Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2025/03/04/building-a-high-performance-team-in-india-meet-swami-nathan/

Swami Nathan has a track record of building new teams from scratch for global companies. Through his experiences, he’s identified what it takes to build not just any team – but a high performing team that drives innovation and growth for business while propelling career trajectories for those who take the ride. His experience in breaking down silos in tech, driving optimization, and increasing developer & business agility make him the perfect fit to lead the Rapid7 team in Pune, India.

“In today’s world, innovation in areas like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are fundamentally changing the technology landscape at a rapid pace. We need to think about ways to become more nimble in our products, our engineering, and in our ability to listen to our customers so we can stay ahead of the curve. At Rapid7, we want to be on the forefront of this evolution, so we can continue to deliver value to our customers and build a more secure digital future.”

Building excellence through collaboration

Rapid7’s culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer centricity provides the ideal environment for building exceptional teams. This environment creates unprecedented opportunities for those seeking to advance their careers and make meaningful contributions through their work.

“When you join a company, you are automatically part of a team. Becoming a high performing team requires a lot of work on the ground, and it’s a transformational journey every colleague  must participate in. Along the way, there is a unique opportunity for every person to uplevel their skills and their profile. The experiences and unique challenges you are going to have, with a company that has the right culture and support systems in place, in an industry where there is an incredible amount of innovation, create an opportunity that not many people have access to, in their careers.”

Characteristics of high-performing teams

Swami shares a few key characteristics that stand out among high performing teams.

They challenge limitations

Some teams have an imaginary boundary when it comes to what they can or cannot do. On a high performing team, there is no boundary to what is possible. Instead, they will question limitations and ask, ‘why not?’

They demand excellence.

As the team begins to grow, they will not accept a B or C level player to join their team. Instead of wanting to be the smartest person in the room, high performing team members actively seek out colleagues they can learn from and who will contribute to the high level of performance.

“There are a few natural side effects when these things happen. First, you improve talent density across your entire company. Green employees are ramping quickly and learning from experts. Seasoned employees are simultaneously coaching those around them, while continuing to uplevel themselves. Second, you drive engagement and collaboration. High performing teams are inspired by the people they work with. They get up in the morning and are motivated for the day ahead because they genuinely look forward to coming to the office and collaborating in person.”

Essential qualities for success at Rapid7

As Rapid7 builds our team, there are key qualities they look for in candidates. For engineers and developers specifically, Swami shares the characteristics he looks for.

Product ownership

Building a product requires a variety of teams who are experts at different phases of the process. Instead of caring solely about their own domain, it’s important for engineers to have a sense of shared ownership over what they are delivering to customers. Great developers may not know everything about QA and testing, but they care enough about what they deliver to understand their role in building a quality product.

Do they have a growth mindset?

The ability to learn and take feedback is essential, especially for those who are early in their career and have not yet developed their technical skills. Being brave enough to ask questions and challenge the status quo will lay a foundation upon which they can build their technical skills.

Impact Through Influence and Action

Having the ability to influence is oftentimes associated with hierarchy or title. Swami challenges this belief and shares that if you have a point of view, are well researched, and can speak intelligently to your stakeholders, these are the factors that determine impact, regardless of your title. A bias for action means that you are looking to take the next step. You are proactive in moving things forward, breaking audacious goals into smaller milestones and action items. If someone can possess these two abilities, Swami knows they are someone who is capable of driving incredible impact in their team, and across the business.

What drew him to Rapid7

Swami joins as the first official full time employee of Rapid7 in India. So what was it that inspired him to take this new role? He credits the experience he has with company executives, and a shared system of beliefs and values with his decision to take the helm in Pune.

“As I was talking with the CEO, and our executive teams, the topics we spoke about did not feel like a traditional interview. Instead, we talked about who we each were as people, and what Rapid7 stands for as a company. As those conversations continued, I was pulled into the culture very naturally. Having a new office in India be strategically tied to the mission and purpose of the business, and how it will help drive such a positive impact for our customers was something that was really inspiring for me.”

Beyond the executive team, Swami shares a common thread that speaks to the company culture and values in action. “My experiences with the executive team and with other leaders across different business areas are all very consistent in terms of how they envision the future of our business. People willingly share information and historical context on their area of expertise, which gives me valuable insights into what we are working to achieve, and what we need as we build our team. It’s not easy to build this kind of consistency in a global organization, so that has continued to impress me throughout my journey here.”

Why join Rapid7 in India?

“What we are looking to do at Rapid7 India is impressive. We are planning for rapid growth this year (which by the way, is less than 10 months!). We don’t want to just build an office in Pune to grow our company headcount – we’re focused on growing high quality talent in a way that enables us to have a positive impact on customers, and deliver to critical business needs. This is a transformational journey that you won’t have anywhere else. We’re thrilled to offer the chance to be one of the first team members in India, contributing to a high performing team, experiencing tremendous personal growth, and delivering critical products and services to our customers.”

Learn more about working at Rapid7 in Pune here.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2025/02/10/interning-at-rapid7-prague-meet-mko/

Mkrtich Hovsepyan – most people call him Mko –  is an intern at Rapid7’s fast-growing office in Prague. He graduated from the luminous Charles University in Prague, and is currently a first-year master’s student in Artificial Intelligence there. He was in our first impressive crop of interns, and is sharing his experience as we gear up for our next wave of intern hiring.

How would you summarize your internship with Rapid7?

My internship as a Data Engineering Intern at Rapid7 was an enriching experience where I learned about the processes and pipelines of how data is processed and later utilized for Business Analytics and other spheres. Many people think data engineering is just about knowing SQL, but for me, SQL was only a small part of the role. I worked on projects that . allowed me to develop my skills in creating ETL processes and other data workflows. Most importantly, I honed my soft skills, and it was easy to do so because the team and management were very supportive.

What advice would you give your past self before starting your internship?

My advice would be to communicate with as many people as possible. Since your team might be working from different parts of the globe, it can become a bit challenging to connect when you don’t have common lunches or in-person meetings. Rapid7 offers opportunities like Insight Coffees to meet different kinds of people and enhance communication. Also, a friendly tip: try not to merge PRs on a Friday!

