Learn. Coach. Give. These three words, prominently displayed on the Pariveda website, were what first convinced me to fill out my application and hit submit. I wondered at the time if it was just a tagline, a marketing tactic. I’ve never been so happy to be proven wrong.
Beginning my journey with the help of a supportive team
Every person I’ve interacted with at Pariveda has embodied this phrase. In the last year and a half since starting, I’ve been on three different projects with three different teams in three distinctly different industries.
On my very first project, I remember how kind and welcoming my project team was to new hires. As the only Dallas teammate on a Philadelphia-based project, I was worried about being able to learn rapidly and meet expectations. Because the team was very small, we divided the responsibilities. Each person was expected to become a subject matter expert in a particular type of database testing and present our findings to the client. I was tasked with learning how to use JMeter to conduct load testing and create visualizations with the results. Though we were remote, and I had never done any type of load testing before, my team helped me overcome my initial bouts of imposter syndrome. They made me feel like I belonged here. Down the line, when I expressed my interest in different types of project work to my Manager, he understood and offered to help me advocate for future projects in that area.
Learning new skills through community
My next project was for an insurance company, primarily centered around adding new features and maintaining a web application using Angular. This was the first time I was exposed to Angular, and I didn’t really know where to start. However, my team members were a tremendous help. Because the team was based in Dallas, it truly helped me feel that in-person sense of camaraderie and community. All my peers on the team formed a study group to dive into Angular concepts that could potentially be useful for our project.
My third project has been the longest engagement yet, and it’s given me the opportunity to develop a deep enough knowledge base to help others and expand my horizons. I expressed an interest in business analysis work to my team; they have been incredibly helpful in finding opportunities for me to develop this skill set. For example, one Manager encouraged me to take the lead on an analytics implementation project so that I could begin asking questions and building stories utilizing that functionality.
Building community through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and affinity groups
Outside of project work, I’ve gotten involved with several internal initiatives that sparked my interest. There are so many employee resource and affinity groups to explore, whatever your interests. Whether it be community service, fitness, or gaming, there is a group out there to connect with like-minded individuals. I’m a member of our Dallas Esprit De Femme ERG, a group meant to support female-identifying teammates. I’ve helped plan events like speed networking, a Galentine’s game night, a Friendsgiving dinner, holiday blanket-making, and more. Most recently, I’ve gotten involved with marketing and audio engineering for our internal company podcast, The Deep Dive. Those who energize these groups are passionate, resourceful, and have a lot of knowledge they’re excited to share. For example, I knew nothing about audio engineering, but resources and training from those involved in the podcast gave me the crash course I needed to get involved.
Invaluable mentorship
Through all the projects and initiatives, I’ve also had my Mentor by my side. Having a Mentor who is not on your project team and who is invested in your personal growth is invaluable. They gather and synthesize feedback on your work, guide you through your career development plan, and meet with you regularly to support your growth and offer advice. My Mentor has advocated for me, helped me increase my confidence, given me solid advice, and been a shoulder for me to lean on during difficult times, both personally and professionally.
In essence, the people make Pariveda the firm that it is. I couldn’t imagine spending day in and day out with better individuals. The people here genuinely care about my growth and success alongside their own. They learn insatiably, coach patiently, and give constantly. This mentality makes me proud to be here.
