values, it goes without saying that one should not be afraid to voice their thoughts and opinions. TribalScale isn’t a company where you have to be afraid of repercussions for voicing any thoughts or concerns. Everyone is encouraged to share their opinions with whomever it may concern. This transparency and value of feedback helps TribalScale progress and succeed.
“It does go with one of our values (transparency). It’s very nice to hear [leadership’s] opinions and receive guidance on different things. You feel comfortable communicating with anyone.” — Jenny Engineer Coop
Thank you to Ben Chapman-Kish, Jenny Jin, Kanika Dutta, and Lindsay Elliott for their helpful thoughts!
David is an Agile Engineer Coop, and Zara is a Marketing Coop. They both joined TribalScale in the Winter 2018 term. Zara is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics at the University of Waterloo, where David majors in Computer Engineering. Outside of their internships, both enjoy travelling. Besides that, David is interested in cooking, and Zara is passionate about visual art.
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