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My First Year with RustProof Labs

By Kevin Reardon -- Published February 08, 2018

They say time flies when you’re having fun. For me, 2017 flew by in the blink of an eye. My one-year internship with RustProof Labs (RPL) is now complete. The first of many new experiences last year involved integrating myself into the corporate culture of RPL. I can say without reservation, RustProof Labs is the most open and friendly environment in which I have ever worked. In the past, I worked for one of the biggest tech companies in the world. My experience at RPL far outpaces that job and every other organization I have worked for in my career.

Why has my experience with RPL been so positive? There are a few important reasons. First, my individual abilities are greatly valued at RPL. Our visionary CEO/Owner understands it takes many different skill sets to be successful. My background in business management, customer relations, teaching technology, communication, and graphic design have all come into play in my daily work. I have often been surprised when something I am good at, which seems unrelated, fits perfectly with the task at hand.

Experimentation

RPL is a place to grow professionally. I am constantly encouraged to try new things and experiment. I have been introduced to pgAdmin III, Valentina Studio, SourceTree, Sublime Text, JOSM, QGIS Desktop, Draw.IO, Jira, BitBucket, and Python. Reading and professional development are part of a typical work day. The learning never stops! Every day I feel my skills increasing making me a better and more efficient employee. Tasks given to me are always just beyond where I am now. I consider it a good thing. I am challenged, but rarely frustrated because I have great support to help me push through the rough patches. There are no dumb questions at RPL. I find this environment to be an incredibly liberating place to work.

RustProof Labs is a place to grow professionally. I am constantly encouraged to try new things and experiment.

I was given the lead role in creating a database project using MS Access for a non-profit organization in Colorado. It was intimidating at first, but I quickly realized I was not alone. All the support I mentioned previously was there when I needed it. I was provided with the necessary tools to do my job. And there was plenty of encouragement at exactly the right time.

I work remotely much of the time. This is a new experience for me. We use Google Hangouts to great advantage to screen share back and forth to keep projects on track and on time. One of my most important tools is Jira. I use it to track my time, attach documents, and communicate with team members. Even though I am often working alone, I never feel isolated because timely support is never far away.

Many new ideas and projects are in the pipeline for 2018 and I cannot wait to get started on them. I love my job at RustProof Labs!

By Kevin Reardon
Published February 08, 2018
Last Updated February 09, 2018