What support have you been given while at Rapid7?

I really liked that I was seen as someone worth investing in for the future. This meant my team let me try things on my own, giving me the chance to succeed and also to fail sometimes (and yes, there were a few “interesting surprises” along the way!). They knew that making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn and get better. I’m thankful to my teammates who spent a lot of time explaining the basic processes to me.

What has been your favorite experience while at Rapid7?

We were celebrating the first anniversary of the Rapid7 office in Prague, and there was a fun challenge to gather nine signatures from nine different people. The interesting part was that each person had specific characteristics you had to find – like someone working in a specific team, someone with a sticker on their laptop, or even someone whose shoe size is a prime number! It was a great way to meet new colleagues across different teams.

How would you summarize the culture in 3 words?

Open-Minded, Innovative, Transparent.

At Rapid7, we’re working to create a secure digital world for our customers, our industry, and our communities. We give organizations command of their attack surface with the most adaptive, predictive, and responsive cybersecurity platform – and meaningful, impactful partnership.

The Rapid7 office in Prauge opened in October 2023, and has quickly grown to support all areas of our business. Learn more and browse our latest job openings here: https://careers.rapid7.com/rapid7-in-prague

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2025/01/30/paying-it-forward-giving-and-receiving-mentorship-in-tech/

I’ve never actually seen the 2000 romantic drama Pay It Forward, but the movie’s core idea has stayed with me since I first heard of it:

The best way to repay a favor or good deed is to do one for someone else. You ‘pay it forward,’ and ask that person to do likewise, creating an expanding web of positivity and goodwill.

Cliche as it may sound, it’s served me well over my career. I’ve had many roles over the past 20 years, starting as a junior engineer  and progressing into management. My own mentors and coaches shaped my experiences along the way, contributing to that growth.

In return, I try to do the same for others.

Mentorship vs. coaching

I want to briefly look at ‘mentorship’ versus ‘coaching,’ as they are often conflated. There is certainly overlap, but the approach and impetus differs.

Mentorship involves dedicated guidance and support over time. The mentee drives the relationship, the ultimate goal, and the current focus. The mentor maps a path to the goal, and offers personalized knowledge and experience on a one-to-one basis.

Coaching is a more structured approach,primarily driven by the coach. It normally involves specific skill or knowledge training, and often isn’t personalized; it can be extended to groups with minimal change.

I believe that successful learning relationships operate on a spectrum between mentorship and coaching. Particularly in tech, where so-called ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills carry equal weight, the focus is a sliding scale over time.

For this article, I’ll focus on the ‘mentor’ and ‘mentee’ roles for simplicity.

Why do people seek mentorship?

Mentee-mentor relationships are inherently transactional – and that’s okay! The mentee has a goal to achieve, and wants help to get there. So what’s in it for both parties?

For mentees, it’s fairly obvious:

• Skills and experience growth
• Career advancement
• Increased profile and exposure
• Personalized individual guidance

The mentor – wanting to be diligent and accurate with their guidance – sees their own skills and knowledge reinforced. Communication and teaching skills grow. Their ability to elevate others is advantageous for their own career aspirations.

It’s okay to feel good about this – it’s a good thing.

Mentorship and career growth

As you climb the ladder in your career, you will find yourself gaining:

• The ability to handle increasing ambiguity, complexity, and scope
• Knowledge and experience you can share with others

Obviously you also have to deliver value, but I see that as a function of the above, plus institutional factors. Your increasing capacity to navigate complex or ambiguous environments, paired with an advanced set of skills, is what propels you from  wide-eyed junior to seasoned veteran.

We’re all walking this path in some form. Juniors often need direction on what to do and how to do it. With more experience, there is less direction needed for ‘how’ and more focus on ‘what’ and ‘why.’ You start to own features and systems, and can guide others.

In higher roles, strategy comes to the forefront as you become more aware of business needs, customer requirements, and wider technical challenges. You’ve gone from ‘change this line of code’ to ‘increase this KPI by 20%’. Ambiguity, complexity, and scope all go up as a result..

In addition to changes in your deliverables, success also becomes measured by how well you can elevate others around you. At Rapid7, we look at leaders to be impact multipliers, meaning they have the capacity to drive impact not only in their own roles, but how they support those around them to be successful.

Additionally, you don’t have to wait to be in an official people leader role to have this kind of impact. Being a mentor and elevating others can happen regardless of where you are in your career journey.

Mentoring someone is an investment in the future. You chart a path to success, act as a role model, and in some ways shape the industry to come.

Getting started

Whether you’re looking to become a mentor – or seeking guidance as a mentee – the keys to getting started are relatively similar.

Seeking the right opportunities

• Take stock of where you have existing relationships to build off of, and ask for guidance while sharing what your goals are for entering into a mentorship relationship. – Let your colleagues and manager know that you’re available. Sharing your goals with your manager can help incorporate your mentor experience into your personal development plan, and they may even have recommendations on how to get started. Colleagues can be great mentors/mentees, and may also be able to help point you in the right direction to connect with someone. Seek opportunities on Slack, Discord, and other community channels. Going beyond your current employer can expose you to different practices and philosophies that exist within the same field or area of focus.
• Attend meetups and conferences to network and find opportunities. The goal of attending an event is often to gain knowledge and share best practices, so this is a great audience for you to find your mentor/mentee match.

Establishing guidelines and expectations

It’s important for both parties to agree on some foundational principles, which for me are:

• Mutual trust and respect
• Adequate investment of time, effort, and care
• Fluidity and flexibility
• Transparency, honesty, and accountability

Maintaining effective mentorships

Let’s look at some other factors to consider and watch for as the relationship evolves:

• Don’t over-prescribe structure or get bogged down in note-taking – keep it light and fluid to encourage maximum flexibility.
• There are no ‘stupid questions’ – don’t apologize as a mentee for asking!
• Leave ego at the door – embrace honest feedback and mutual respect at all times.
• Safety and trust are essential – but avoid getting too personal in ways that hinder your ability to be honest and open.
• Mentorship is a vital tool for managers – but transparency can suffer when the mentee is also a direct report. Peer relationships without these power structures can feel ‘safer’ and encourage better transparency.

