Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop
Pros
I have been employed at AIS for about 6 months now. I didn't want to write a review to quickly as I wanted to let things settle so I could get a good feel for the company. When I first started it was like drinking from a firehose. I was coming from the AWS Cloud world and AIS works a lot with Azure. I spent weekdays/weekends studying and doing my best to get up to speed as fast as I could with Azure. I had to make a very quick turn to the Azure side and that meant a lot of reading and studying! I was given all the tools I needed to get up to speed on Azure. The key here is, I was not told WHAT to learn. I was simply given the tools to start my journey in the Azure world. I was trusted, from the get-go, to be a professional and learn on my own. My first assignment was with a large corporation. I was tasked with learning and producing code in languages I had only dipped my toe in before. I was scared to death but excited to learn. The Team I was on was led by three people who were patient, yet firm, and some of the smartest Engineers I had ever had the pleasure to work with. I was expected to produce but was helped along the way when I got stuck. When the project was complete three months later, I thought back to where I started with the project and where I was now. In just those short few months, it was incredible how much I had learned in such a short period of time. I was hooked. I have been in IT for 26+ years. I have worked for some of the largest IT companies on planet earth. I have worked everything from helpdesk to mainframes and heald just about every job title in-between. However, I have never truly "learned" more in such a short period of time than I have working for AIS. The employees are smart, professional, and helpful. The staff is so supportive and the Management is truthful, honest, and lets you know where the company stands. A very different environment from what I was used to. Now, you might be wondering why I titled this "Waiting for The Other Shoe to Drop". Simple. When you enjoy something as much as I have enjoyed working with these incredibly smart engineers you start looking around waiting for the other shoe to drop. You start to believe it's "too good". My greatest fear is not meeting the bar I have set for myself and being asked to leave (thus, the other shoe). This is a company that lets you be you but expects you to be smart, professional, hard-working, but most importantly "pay it forward". None of this "hoarding skill stuff" because you are afraid someone might be better than you if they learn what you know. We work as a Team. We produce as a Team. We lose as a Team. We win as a Team. If I am ever asked to leave, it will be a horrible day. I finally feel at home and I would like to stay for a long while. I want to do my best, not just for AIS but for me. AIS is providing me with the tools and environment to go as far as I want. If you are looking for a challenging, never-ending educational experience, and work alongside some incredible people, I cannot recommend AIS high enough.
Cons
- COVID -As EVERY company has had to endure, the shift to a completely remote workforce has its challenges. This is not AIS's fault but be prepared to work remotely, for the time being, and have a designated place to work. - 1-1 time. Again, during this time, if you are used to 1-1 facetime time with your manager be prepared to do it remotely. - Mentorship - If you are the type that needs/wants a mentor to help move your career forward at AIS, ask up-front. I didn't but was lucky enough to have a few of the Engineers guide me as I am progressing through my AIS career.
