Being in college can be stressful. Applying to jobs can be stressful. Applying to jobs while in college? Guess what! It can be very stressful. Oftentimes, it feels like you're throwing your resume into the void. And in the few cases when your resume finally lands on someone's desk, interviews are an entirely different kind of stress. But these are things we all have to do.
In 2019, I was a soon-to-be-graduating engineering student, unsure of what I was looking for in a job or a company. One job position caught my attention, Automation Engineer at a company I had never heard of called DMC. I applied and unlike many of the other companies, they responded to me in a timely manner and scheduled an interview!
The Interview Process
I don't mean to claim that the interview was what someone would call “fun”. It’s rare for an engineering interview to be all laughs. One thing I can say is that everyone I met at DMC was friendly, welcoming, and knew what they were looking for. Instead of trying to weed out entry-level engineers with unnecessarily specific questions about obscure topics, the technical interviews focused on general engineering topics and how quickly an engineer could learn. One of DMC's core values is to hire smart people. The best way to do that is to find engineers who are good at what engineers do best: solve problems.
Culture Shock
I had interned for a large and established consumer-based technology company. Being onsite at DMC was a bit of a culture shock. The majority of DMC engineers were young and diverse. There were so many female engineers! Which was amazing! I was so excited to accept the position. Even though I was not entirely sure what my day-to-day would look like, I couldn’t wait to find out!
Training Program
All new DMC engineers spend their first three weeks training in Chicago at the DMC headquarters. This training period fosters DMC's motto of "One DMC." Even with offices and engineers spread across the country, everyone in the company is there to support each other with a common knowledgebase.
Interesting Projects
After training, my first impression of the day-to-day work at DMC was that there is certainly no shortage of interesting projects to work on. The projects span a wide range of technologies. Even if you’ve never worked in certain areas before, everyone is encouraged to try new things. DMC has a built-in support system for learning and growing your skills. And at the end of a project, there is something concrete for you to say "I made this", which, personally, is why I wanted to become an engineer.
Company Culture
Feeling accomplished is important, but DMC is also a company that plays as hard as they work. There are numerous opportunities to participate in company-funded activities. These “Activity Fund” events are a great time for you to let loose with your coworkers outside of work. DMC is a company that understands that overall client satisfaction comes from happy and cared for employees.
Even though I've only been at DMC for a few months, I am happy to say that I feel like I made the right choice. I look forward to continuing working for a great company with great people!
Learn more about DMC's Company Culture.