Conclusion

When it comes to mentorship, my core point is this:

Helping people is good, and you can (and should) do it.

As a mentor, you have the opportunity to shape someone’s career and experience while galvanizing your own skills and future prospects. Start today, in whatever form you can.

As a mentee benefitting from guidance and support in pursuit of your goals, try not to forget to pay it forward. Find someone to guide and help on their journey, as you yourself have been.

Post Syndicated from Sam Keay original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/12/17/take-command-of-your-career-practicing-self-advocacy-as-a-woman-in-tech/

As the year draws to a close, it’s essential—and often expected—to reflect on our achievements and lessons learned in preparation for annual performance reviews and setting future goals.For women in tech, this reflection period can be an especially powerful tool. The industry often demands that women work harder to prove their worth in spaces where their contributions are sometimes overlooked or undervalued. Performance reviews and goal-setting moments are opportunities to take command of your career, highlight your contributions, and advocate for your worth.

Many women, particularly those in male-dominated fields like tech, have been conditioned to prioritize modesty over self-promotion. This can make self-advocacy feel uncomfortable, even though it is essential for career growth. As a result, performance reviews often provoke anxiety instead of empowerment. It’s common for women to downplay their achievements or struggle to articulate their value in a way that feels authentic.Shifting this narrative is critical. Self-advocacy isn’t about bragging; it’s about ensuring that your contributions are recognized and valued in spaces where they might otherwise be overlooked.

Why Self-Advocacy Matters for Women in Tech

In male-dominated industries, women often face additional challenges, such as biases around competence, communication styles, and leadership potential. Self-advocacy helps combat these challenges by ensuring your contributions are visible and your goals are clear. Advocating for yourself helps you recognize your value and push back against imposter syndrome—a common experience for women in underrepresented spaces.

When you embrace self-advocacy, you empower yourself to ask for the opportunities, recognition, and compensation you deserve. But how can you self-advocate in a way that feels authentic and impactful? Here are some strategies that have helped me navigate and excel in self-advocacy while working in tech.

Keep a Hype Document

When preparing for a review or manager conversation, it’s easy to forget big wins from the past 6-12 months, making the process feel daunting.

To stay on top of this, I keep a ‘Hype Document’ that I update monthly. I track every positive contribution—big or small—with notes on its impact, alignment to goals, and connection to Rapid7’s core values. This document becomes my go-to for 1:1s, reviews, and team discussions, ensuring I always have relevant wins ready to share.

It’s also a great confidence booster when imposter syndrome creeps in, reminding me of my progress and value. At year-end reviews, it turns what could feel overwhelming into an empowering opportunity to demonstrate my impact with clear, compelling evidence.

Make the most of 1:1s

Weekly or bi-weekly 1:1s are a great opportunity to steer conversations with your manager. When employees take the lead, it shows they’re managing their responsibilities effectively, builds trust, and helps managers assess readiness for growth opportunities.

I apply the same approach with my own boss—using 1:1s to provide updates, seek guidance, and demonstrate my readiness for new challenges, which supports my career advancement.

Prepare ahead by setting an agenda, highlighting recent wins, and sharing the impact of your work. Even the best managers can’t see everything, so use this time to ensure your contributions are recognized and identify areas for growth or improvement.

Map out your goals

In order to know how and when to advocate for yourself, you need to have a clear direction of what your desired outcome is. Define your career aspirations clearly, whether it’s leadership, technical expertise, or a shift in focus. This clarity helps you communicate your vision to others and align their support.

Share your expectations

Your manager can’t help you meet goals they don’t know about. Use your voice to ask for what you want, whether it’s a salary increase, leadership role, or new focus area.

Be clear and transparent about your aspirations. This is your career, not a hobby—take ownership and communicate your expectations confidently. Your manager can provide feedback, identify skill gaps, and outline next steps to help you move forward.

Remember, your manager should be your second-biggest advocate—you must be your first.

Nail your elevator pitch

In tech, roles and contributions can be highly technical, making it harder to summarize your value. Crafting a strong elevator pitch helps you translate your contributions into relatable, impactful terms.

For example, instead of saying, “I manage the Proposal team,” try:
“I manage a global team of accredited Proposal Managers. We drive tens of millions of dollars in revenue annually by winning bids and ensuring smooth contract processes.”

Grow your network and seek mentorship

Nobody achieves a great career all on their own. Networking—whether internal, external, or through mentorship—sets you up for success.

At Rapid7, I’ve used our InsightCoffee program to connect with colleagues across teams. These conversations have opened doors to collaboration, deepened my understanding of the business, and given me opportunities to share my goals and practice my elevator pitch.

Many organizations also have internal chats and channels for communication. Put yourself out there—share information, offer help, and build connections. People remember those who teach them something or lend a hand in tough moments, so look for opportunities to add value.

Mentorship is another way to grow your network and address skills gaps. This could mean finding a mentor or offering to mentor someone else. My mentor relationships have been invaluable as sounding boards for feedback and advice.

Efforts like these increase your visibility and grow your network, which are key to leadership and enhancing your personal brand.

Solicit (and give!) Feedback

Like many tech companies, Rapid7 uses a 360-feedback tool to help employees identify strengths and areas for growth. Using this tool regularly can feel intimidating, especially when requesting constructive feedback, but keeping an open mind allows you to unlock its value as a resource for long-term success.

Providing feedback is just as important. It’s a chance to celebrate others’ achievements, strengthen relationships, and connect around shared goals. Embracing feedback—both giving and receiving—helps you build stronger connections and demonstrate the impact of your work.

Wrapping Up

If I were to summarize the main takeaways from self-advocacy, it comes down to this:

Believe you deserve it, and shamelessly ask for it.

