The opportunities currently available out of college are plentiful if a computer science student has the right strategy. However, making the right choice between these opportunities is difficult. In my last semester of university, I was committing the most exciting professional time of my life to a single company. I felt the pressure to make the correct decision, in order to put my career on the right trajectory. At this same time, I faced many other challenges; including the transition from school (something I have been doing for the majority of my life) and moving closer to the job. It was an unnerving, pressure-filled time at the very beginning of my career and I now know I made the correct decision. At Okera, I have found a team that not only helps me with my day to day challenges, but also gives me guidance in my career.
The first decision I needed to make was whether to join a large company or choose the startup life. Before this, I had worked for a mid-size company (~700 people) and a very large software company. My internships at both of these companies were invaluable. They taught me different subjects about software engineering and the proper principles to follow for writing scalable and well designed code. Due to these past experiences, I recognized that I wanted a job that let me take more control of my career and be more customer-focused. I wanted a job that encourages to maintain a work-life balance and keep up to date with my technology stack. One of my previous managers showed me the importance of proper design planning, with consistent reading of programming language updates being a key contributor. I started interviewing at different startups that I found on AngelList and learned about impressive business ideas in industries ranging from healthcare to mobile applications. Then I started talking to Amandeep (CEO of Okera) who suggested I talk to one of the engineers at Okera.
If you are ever interested in this market and/or the problems Okera solves, reach out to any of us. We are happy to discuss! We are actively looking for engineers that are ready to solve challenges with the other industry-leading engineers at Okera.