Meet Michael, who joined Vettery as a Senior Software Engineer in June 2020. Prior to Vettery, Michael was Lead Internationalization Engineer at WeWork and a Full Stack Software Engineer at Voxy. Michael has been a long-time user of Vettery (since 2015). When COVID-19 hit, he went straight to Vettery to re-activate his profile. Michael then went from being a candidate on Vettery to land his next role at Vettery. Read on for his experience being a tech candidate on the Vettery platform, and his tips on how to find your next role during these unprecedented times.
How did you first hear about Vettery as a platform and as a place to work?
In 2015, I received a direct email from a Vettery recruiter, and that was my first introduction to the platform. Vettery stood out immediately as a tool that made me feel valued and sought after as an engineer. I didn’t end up with a company I found through Vettery in that round, but the conversations I had through the platform were vital in my search, and the experience went a long way to dispel the imposter syndrome that makes job hunting so stressful. Vettery dubbed me a qualified engineer based on my skills and experience, which helped me find the confidence to think of myself that way.
This time around, I went to Vettery first when I started my job search. I knew the platform would provide quality leads and an affirming user experience. What I didn’t expect was the message I received with the subject line, “You have an Interview Request from Vettery on Vettery!” At first, I assumed it was an error. Maybe everyone had received them as some sort of system-wide issue? But when my curiosity got the better of me and I clicked through, I was pleasantly surprised to find a compelling intro email from (I’ve since learned) Vettery superstar Anna Steward. The rest is Vettery history.
How did COVID-19 impact your job search?
My wife and I live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, but I found myself starting my job search from my parents’ house in Muskegon, Michigan, where we’d decided to hunker down at the beginning of April. What was most striking as I considered this next step in my career was the sheer uncertainty about the future. Where would be physically in six months? Where would the economy be? Where would the country be?
Despite these concerns, the process started the same way it usually does for me: updating and uploading resumes, activating profiles (including Vettery), progressing to first-round phone interviews, and remote code screens. The major difference came at the end of the process when I realized I was likely to start a new job without ever seeing an office or meeting a coworker in person.
How did you utilize Vettery to get your next role?
I reactivated my Vettery profile at the very beginning of my search. It had provided quality leads in the past and provided location and remote options. In the end, Anna Steward found me and recruited me through the Vettery platform, so I suppose I utilized Vettery TO get this role at Vettery.
How long were you a candidate on the Vettery platform?
I had my profile active on the platform for two or three months before I officially accepted my offer, although that timeline was highly impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19.
How was your experience on the Vettery platform?
I honestly love the platform. My first experience using it years ago went a long way to give me the confidence to think of myself as an engineer. Now I rely on Vettery as a reliable and trustworthy resource for quality job leads and a tool that can help me move forward in my career.
How was your Vettery application/interview process different from other times you’ve looked for a job?
The people - from Anna to Sumit to Yaminy, the sense of community and enthusiasm about the product and organization were palpable. I left every conversation excited and motivated to join this team. Vettery is an organization that cares about the quality of the tool it’s building and its impact on the users.
How has the virtual onboarding process been?
The initial onboarding process was surprisingly smooth. As an engineer, the onboarding process to a new role can often be summed up as “insane amounts of technical reading devoid of context.” The Vettery approach was to break the stack up into sections, each with an in-depth walkthrough, followed up by a simple ticket. The result was a functional process that had me writing code immediately.
What advice would you give job-seekers searching for their next role right now?
Be very patient with yourself and sign up to be a candidate on Vettery!