Start small when implementing these practices. Share a few wins in your 1:1s, ask your manager what they consider noteworthy, or spend time networking to discuss your goals and challenges. You could also share a big win in a team meeting or ask others how they approach self-advocacy. It’s not a dirty word—it’s about recognizing your value and earning the recognition you deserve to advance your career.

While self-advocacy may feel uncomfortable at first, the more you practice, the more natural it becomes. Growth happens outside your comfort zone—you deserve it, and you can do it!

What’s more, every step you take to advocate for yourself inspires others, raising your profile while fostering a culture of growth and fulfillment. As the saying goes, ‘a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle’.

To learn more about the culture at Rapid7, our Rapid7 Women’s community, and other resources, visit our careers page.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/11/07/cathal-oneill-taking-command-of-your-career-in-tech/

Cathal O’Neill joined Rapid7 in 2023 as a Senior Engineering Manager, and he has since advanced to the role of Engineering Director. Reflecting on his career path, he says,“My journey into senior management has been a continual evolution, driven by both personal development and the desire to lead challenging technical projects.”

Cathal credits the experiences for paving a path of continuous growth and development. Beginning his career as an intern and moving through roles from engineer to team leader, he notes, “Through each role, I’ve gained deeper insights into the technical, managerial, and strategic aspects of technology leadership. As I navigated these roles, only then did I understand the scale at which software solutions need to operate and evolve.”

We asked what his key to success was, and he shared what he sees as three critical ingredients for taking command of your career in tech:

• Feedback
• Connections
• Continuous Learning

Below, Cathal delves into each principle and offers resources and practical tips that have helped him along the way.

Feedback

“I often hear that feedback is a gift. This is something I know to be true today, but it took me a while to realise what this really meant, and get comfortable with it. Early in my career, I would get constructive feedback and feel defensive or try to prove that it wasn’t true. Once I started to embrace feedback and use it as an opportunity to learn, I was able to navigate challenges much more efficiently, and become a better leader for my team. Looking back, every major milestone in my career was shaped by feedback from team mates, managers and mentors.”

“Feedback is most effective when built on mutual trust. Early on, a mentor recommended Radical Candor, a book by Kim Scott that emphasises the importance of relationships in delivering constructive feedback. I’ve applied its principles to give and receive feedback in ways that feel authentic and lead to productive outcomes. The Software Engineering Guidebook by Gergely Orosz is another one that I have recently been reading, and using to frame my feedback and guidance to my teams. Orosz dives into both the technical aspects of the software roles, as well as providing advice on how to work within an organisation.”

Recommendation:

• Radical Candor, by Kim Scott
• The Software Engineering Guidebook – Gergely Orosz

Connections

“As I navigate different situations, I’ve found myself very lucky to have a number of strong people around me who lean in to help me succeed. Whether it’s offering advice, critical or positive feedback, or “rubber ducking” with me (which I’ve found not just to be useful when debugging code!), these connections continue to shape my development today.

When building your network, I recommend:

• Being intentional: Aim to build relationships with people whose experiences and career paths you value, as opposed to trying to grow your network for the sake of it.
• Engaging thoughtfully: Do the groundwork to understand someone’s background and ask specific, meaningful questions. Genuine curiosity often forms the foundation of strong professional relationships.
• Following up: Maintaining relationships requires effort. A quick message to check in, a note on how their advice helped, or a casual coffee catch-up can strengthen these connections over time.”

Continuous Learning

“Learning happens in many forms—through formal programs or hands-on experiences—and is something we feel very passionately about at Rapid7, as it relates to our core value of ‘Never Done.’ Shortly after joining, I participated in the Manager Bootcamp, which laid the foundation for understanding Rapid7’s leadership expectations. Later, I joined the Amplify program, which provides 360-degree reviews and insights from senior leaders, including our CEO, Corey Thomas. As I went through the Amplify programme, I read ‘Scaling people: tactics for management and company building, by Claire Hughes Johnson. This book helped reinforce concepts I was learning and is one that I would recommend to anyone in a leadership role.

Outside of these formal programmes, learning is embedded into our everyday culture and how we operate as a global company. In the Cloud Security engineering teams, we have lunch and learn sessions, show and tells, and have recently launched cloud technology and cloud security training, which cover the various cloud providers and industry certifications. At Rapid7, we are open to giving people stretch assignments or leaning in on new projects that relate to an area or topic they are interested in and want to learn more about. If you want to do something different or specialise in another area of the business, you don’t need to leave the company to find those opportunities. Having learning be tied to our culture enables internal mobility and growth in a way that is really unique.”

Recommended:

• Scaling people: tactics for management and company building – Claire Hughes Johnson
• Engineering Management for the rest of us – Sarah Drasner

“These books have enriched my understanding of tech leadership, offering new perspectives on challenges I’ve faced and reinforcing essential concepts. While on the job training provides a tremendous opportunity to grow, seeking out additional content is also part of continuous learning. Some of these books cover content that I “know already” but help frame it differently or serve as a reminder of the foundations as my role has evolved. Revisiting these resources periodically helps me stay grounded as I navigate day-to-day challenges, and I’m always on the lookout for new resources to learn from.”

Conclusion: Cultivating Growth at Rapid7

As he reflects on his path, Cathal emphasises how Rapid7 fosters a culture of growth, allowing employees to take active ownership of their career trajectories.

“Before joining Rapid7, I heard a lot about the company’s culture. After nearly three years, I can say it truly sets Rapid7 apart. People here focus not just on their own success but on the success of their colleagues and the collective. This environment fosters trust, encourages open feedback, and provides unique learning experiences—all of which make Rapid7 a place where careers can thrive.”

For those interested in joining the Rapid7 team, you can explore opportunities on our careers page or view all open roles here.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/08/15/brandon-adkins-career-journey-taking-chances-and-tackling-new-challenges/

Brandon Adkins is the Manager of our Threat Intelligence & Detection Engineering (TIDE) team. His career journey spans a variety of roles and teams where he has been able to showcase his technical skills in security. Since joining Rapid7, he’s had experience as a Penetration Testing Consultant, working with both red and purple teams, and now as a leader with our TIDE team he supports engineers in writing effective detections for products like Insight IDR.

