My co-op experience at Pythian

I returned to Pythian for my co-op term this past winter (it’s worth mentioning that previous to this, I had already completed two four month terms as a Software Development Intern at the company). The fact that I came back should give you a good idea of how my experience with Pythian has been so far…

I gladly accepted the opportunity to return because I knew I’d be tasked with interesting projects; the kind of work that would teach me new skills and help me to develop professionally. With that in mind, my first week at Pythian did not disappoint.

In my previous term, I had been working on a product that was already established. This time around, I was adapting to the work environment with a fairly new team who, together, had the goal of releasing a new product. As it turned out, I was not familiar with many of the technologies that we would be using in development so I needed to learn them quickly and then apply them throughout the project. Within a couple of weeks, I had gained proficiency in an array of new technologies including AWS, NodeJS, MongoDB, Cassandra, and more.

Alongside the long learning process, I also had to complete various tasks which were deemed requirements for the product’s release. This level of responsibility motivated me to develop my technical skills to the point where I could begin to confidently contribute my ideas. There were many opportunities to do so since I had to work with various different members of the team including: user experience designers, front-end developers, back-end developers, project managers, software architects, etc. Not only did the fast-paced environment give me the chance to enhance my abilities as a software developer, but it also gave me better insight into the software engineering process and its methodologies.

Now, here’s what I feel are the best parts about working at Pythian.

The people and the culture.

Everyone I’ve worked with at Pythian has been extremely helpful and I’ve learned a lot from many of them (a conversation with the CEO, Paul Vallee, is almost always a treat). The open and friendly atmosphere (complete with free cereal, great coffee machines, nice office space, Friday socials, and fun holiday parties) makes Pythian a great place to work. I wouldn’t hesitate to encourage any co-op student, whether it is your first term or your last, to apply to work here. I can pretty much guarantee that it would a fulfilling experience.

Interested in working for Pythian? Check out our open positions.