It Pays to Be Selective When Seeking Your First Job

Paul and Paulo graduated with Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degrees and joined the team at Sharesource as Junior Javascript Developers a couple of years ago. They’ll be the first to say that of course that considered the pay and benefits on offer when considering whether to take the job - who wouldn’t?

However they also carefully considered a number of other things when thinking about what type of employer was the right fit for them. These included their career development and, being new graduates, how easily they would be able to advance their skills and knowledge in order to become better developers. They were also seeking to join a company that had a social conscience.

Paul says that what really pulled him in was Sharesource’s firm intent to provide new graduates with meaningful work, and ongoing training. It became an obvious choice for him when he realised that not only would he definitely be able to advance his skills, the environment would also be engaging. The opportunity was a good one and it allayed the fear that most new grads have on entering the professional world with limited knowledge and virtually no experience.  

Paulo reports that from the moment he joined us, he’s been working in a team full of very skilful and collaborative people. He’s learned web development using JavaScript and helped build applications with React and React Native - programmes he had no previous experience with but now uses on a daily basis. 

Both guys have a mentor which Paulo says really helps him to develop his skills and pick up technologies that are timely and relevant. Paul agrees that, much as he enjoys working independently, being relatively new to software engineering, it really helps to have someone more experienced to call on. 

Up-skilling is a big priority. Both Paulo and Paul confirm that they’re always being asked what training they’d like or need. Speakers are invited and seminars offered - both in-person (pre-pandemic) and online. The training offered is certified and widely recognised. 

Enjoying what you do is also important. Paulo rates the great work culture and ever-caring management team as amongst the top things he loves about his job. He says it was always made very clear that contributions to the company by young professionals like him were highly valued. He’s continually learning how to be a better communicator, become more independent and work in a collaborative space towards success for the company and its clients. 

Having a social heart is a big plus too and is something that Sharesource is known for. This might involve community projects or simply being environmentally aware in your work and home environments.

So let’s come full circle back to salary. For confidentiality reasons, we cannot reveal any details, however both Paul and Paulo have had salary increases at different times, for different reasons, since joining us. Before you start looking for that ideal job, it pays to ask yourself what’s most important to you. You might be surprised to discover that salary slips down the priority list.