Adkins is no stranger to seeking out and taking on new technical challenges. Before joining Rapid7, he had built a long and successful career, achieving the role of Principal Information Security Analyst.

“I decided to come to Rapid7 because I was at a point in my career where in order to advance further, I was either going to be a people manager, or I would have to look elsewhere,” said Adkins. “At the time, I didn’t feel like I was ready to hang up my hat as an individual contributor. I still felt I had more to offer on the technical side, and didn’t want to be done yet.”

This drive led him to pursue his Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) designation, enabling him to become a Penetration Tester. “I got my notification that I had passed my test the day I had my first interview with Rapid7. So the fact that I got the job really shows how they were willing to take a risk on someone brand new, and invest in my career by giving me that chance.”

When asked what the biggest shift was in coming to Rapid7, he praises the quality and caliber of talent he was exposed to. “In my past role, I was used to being one of the smartest guys in the room. Coming into Rapid7 and seeing the depth of knowledge that is here on the team, and the level of expertise everyone brings, I very quickly realized that there was so much more for me to learn.”

Adkins was inspired by those around him, and his curiosity and desire to keep growing didn’t stay quiet for long. During his time, he moved from red teams to purple teams, and ultimately started to become curious about the detection engineering team who is responsible for ensuring our products are effectively able to identify suspicious behavior.

“I really enjoyed my time as a pen tester. I loved purple teaming because I got to work alongside our customer security teams and help them identify ways to improve.” This collaborative experience and being able to blend his experience from blue and red teaming sparked further curiosity in detection engineering.

“I reached out to a few people and thought my next move might be to join the team as an engineer. When we actually got to talking, it turns out what the team really needed at the time was a manager. I was hesitant at first, but the more that I thought about it the more I thought, ‘I think I can really help make a difference here and do something good.’”

Adkins’ extensive technical background combined with his ability to work collaboratively in a customer-facing capacity ended up being the combination of talent that was needed to help the team work more efficiently. “They already have great people writing code. What they needed, and what I hope to bring, is someone who can speak to the business and advocate for the team, to smooth out any speed bumps, and ultimately clear the way so they can do what they are best at”.

Since taking on his new role in January 2024, the team has grown to be three times the size it was originally. “It’s an exciting time to be part of the team because we are getting the support and investment from the business to continue to iterate and make our products even better.”

As he continues to hire new people into the business, and support existing employees in growing their careers, Adkins says there are two key factors he looks for to spot high-caliber talent – communication skills, and the ability to collaborate.  “Technical ability is obviously important, you have to be able to do the work. But beyond that, if we’re looking for someone to step into a more senior role on the team, or evaluate if someone is ready for a promotion, I want to see examples of how they can communicate their ideas and challenges effectively, and how they use the partnerships we have across the business to collaborate and find solutions.”

For the TIDE team, Rapid7’s engineers sit at the intersection of customer feedback, product management, and our security operations center. “At a certain point, we can’t do our jobs well without having a partnership with other teams. We need to know from the SOC team if something isn’t working the way it should be. We want to know from our customers and Customer Advisors what’s working well and what more they’d like to see, and we need to work alongside our product teams and analysts to understand and synthesize data to get a full picture of the customer attack surface.”

For Adkins, his journey in cybersecurity is one that has opened a number of different doors as he’s explored new roles and teams. His expertise and experience has helped support customers around the world in understanding their attack surface and more efficiently protecting their business from bad actors.

When asked what advice he would share for others looking to grow their career, he shared “When you get an opportunity to try something new – especially at Rapid7 – jump at it. Rapid7 hired me as a pen tester with zero pentest experience. Four years later, they took a risk on me again as a people leader with zero previous people leader experience. This is a place where these moves and opportunities are not only available, but are supported by the leadership around you. If you have the fundamental skills necessary and it’s something you’re interested in, there’s a ton of room for you to expand your career.”

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/05/08/rapid7-signs-100-talent-compact-with-boston-womens-workforce-council/

The effort aims to help close gender and racial pay gaps

Rapid7 is proud to announce their signing of the 100% Talent Compact through the Boston Women’s Workforce Council (BWWC). The Talent Compact is a collective effort among the Boston Mayor and local employers to close the gender and racial wage gaps in Greater Boston. Compact Signers are actively committed to examining their salary data, contributing that data anonymously to the BWWC’s biennial wage-gap measurement, and participating in quarterly briefing sessions.

As an organization, the BWWC works alongside the City of Boston’s Mayor as well as local employers. Their programs and initiatives reflect their core beliefs surrounding the positive impact women have on businesses and communities, the importance of addressing gender and racial pay inequities, and the systemic impact gender and racial pay disparities can have in Greater Boston.

As stated by Christina Luconi, Chief People Officer, “At Rapid7, we are committed to fostering an environment where all of our people are doing impactful work in a way that is meaningful to them. Ensuring that we have equitable salary practices is just one way we can ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive in their career.”

In the United States, women earn 84 cents for every dollar earned by a man. In Boston, data collected by participants of the Talent Compact shows consistency with this number, with a wage gap of $0.21 for women and a gap of $0.27 for employees of color.

According to Lauren Noonan, Engagement Manager with the BWWC, “These numbers are disappointing to see, but measuring this data and understanding the work that needs to be done is the first critical step to creating necessary change. The companies that have signed on to our Talent Compact are committed to taking active roles in identifying gaps within their own organizations and actively participating in the panel discussions, sharing ideas, and putting corrective plans into action to address them.”

When it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Rapid7 has consistently demonstrated a commitment to focus efforts on driving impact; whether it’s through similar strategic partnerships with organizations like Hack.Diversity, Cyversity, and the University of South Florida or developing in-house resources and programs. Addressing systemic hurdles and supporting historically marginalized communities have become an integral part of our business strategy.

