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We recently explained some benefits a senior developer might get from working at a startup versus a big company. But why exactly would a senior developer want to work at Amplified? We like to say we combine the culture of a startup with all the experience of a more established company, but we decided to find out what Amplifiers would say - in their own words.
Here’s what led three of our most recent senior engineer hires to start working with us.
“I liked the interview,” is one of the first things our senior developer Gabriel says when we interview him. This kind of comment is a trend among Amplifiers: they all found the interview unique and intriguing. Gabriel describes the interaction he had in the technical interview as different from others he’s had. At other companies, they just give you the same types of questions or tests over and over again.
However, at Amplified, it was more hands-on, like an open discussion, and personalized for the person we’re talking to. “It was completely unconventional because I couldn’t share my screen; I had to write on a sheet of paper and show that afterward,” he says. “It was more personal in a way.” He knew he’d be gaining great experience and learning many new skills.
The team and its leaders were a huge draw for Gabriel, from the top all the way down to each developer. He also liked (and still likes) the dynamic of the team, working in a friendly environment, the opportunities for innovation, and the flexible hours.
The idea of passing from one project to another and “switching boats fast” was appealing to Gabriel. At other jobs, he’d worked on projects that lasted for years, which led to him becoming bored. Also, as the only long-term developer on some of those previous projects and the only one with full visibility of the project, he became a bottleneck, affecting information flow for new contributors to the project. “At Amplified, I can avoid that and always feel excited by what I’m working on.”
The interview process intrigued Alex P., another of our senior developers. “The behavioral was more casual and approachable,” and the technical one focused on how someone thinks, not specific knowledge about this or that technology.
“Even more than that, for me it was the opportunity to change the stack and not get stuck or hit a ceiling,” Alex P. says. “I got stuck previously, where I was feeling like I was reaching that ceiling at my current job, and I wanted to avoid that.”
The idea of working in a team, after years of working alone on projects, was another draw for Alex. “I was feeling like I was just a cog in the machine,” he describes. Having a team to collaborate with, learn from, and share ideas with was an exciting change.
Alex liked our CEO Ian during the discussion they had before he was hired. “It was great to hear him talk about the team and his vision for the company,” Alex says. He was especially excited by the in-house project Ian was working on, and the chance to work with blockchain and augmented reality.
Alex I. says the interview was an important factor in deciding to become an Amplifier because you can tell a lot about a team and its leaders from this stage. The size of the team was important, too, he says: “not so small that you only get to work on small projects, not so big that it gets too bureaucratic.”
As for the projects, he thought they all sounded interesting, and he was excited to get started on one of them. “I didn’t know exactly what I would work on when I agreed to join,” he says, “but the overall direction of the projects was worth it.” He’s especially interested in those involving advanced tech. “Even though I don’t currently work on one of those, it is nice that it’s an opportunity for the future and that we’re consistently working on projects with new tech.”
Like what you’re hearing? Interested in lending your talents to our projects and collaborating with other engineers who love what they do? You could be a senior developer at Amplified and join the ranks of Gabriel, Alex I and Alex P.
