When searching for a new job opportunity, selecting the right fit is an imperfect science. Goals and preferences at one career stage may look entirely different a year or two later, making it even more important for job seekers to find a team and company culture that can keep up with its employees’ unique development.
So how do you find that perfect match? In Ambur Cole’s experience, a foundational interest in an industry can be a solid first step in a long-term career path. Of course, no two companies are the same. But starting your search with firm grounding can help narrow the focus to important features like company vision, specific projects and work culture.
Learning more about the citizen development industry led Cole to TrackVia, where she found the best of both worlds: an interest in the work, and a company culture that inspires her professional growth.
For Vet Smelko, Sovrn’s active approach to its own evolution appealed. When Vet started as an account executive, he said the sales team was more or less transactional in nature. Six years later, its strategy has evolved into one that is much more consultative –– and allows employees like Vet to grow in parallel.
“The leaders here have helped pave the way for myself and countless others to achieve their personal and professional goals,” he said.
Below, Built In Colorado got insider tips on what these two teams look for in new hires. If you’re ready for a new opportunity, one of their open roles may be a match.
For Cole, the initial attraction to the low-code citizen development industry led to targeted research for opportunities within that space. Finding TrackVia opened the door to curiosity, and learning about the company’s mission and vision sealed the deal.
Why did you first apply to join TrackVia, and how has your experience changed over time since you were a new hire?
My first interest in TrackVia was based on the low- to no-code citizen developer space they were firmly grounded in. I began to follow the industry in the early months of the pandemic, and recognized the business value associated with enabling the platform within an organization. After reading up on TrackVia and seeing how they were expressing their market positioning, backed by the product itself, I was interested in learning more about their mission and vision. Since joining the team, I’ve been immersed in citizen development and can validate the value delivered to our customers alongside the USP in the market. But outside of the platform itself, the TrackVia culture is inclusive, creative, brilliant yet humble, empowering, and down-right fun — regardless of where team members are located.
There are several exciting initiatives both in-flight and on the horizon as the TrackVia platform continues to expand its global reach.”
What’s your most interesting or exciting work-related challenge right now, and how are you overcoming it?
Adapting our tools to help us work smarter, not harder. We’ve got a robust tech stack with a really lean team, so the goal is to optimize and align our tech tools and channel mix with our product-led growth and account-based marketing strategies.
Smelko grew his role at Sovrn from account executive to director of publisher growth; he credits this development to evolution in the company’s client strategy, paired with its many opportunities for employee education.
Why did you first apply to join Sovrn, and how has your experience changed over time since you were a new hire?
I joined Sovrn in February of 2016 to begin my sales career as an account executive in the fast-paced world of adtech. When I started, this team was very transactional in its approach. Fast forward nearly six years — I’m now a director, and our sales approach has evolved into one that is more consultative where we look to build strong partnerships with our customers.
In terms of employee growth, Sovrn has a similar consultative approach to ensure the work environment is challenging and educational. The leaders here have helped pave the way for myself and countless others to achieve their personal and professional goals. Thanks to the opportunities to attend professional training sessions, conferences, certificate programs and so much more, I’m now a leader and still growing in my career.
Having a happy team means greater success of the team overall, and ultimately the organization.”
What’s your most interesting or exciting work-related challenge right now, and how are you overcoming it?
Keeping my team motivated and hiring great salespeople. As a director, it is my responsibility to create an environment where my team can succeed, stay motivated and deliver business results. It is an exciting challenge as it builds my leadership skills and makes me think about the best way to support individual team members. Having a happy team means greater success of the team overall, and ultimately the organization. One way I try to support my team is by taking the time to understand their end goals. By combining their personal and professional goals with the objectives of the company, we are able to create an environment where both can flourish.
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