In addition to having programs and partnerships in place, Rapid7’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Sophia Dozier stresses how transparency is critical for creating impact and success. “Transparency is a key pillar in fostering spaces that are not only diverse and inclusive, but truly equitable. Levers of transparency should be embedded into every DEI strategy, as it helps ensure that decisions continue to reflect commitments made in support of building and maintaining impactful, high-performing, multi-dimensional teams and organizations.”

At Rapid7, we believe we are truly #NeverDone in our efforts to build an inclusive and equitable workplace where our employees can develop the career experience of a lifetime. This partnership furthers our commitment to continuously examining and enhancing our practices and programs so that all people can thrive, while being part of a greater discussion that impacts our industry and local community.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/04/02/challenges-drive-career-growth-meet-rudina-tafhasaj/

Starting a career for the first time in a new country can be intimidating. For Rudina Tafhasaj, her path to Senior Application Engineer at Rapid7 was paved with both unique challenges, and incredible rewards.

Growing up, Rudina was inspired to get into technology by her older brother. “He loved computers, and he was always opening up our big PC. I was curious, and would sneak around to see what he was doing,” Rudina says. “As I grew more, I saw that advances in technology were helping improve lives in so many ways. I knew it was going to be a big part of the future, and wanted to be involved.”

But technology wasn’t her only passion at a young age.

“Deep down my dream and passion is to be an actress – which is totally different! As I grew more, what I realized was that I actually loved the creativity involved in acting, and having the opportunity to network and work with other people.” While there may not always be cameras rolling, Rudina feels there are often similarities between her love of acting and her role today. “I can be creative in code, I can role play different scenarios, and this career is a way for me to tap into both of my passions. I am able to work on really impactful technology in a way that allows me to be creative while also partnering with all kinds of different people and teams along the way.”

At the very beginning of her career, Rudina faced a unique challenge that included relocating from her home in Albania to a new city in the Czech Republic. “It wasn’t easy moving to Prague. I had a tough time adjusting because I had never traveled, never lived on my own, and never had a professional job – and here I was tackling all three at once!” As the only daughter in a family with three brothers, she notes how she had to advocate for herself with her family in making such a big life change. While working as a Junior Developer, she had to work hard to overcome challenges and make an impact in her work.

“At my first job, as I was navigating all of this change, I got a really critical piece of feedback from my manager. I wasn’t developing my skills as much as he expected to see. I was in danger of losing my job if I didn’t make some dramatic improvements.”

This hard conversation served as a wakeup call for Rudina, and ignited her commitment to invest in learning and strengthening her skills so she could achieve her goals. While the feedback was hard to hear, Rudina notes that her manager continued to be supportive of her growth and wanted to help her succeed. “For 6 months, I woke up, went to work, came home, ate dinner, and then studied until it was time for bed. After doing that on repeat, my manager was able to see a dramatic improvement in the rate in which I was learning and growing. While there was still more to learn, he was impressed with my dedication and I continued to grow in my role.”

Rudina’s hard work paid off, and two years later, she took her career a step further with a position as a Salesforce Developer at Barclays. “I am so grateful to have had a manager that was able to give me the feedback I needed, while also encouraging me to stick with it and offer support along the way.”

Now a Senior Software Engineer at Rapid7, she reflects on her journey with a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. “Whatever challenges I went through in previous employers has made me the best person for Rapid7, and I’m grateful for all of my past experiences.” Overcoming challenges can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but it is often necessary to grow and move our careers forward. “It’s a continuous cycle too, as you grow and get more experience, you continue to set your goals higher and seek out the next challenge. There is always more to learn and more ways to grow in your career, especially in technology.”

Her appetite for continued growth is what ultimately brought her to Rapid7’s newest office in Prague in 2023. “I felt like I was ready for new challenges that would continue to accelerate my growth.” When looking at where to go next, she had three requirements that she was looking for in her next employer.

1. A clear development plan with support from her manager
2. A culture rooted in honesty and trust
3. Competitive and fair compensation for her work. Growing her earning potential alongside the growth of her career as she continued to advance.

“When interviewing for the role at Rapid7, I found evidence of everything on my list, and so much more as well. What really stands out the most is the trust and responsibility given to me by the business analysts or project managers that I partner with. They will share what they are looking to do, and then give me the responsibility and the autonomy to go ahead and find a way to make it happen – even when I’m brand new. It feels good to be given that trust and to be able to work on business critical initiatives where my ideas are respected and valued.”

When asked what advice she would give others looking to take on a new role, she says to note down what your expectations and goals are. “Use the interview time to ask whatever questions you need to help understand if it’s the right move for you, or not.” Rudina says having things defined before the call helps you stay on track and get the most value as you weigh your options. “I had a lot of questions during my interview – but because I was able to get answers, I walked away with a really confident feeling that the role at Rapid7 was going to be just what I was looking for.”

For Rudina, growth and development was essential in her next role. As someone who embraces new challenges, and represents Rapid7’s core values every day through her actions and work, it didn’t take long for her to be offered yet another opportunity. Within her first three months, she was given the chance to serve as a team lead. She looks forward to continuing to make an impact in her work, grow her career, and support others through her participation in the Rapid7 Women Impact Group.

To learn more about career opportunities and what it’s like to work at Rapid7, visit our careers site.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/03/14/rapid7s-ciara-cullinan-recognized-as-community-trailblazer-in-belfast-awards-program/

At the 2024 Women Who Code She Rocks Awards, Rapid7 Software Engineer II Ciara Cullinan was recognized with their ‘Community Trailblazer’ award.

According to Women Who Code, “This award celebrates the efforts of someone who brings people together and creates genuine connections in our tech community. Whether this is online or in-person, this person demonstrates exceptional commitment to building a thriving and inclusive community.”

When it comes to building community, Ciara is a true champion who is consistently looking for ways to establish and grow meaningful connections among her team, across the organization, and in the local tech industry. Whether it’s encouraging engagement in various slack channels with ‘water cooler’ questions and ice breakers, or driving Rapid7’s sponsorship of Women Techmakers, she’s proactively seeking out ways to bring people together while growing her own network in the process.

