One of the many perks of joining DMC is that whenever new employees come onboard, welcome parties are planned to celebrate the occasion. David Wylen and I chose to have our welcome party be a cocktail making class at the Chicago Distilling Company. The event proved to be more informative than expected, but as much fun as we hoped. It then dawned on me, with the help of a Russian mule, that the process of making a cocktail is an excellent analogy to the process I underwent when I joined DMC.
Preparation
The process of making a great cocktail begins with preparation and planning. When starting our cocktail making class, we were quickly set up with all the ingredients we would need to make the cocktails.
Recipe cards explained what we should expect to make and taste, as well as all the different liquors and mixers we needed. The instructor gave each table ice at the right time so it would not melt by the time we needed it.
As you cannot make a great cocktail without the proper ingredients, you cannot get ramped up in a job without the equipment and knowledge you need. Walking in on the first day at DMC mirrored this preparation and planning. The first week was packed full of meetings which taught us the necessary information to get started in the correct order we needed. Our laptops and equipment we needed were all set up, with all the software and accounts we needed.
Three ingredients
There are three basic ingredients that make great cocktails: something sweet, something sour, and something fun.
The same three basic ingredients also make a great job:
- Something sweet – great co-workers
- Something sour – great projects
- Something fun – in DMC's case, a lot of fun activities.
Something Sweet
The people at DMC are always eager to help. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun with a scattering of banter. This great atmosphere is the result of a group of people who genuinely enjoy coming to work every day. The office prides itself on being honest and upfront with clients, but it also does that within the internal office culture. Each employee is always willing to help another out, and it is very easy to approach anyone for help with an issue. We all work with our specific teams on a project, but if a problem or roadblock comes up, it is all hands on deck.
Something Sour
The 'sour' part of working at DMC is perhaps my favorite. Being a consulting firm, we are fortunate to work on a wide variety of projects. We help engineer systems and solutions for clients across many different industries. These engineering solutions usually involve a multitude of technologies. Because of this mix, I have had the privilege to work on various projects and implement solutions with several technologies. At the time of writing this blog, a few months into my time at DMC, I have already worked on four different projects. As a result, I have been able to develop solutions with ARM processors, touchscreens, Wi-Fi, Lora WAN, USB, and more. The list continues to grow with every project.
Something Fun
Fun is everywhere at DMC. From ping pong at the Chicago office (with an associated ranking application) to the Friday happy hours, to the welcome parties for all the new people that join DMC, I know why people love to work at DMC. Crain's Chicago Business has consistently ranked DMC as one of the best places to work in Chicago. It has been a remarkable first few months at DMC, and I can't wait to see what else this place has in store for me.
Although leaving the distillery meant that cocktail making was over, the fun and learning at DMC surely has not ended. It has continued every day since I started work.
Want to join in on the fun? Check out DMC's open positions.