3 Things to Consider Before Joining a New Company

If you’re thinking about jumping into a new role at a new company, it can be incredibly scary. How can you possibly know if an organization is who they say they are? Will you fit in with the people and mesh with the culture? How can you be sure that this new opportunity offers things that your current role doesn’t and propels your manufacturing career forward?

I joined Paperless Parts in December coming from another company, and I remember asking myself those questions. I knew in my heart that it was a great fit for me, and I think it’s because they made it easy to picture myself here. No matter what organization you’re evaluating as a potential employer, here are a few things I would try to uncover before taking that leap of faith:

1. What do you think you’ll learn?

When deciding whether or not to join a new company, many people ask how what they already know can help them succeed. Paperless Parts has taught me that it’s often more about the new things you’ll learn that can send your career in the right direction.

Ask yourself if the work you’ll be doing will feel like a challenge. If the answer is no, you may not feel as much day-to-day gratification. At Paperless, within the first couple weeks of working on the software engineering team, I was working on projects that directly affected our customers. While it was challenging to tackle these problems so early on, it was incredibly rewarding and gave me the confidence I needed to succeed in my new role.

2. What are the people that work there like?

People can make or break a job. One of the best parts about working at Paperless is how collaborative the team is. The people here are not only team-oriented and willing to help at the drop of a hat, but everyone is smart, humble, and passionate about their work. It makes it easier to be productive and tackle challenges head on because we have a lot of respect for one another here. I feel empowered by my colleagues every day.

Lindsay (second from left) and her team at the Paperless Parts Spring 2022 Hackathon. Lindsay’s team was a winner of the People’s Choice Award.

3. Does the work seem interesting?

Something that’s always been important to me is the subject matter of the work I’m doing. What I love about Paperless Parts is that the work we’re doing is really fascinating; not only do our customers make parts that go into products like life-saving medical devices and rocket ships, but our software is cool. The product is evolving at such a rapid rate and makes such a visible impact on our customers’ lives that it’s hard to ever be bored here.

Putting Things Into Perspective
Feeling rewarded at the end of each day is no guarantee when it comes to a corporate job. If you’re on the hunt for a role that offers more than just a paycheck, consider basing your decision on these factors and you’ll surely find that and then some.

Before coming to Paperless Parts, the job shop manufacturing industry felt very niche. But once I was challenged to solve our customers’ problems (like making the parts for the very type of computer I was working on), inspired by my peers, and saw the advanced technology I’d be working on every day, I realized how positively impactful this organization can be on our world.

If you’re considering what a career at Paperless Parts may look like, I encourage you to head over to our Careers page to view all our open roles.

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After working as a Software Engineer at another SaaS company for nearly 3 years, Lindsay became a Senior Software Engineer at Paperless Parts in December of 2021. She holds a BS focused in Computer Science from Northeastern University, is skilled in C++, Python, Java, and full-stack web development, and is passionate about learning new skills, solving problems, and writing code. Lindsay coaches lacrosse on the side and resides in Boston, MA.