“I think a lot of times – and especially for women – we focus on perfection in our work. We can be hesitant to share things until we have it 100% figured out ourselves. However, when we are able to build strong personal connections with our colleagues, or even others in the industry, the bravery to put something forward or ask for feedback comes much easier. That connection opens up the door to have honest conversations, share ideas, and provide feedback. This is where we can work together to drive impact and grow our skills, which lead to rewarding career experiences and growth.”

In addition to her role as an engineer, Ciara is an active member of Rapid7 Women. Rapid7 Women is an employee resource group that aims to support, enable, and empower all employees identifying as women to bring their best, true selves to work every day through community, action, and activism. Ciara actively contributes to this mission by helping build global and local initiatives for the group. As mentioned in her nomination submission, “Ciara collaborates with colleagues from around the globe, in different business units and roles to build a Women program that caters to supporting not only Women identifying individuals, but also seeks to educate allies on how to be a culture contributor exhibiting inclusive leadership traits.”

Ciara also highlights the importance of bringing more women into the tech industry, and how organizations like Women Who Code can make a difference. “In my role I am one of two women on the team. As technology continues to evolve and things like Artificial Intelligence become part of our everyday life, it’s important to get more women involved in the field to combat any implicit bias in the things that are being built. Bringing more diverse perspectives into a team can also help drive innovation and help organizations work through challenges more efficiently. Awards and programs like this help showcase what’s possible for the next generation of women, allowing them see and then realize the potential a career in tech could hold for them.”

To learn more about Women Who Code’s Belfast community, visit their website.

To learn more about Rapid7’s culture, and our Rapid Impact Groups, visit our careers page.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/02/14/paving-a-path-to-systems-administration-naeem-jones-journey-with-rapid7/

Prior to becoming a Systems Administrator at Rapid7, Naeem Jones entered his career in cybersecurity through the Hack. Diversity program. Hack.Diversity is a program that connects talented Black and Latin/x students and early-career professionals with organizations that are looking to build inclusive and equitable working environments. Rapid7 is a founding member of “Hack” and has worked with the organization since 2017.

Jones remembers he and others in his cohort were looking for opportunities to grow and gain valuable experience at an organization, prioritizing the expansion of their expertise while also having ownership of tasks and projects. To Jones, one of the things that stood out the most about Rapid7 was the ability to be himself while having the opportunity to grow.

“One of my favorite core values at Rapid7 is ‘Bring You.’ I love having the ability to bring your authentic self every day – and that looks different for everyone. For myself, I am an avid gamer and even play competitively. I am part of multiple groups at Rapid7 where we discuss all the video games and media we love and are able to bond over our shared interests,” he said. Jones enjoys challenging those around him: “If you think you can beat me in a game, I am here, and I accept the challenge!”

Alongside the promise of a robust culture, there was room for Jones to challenge himself to create impact and grow. “Rapid7 emphasized that, once you join, you are part of the team. Even if you are an intern, you are a Moose and will be working alongside others with the same opportunities.” Employees call themselves “Moose” because it can refer to a single moose or an entire herd, demonstrating how every employee is working both individually and collaboratively to implement solutions. This references one of Rapid7’s five core values: “Impact Together.”

“I started by doing whatever I could to understand and take advantage of learning opportunities. A few months into my internship, I was put in charge of handling the onboarding process, which I continued as I came to Rapid7 full-time,” Jones said. “I had ownership of a critical part of the business, which was to be the face of IT and the first person at Rapid7 to give new employees information on their devices and where they can go when they need help or have issues.”

Every role at Rapid7 is integral to delivering for our customers, and Jones’ ability to demonstrate how to efficiently use devices is a great example. The faster our Moose are acclimated to their laptops and are equipped with the tools they need, the faster they can solve the challenges our customers are facing. This means they can more rapidly build products that will keep our customers ahead of attackers and safe in the midst of a complex digital environment.

As Jones has progressed through his career over the course of five years at Rapid7, he has taken advantage of opportunities to shadow those whose roles he has found fascinating. Through open communication with his managers, Jones was able to have a hand in mapping his progression into a Systems Administrator role. This has created opportunities for Jones to impart helpful information and wisdom of his own.

“Mentorship and cross-collaborationship never goes away. Of course, workload takes precedence but there is still so much for me to learn from my peers regardless of whether they are in a more junior or senior role. I have the opportunity now to also pass my knowledge along to others on processes I am well-versed in,” he said.

“I am able to offer wisdom, tips and tricks, and where to look when things aren’t right. I love being able to empower my team – or any partner – to learn from my experiences and be a teacher,” he said. “It is a privilege to be able to show others how I navigate processes to help them learn and to improve and become better. It is a continuous cycle.” This cycle is critical to the impact made at Rapid7 as Moose are able to work together on projects which foster expanded knowledge and fluid collaboration.

For those looking for their next opportunity, Jones acknowledges a difficult obstacle to overcome that many face: imposter syndrome. Although he recognizes that it may never truly go away, Jones suggests how to push through it: “Always try to partner, learn new skills, and shadow people in roles that interest you. No matter if it is a little thing or a big thing, just try,” he said.

Overall, Jones wants others to know that there is power in taking control in the face of adversity. “There have been points in my career where I felt paralyzed by imposter syndrome,” he said. “But, you can’t let that stop you from giving it a shot. Never let those feelings block you from learning and growing. Even if you ‘fail,’ you will still learn something and can carry that experience with you.”

Learn more about opportunities available at Rapid7.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/02/02/rapid7-in-prague-pete-rubio-shares-insights-and-excitement-for-the-new-office/

As we continue to grow our customer base here at Rapid7, we’re growing our offices as well – this time with a new location in the Czech Republic. With a successful history of building innovation hubs from Boston to Belfast, our teams can’t wait to bring new talent from Prague into the business.

Pete Rubio joined Rapid7 in December of 2020, and is the Senior Vice President, Platform & Engineering. In this role he leads our data and engineering teams as they work to develop, optimize, and deliver security products and solutions to more than 11,000 customers worldwide.

