If you’re a Java developer, you likely have a wealth of opportunities at your fingertips, but separating the mundane work from roles that expand your skills, embrace your input, and offer a work/life balance can be a challenge.
Working with the right recruiters to find information technology jobs that align with your goals and personality can ease the stress, but it’s hard to know which IT staffing companies are committed to sharing the risks and finding you rewarding projects.
Our consultant was in that position not long ago until he connected with Capstone IT. We sat down to ask him about his experience. Here’s how his latest consulting worked allowed him to use his talents for a nationwide business trying to modernize their legacy systems and build a high-performing Java POS system.
For starters, how did you first happen upon Capstone IT?
Through a friend of a friend, I heard that Capstone was looking for Java software engineers for a project. It was good timing because I wanted to move towards stability.
I talked with Chris Cabe, which was great because he informed me about the work I would be doing and how the relationship was structured. It was my first time in this formalized structure consulting group, and it was great to have him shepherd me through that process.
That started in mid-March of 2020 and by the first of April, I was working on the project, which has been nothing but an enjoyable experience. The position was fully remote the whole time. My laptop was shipped to me, and the entire process was seamless. This was great, especially with a growing family. Working remotely allowed me to do good, consistent work and keep balance within my life.
Which project has been the most engaging? How has it challenged you and helped you to grow your expertise?
The scale of the project was definitely interesting. The client was going from 1980s IBM I series mainframe technology to new Linux Java. The skillset that I had matched really well with it as a Java developer as well as with some of the other technologies I like to apply. The nature of being a large-scale project with 5,000 to 6,000 end-user locations, I was interested to ingrain myself in the task of rolling out these massive changes. I wanted to be a part of that.
Also, there were a lot of incredible engineers that Capstone IT brought to the project before I joined and I had a chance to work with and learn from them. There was a lot of great work being done all around.
Which technologies did you have a chance to use? What was an unexpected source of satisfaction on your last job? Technologies to learn?
To solve an important problem, they used more Java reflection than I usually do, which enabled me to better understand this feature. Other than that, there was a more streamlined set of technologies that they used – Java, Spring, PostgreSQL – which gave me the chance to get to use those technologies at a greater level with greater detail. The many different facets of the migration process allowed us to use those technologies in distinct ways at a deeper level.
For example, this project gave me a chance to dig down into how the performance of queries work in PostgreSQL, rather than just writing them. It was rewarding to figure out how each query worked in our use cases and determine their greater application, for this and other common technologies.
How did your work impact the client? What did you enjoy about working with the client?
We are currently wrapping up the project and will have the final details ready in January. All our work resulted in improving the ways our client distributed their inventory from corporate on down through their various locations. That had to be rebused daily and nightly. We created a solution that I passionately believe in while working alongside great people to get it built and tested.
Both Capstone and the client wanted us to be allowed to offer input and help develop the strategic direction of the project. The client included us in architecture meetings to enhance our ability to lay out that architecture as well as improve the planning and design phases. Rather than just receiving a task to code, we had a greater opportunity to use our skills and integrate with the client and the team. They managed all of that with 187 people working on the migration.
We were allowed to work and use our engineering judgement without red tape or rigmarole. They were always there if you did have questions, but as far as finding engineering solutions, they were more proactive to allow us to integrate with the team.
How was your Capstone IT experience overall?
One thing I like about Capstone is their emphasis on values. Capstone and the client have both told me how they are value-based organizations and I’ve seen it through their actions. When I first heard that I said, “What does that mean to me?” but I have a firm understanding of its significance in both organizations.
Capstone IT is very transparent. They inform us about what is going on with the company through town halls, even though we are contractors working through a specific client. Capstone lets us know their initiatives as a company and what they want to do.
In general, Capstone checked in to make sure our work/life balance is good. In fact, it’s a Capstone rule that there’s no work on the weekends or Sundays. They believe a happy employee is a productive employee. These are values that Jim Richards talks about a lot. He sends thank you notes and makes you feel appreciated for doing good work.
I’ve been in touch with Trevor a lot during the transition process. We’re determining if the client will want more support or if there are any projects I can help Capstone with on their solutions side. It’s great having open and transparent conversations about what types of positions will best fit my skills. We’re looking for positions that will be a win-win for the client and build my skillsets. Knowing that Capstone IT shares my values and takes pride in producing quality engineering is a key part of the reason why this experience has been a rewarding one.
Want to learn more about how you can work on engaging and career-boosting java projects? Reach out to the Capstone IT team to find out the benefit of working with a Java developer job agency that priorities your goals, skillset, and lifestyle
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