I’m Starting a New Job with My Ideal Company

After a lot of reflection on the learned lessons from my first job as a professional iOS engineer, I had decided that my main focus would be to go the entrepreneurial route as an independent iOS developer and creative. Although I did learn a lot in my first iOS role from a technical and team perspective, I also learned a lot about myself, what I was still missing, and what situations I didn’t want to put myself in again.

My end goal was always to make a living off of creating and monetizing my own apps. Being unemployed gave me the time to remind myself why I chose iOS engineering in the first place. I told myself that from that point forward, I was going to focus on helping people from underrepresented groups land their dream jobs in tech. My goal was, and remains, to help others find jobs where they feel welcomed and supported and not be put in situations where they’ll experience burnout.

I told myself that I would only join a company if it felt like the right fit. Their values needed to align with my own, their culture needed to be more diverse, and I still wanted the ability to dedicate time to my own business. All that being said, I didn’t try very hard to find this new company. I searched somewhat but wasn’t always confident a company would have all of the qualities I was looking for. And then ActiveCampaign reached out.

How I Started Working with ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign (AC) is a company I had applied to back in early 2019 when I was looking for my first iOS engineer role. Although I didn’t get the job, I kept in touch with some of my interviewers. When I lost my job at the start of the pandemic, I reached out to Sean Wolter, now Engineering Director, to let him know I was looking for a new job and asked if he could keep me in mind if he heard of an opening somewhere. A year later, Weien Wang, the new Engineering Manager of the mobile team, reached out to me to find out if I was still interested in working with ActiveCampaign.

At this point, I was very deep into my entrepreneurship choice. I had gotten a life and business coach, Harry Lopez, founder of Launch Latinx, to help me push through the things I was letting hold me back. But, when Weien reached out to me, I let my curiosity lead the way. I was very open and upfront about exactly what I was looking for in my next role and the type of team I wanted to work with. I shared with him the work I had been doing with Rising Dev Habits and it turns out our visions couldn’t have been more aligned.

Even though I would have preferred more of a part-time role to have more time for my business, I knew that joining ActiveCampaign was the right choice for me. The team members I met during the interview process were great. I got the vibe that this would be the place for me to grow in more ways than just an iOS engineer. As excited as I am to join the team, I’ve started to mildly panic as my start date has arrived.

Am I Making the Right Decision?

New job nerves started kicking in. I started doubting my decision - not my choice of company, but the decision to focus on Rising Dev Habits part-time. My immediate thought was that my days aren’t going to be mine anymore. I won’t have as much time to write articles and make videos that help grow my business. Will I still feel like coding my own app after coding all day for AC? When will I have the time to keep creating my Reverse Recruiter course? Is that all that’s making me nervous?

My last job left me with a lot of imposter syndrome. It took me a while to recognize that for what it is. I started doubting my abilities as an iOS engineer. Working for myself, by myself, well, I only disappoint myself. If I come across a roadblock and feel I won’t get through, it only affects me. At least that’s what I tell myself.

The key here is that I’m recognizing those thoughts for what they are. And now, thanks to my work with Harry, I have tools and tactics I can turn to when I’m feeling stuck or lacking confidence.

• Don’t panic and get worked up about not knowing something.
• Take a few deep breaths and be present so I can have the clarity I need to work through the problem.
• As a junior engineer, there are many rabbit holes you can go down trying to learn something new for one task in particular. Don’t go down every rabbit hole - it’s not necessary. And it’s an easy way to get overwhelmed.

Final Thoughts

A year ago, I was putting in the work of self-reflection and taking a self-inventory of who I am and how I want my life to look. It wasn’t easy, but it’s been so worth it. When people would ask what I was looking for in my next role, I’d get a reaction along the lines of, “Umm, okay…good luck with that.” Sometimes I would feel like I was being too picky. The thing is, it’s so easy to find the wrong company - that can easily do some damage not just to your career, but to your life as well. So take the time and put in the work to find the right fit.

The key to landing a job with my ideal company and the tips I leave to you are the following:

• Take a self-inventory and figure out your values, where your interests lie, and what you want your life to look like in the day-to-day.
• Create a list of what you’re looking for in a company so when the wrong opportunities come up, you’ll know how to recognize them.
• Keep yourself open to possibilities and be clear about what you want. Interview companies just as much as they are interviewing you. It’s the only way to know if they’re the right fit for you.