Here, he talks about what he’s excited to see in Prague, what makes working at Rapid7 unique, and how he has experienced growth and development in his role as a leader.

What can you share about our new office location in Prague?

As a cybersecurity company, the need to constantly evolve and bring new, innovative ideas to the table is paramount to our success and the success of our customers. When it comes to expanding our global presence with a new location in Prague, we are excited to grow our talent pool and bring new perspectives and ideas into the business. Creating an innovation hub like this isn’t new to us; we’ve seen success in our Belfast office when it comes to creating a global hub for innovation. I see Prague as a location that will follow that model and have that same impact.

What makes Rapid7 unique as an employer?

At Rapid7, it’s our culture that sets us apart from other global companies. We have really interesting problems to solve and breakthrough innovations to deliver, but it’s how we do things and the culture we’ve created here that makes us quite different. We believe in working together to challenge convention and deliver excellence. We value perspectives and ideas from all areas of the business, and there are no egos or personal agendas when it comes to delivering for our customers.

We also place an extremely high emphasis on giving employees opportunities to stretch themselves, try new things, and really grow their careers in a way that compliments our business strategy. Rapid7 has created an environment where you can grow your career, grow your leadership skills, clearly measure your impact on the business — and have a lot of fun along the way.

People all over the world spend a lot of time at work, and if you don’t like your co-workers or the environment you’re spending one third of your day in – it’s going to be a struggle. One thing I’ve found is that our culture has allowed us to work through our challenges and come out even stronger.

So what exactly are we building, and what can future employees expect?

There are a few sites at Rapid7 that represent a cross section of the company and have almost every discipline represented. Prague will be one of those sites. We’ll have engineering, product, a SOC location, finance, sales, support, and more. This is more than an engineering location or satellite office. Employees here will be working on critical path initiatives across the whole business. This is exciting for our employees because it creates a lot of opportunities for collaboration as well as growing your career and skills. If you want to lean into different areas of the business, being in a place where you can learn from other people and participate in rotational projects is important to help you get there.

As I mentioned before, professional growth is a critical component of our culture and our values. We are always open to people having new ideas and suggestions that are aligned with or help evolve our strategy in a positive direction. By giving employees the opportunity to have discussions and set their own goals for professional development – while holding managers accountable for having those conversations – we become a place where learning, innovation, and growth are taking place all around us every day. When our people are thriving and doing really impactful work and growing their skills, we’re able to succeed as a business and deliver better products and services to our customers.

Why should someone consider working in Cybersecurity?

There isn’t a more dynamic sector than Cybersecurity. Not a single day has been boring for me since I’ve been in the industry. I also think the ability to make a positive impact on the world is rewarding. We work to secure companies from bad actors. We have well known brand names that we secure, and there’s a level of job satisfaction that comes from knowing we built technology that is actively working to make the world a safer place and stop the bad guys. The role between defender and attacker is always going to be a big cat-and-mouse game. We constantly need to be thinking three steps ahead in order to keep customers secure.

What customer challenges are we solving?

When you look at the security landscape, our portfolio is probably one of the richest in the industry. So when we approach a customer to understand their security needs, we have almost everything they could possibly need in our offering. Additionally, the experience across our products and services are second to none. When I talk to our customers, I share that we are looking to be the leading platform consolidator.

When customers do business with us, we will make it so that their security programs are much more impactful for every dollar they spend with us. There are a lot of other companies that have a one-point solution, and that limits your ability to expand and grow with your customer. From the employee perspective, that also limits their ability to grow and work on new things. We have multiple products for our employees to work on and explore, and that means you don’t need to leave the company to grow.

You can do new and innovative things by changing product teams or working on a new offer. There are a lot of different ways we can increase customer efficiency as well as the efficacy of our programs, while providing really interesting career paths and opportunities for our people along the way.

What have you found to be most rewarding in your role at Rapid7?

The most rewarding part of my job has been the opportunities I’ve had to lead; these opportunities go beyond what I was initially hired to do. It’s fantastic to see the breadth and depth of impact I’ve been able to have in just three short years. There are company-wide challenges I’ve been able to support that have not always been in my domain, but I’ve been given the trust and opportunity to come in and help. Leaning in like that has truly evolved my career – I’ve been able to grow my leadership skills, develop a team, and deliver favorable outcomes for customers.

My story of growth is not unique within the company. As our business becomes more successful, we see opportunities for each person to become more successful as well. Our People Strategy team is intentional about looking at employees as individuals and recognizing that growth and success isn’t always a linear journey. We’re giving employees the opportunity to have ownership of their career trajectory. As leaders, our job is to support their goals, give feedback, and align that evolution and growth to business objectives.

How does Rapid7 maintain a consistent culture across global offices?

Every site has their own microculture that is a core part of our macro culture. Each office has a unique flavor that compliments the culture and employee experience we’re known for. Every time I arrive at a Rapid7 office, it FEELS like a Rapid7 office. This goes beyond the spaces and the way things look. It’s about the people I interact with, the sense of a common goal, and a feeling of being welcomed and included.

When I walk into the Belfast office, I feel like I’m in the Austin office. When I’m at the Boston office, I feel the same way I do when I’m in the Tampa office. Getting the culture to a place where it feels consistent across each and every site is a really hard thing to do – and yet we’ve done that here.

When I think about what makes that possible, I feel it comes down to the way we think about people. We don’t have a Human Resources team, we have a People Strategy team. It’s a simple shift, but it’s deliberate. We don’t look at people as resources, we look at them as people. The intellectual property we produce and the value we deliver as a business is created by people. They are our most valuable asset, and the way we support, grow, and engage them has a direct impact on our success as a business.

What would you say to someone in Prague looking for a new opportunity?

If you are looking for a place that intentionally values you as a person and gives you incredible opportunities to do your best work, I can’t think of a better environment than Rapid7. We’re committed to Prague as our next center for innovation, and we look forward to welcoming some of the most talented and collaborative professionals to join us in building a secure digital future.

View all current openings in Prague.

View all worldwide Product and Engineering openings.