Jim's Story - Devops Engineer

“The personal development has been unreal at Dootrix!” - Jim’s Story

 If you’d like an environment where you can develop your skills and career but worry that you might get overlooked in a large organisation, Dootrix offers a chance to work with the very best while giving you the opportunity to pursue the avenues that interest you. Jim Winstanley was looking to grow as a software engineer and explore new challenges. This is how he found a home he loves with Dootrix.

Making the move to specialise in cloud

Jim joined Dootrix in April 2021. He had a support background, working on a service desk where he would log on remotely and solve the problems of people who had called in with technical issues.; he dealt with a wide range of customers and technologies and felt like a jack of all trades. However the 18 months Jim spent there at least helped him identify his particular area of interest: cloud computing.

He looked for an employer more solidly focused on cloud environments and stumbled across Dootrix. He started in a support role and worked in that for about a year.

Supported to develop professionally

“Straight off the bat I got to work with some really cool clients like Heathrow, which was really awesome. But after a year, a conversation was had where I explained that while I loved doing support, I wanted to focus more on engineering or project-based work, rather than being reactive and fixing other people's problems.”

Dootrix listened; the company actively works to help all colleagues realise their professional goals. It provided Jim with training so that he could work towards becoming a DevOps engineer.

“The personal development has been unreal at Dootrix,” says Jim, “as is the amount that I've grown. I had a support background and some experience with cloud computing, but not expert-level knowledge. Dootrix allowed me to study for certifications at set times during work hours and follow a Microsoft Learning Path. I presented a few resources that I wanted to use, and they were happy to finance them and the certification exams as well. They were invested in me a lot, which was really refreshing and really nice.”

Eighteen months on he’s busy building his career as an engineer working in DevOps.

Nurturing a team spirit in a work-from-home business

Jim also enjoys the work culture at Dootrix. The transition from office-based to predominantly remote working was accelerated by the pandemic. The team at Dootrix is aware of the potential downsides, namely that people can end up feeling isolated or have fewer opportunities to work alongside one another with the benefits that has for social interaction, brainstorming and skills transfer. One of Dootrix’s solutions to counter balance the impact of mostly working from home is through social Slack channels, where colleagues can chat about non-work topics. There’s also been a concerted attempt to bring people together. Jim has taken on responsibility for organising social activities.

“Last year about 10 of us did the three peaks [Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon]. We didn't do the actual three peaks challenge, partially because that involves climbing all three in one day. We did do a peak a day. which was quite enough for some people.”

There are also board games evenings, monthly meals, plenty of outdoors activities like cycling and six-a-side football, summer barbecues and even a movie club. At the same time, Dootrix remains a perfect environment for those who are introverted, neurodiverse or who just prefer their own company. “There’s no pressure to join in,” says Jim. “You’re not valued any less if you don’t.

A great Azure specialist business to work for

“Honestly, I feel really good about Dootrix. The company's not particularly old, 10 or 12 years. There are people who have been there for a large chunk of that so, if you’re thinking of joining a company, if you see things like that, that's a pretty good sign.”

Jim, like many of our employees, likes the fact that Dootrix keeps its management structure flat, something we find facilitates better communication (and better project outcomes).

“I work under some really intelligent people that I feel I have no friction bouncing ideas off. So I’ve got a lot of confidence working here. In the time that I've been here I've established myself to a point where I feel like I could just message anyone if I have a question that needs their attention. When there’s a job to be done, everyone at Dootrix, from top to bottom, is very down to earth. There’s no standing on ceremony. It’s very friendly but there’s also a tangible sense of purpose. I really like that.”

Jim believes anyone looking for a career in software development who is interested in the cloud, would do well to check out Dootrix. “Dootrix will happily invest in you as much as you want to invest in yourself. Where I've showed initiative where I want to grow, Dootrix has reciprocated. So, I'd say it's a great place to learn and grow and do awesome work and, for a company of our size, we have some really cool clients. So, for people that want to join Dootrix I'd say go for it. I honestly feel so warm about the company. I think a lot of people would say the same.”