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.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2024/01/04/rapid7-recognized-by-newsweek-as-one-of-americas-greatest-workplaces-for-diversity-for-2024/

On December 13th, Newsweek Magazine published their list of ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity for 2024’. Like many companies today, Rapid7 recognizes the positive impact diversity plays in driving organizational success, attracting and retaining exceptional talent, and creating positive career experiences for all people.

Sophia Dozier, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Rapid7 shares “We are proud to be on a list showcasing companies committed to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. Diversity of lived experience and thought create a more impactful depth and breadth of knowledge. This knowledge is what enables us to push boundaries and deliver extraordinary results and experiences for our partners, our customers, and our employees.”

The process for selection includes extensive research on publicly available information, along with an anonymous online survey capturing feedback from more than 220,000 employees at companies in the United States. Research captures information on company leadership, employee resource groups and internal communities, dedicated diversity program leaders, and social good reporting and initiatives. In the surveys, participants answer questions pertaining to work-life-balance, working environments, and workforce management. Companies then undergo an evaluation that includes media monitoring and validation of findings.

The findings from this year’s awards program reflect Rapid7’s intentional efforts to ensure diversity is a key part of their business strategy. As stated by Chief People Officer, Christina Luconi, “Rapid7 is committed to building an organization that thrives with the spirit of diversity and inclusion. We don’t think of DE&I as a project or a checklist item; it’s a core part of our culture and values set.  As a cybersecurity company, our mission is bold and challenging.  Ensuring we attract unique perspectives and backgrounds, and empowering them to come together in a way that is truly inclusive, is one way we feel like we are set up to achieve our audacious goals.”

In addition to being recognized by Newsweek as a great workplace for Diversity, Rapid7 has also been recognized and included in a variety of other diversity focused lists and indexes. In 2023, the company was listed on the Bloomberg Equity Index for the 5th consecutive year. The firm also participated in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, receiving an impressive score of 90% as a first time participant.

When it comes to the year ahead, Dozier is looking forward to continuing to evolve the company’s diversity programs by leveraging support from business leaders, strategic partnerships, and employees. “In 2024 we will continue to build programs focused on enhancing the skills needed to compete at a global level and navigate complex challenges. We’re proud to have long standing partnerships with organizations who are committed to providing historically underrepresented and underserved communities with pathways into cybersecurity and technology careers. Internally, we will continue to collaborate with our employees to be a better version of ourselves, staying true to one of our core values #neverdone.”

To learn more about how Rapid7 approaches diversity, equity and inclusion click here. To explore career opportunities and learn more about Rapid7’s values and Rapid Impact Groups, visit their careers page.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/08/08/how-one-engineer-upskilled-into-a-salesforce-engineering-role-at-rapid7/

At Rapid7, we believe the growth and development of our people enables us to better serve customers who depend on us. When our Engineering team was searching for candidates to help with our Salesforce ecosystem, John Millar demonstrated many of our core values – most importantly, the appetite to learn and grow his career as part of our commitment to “Never Done.” Through his own grit and determination – and support from his team – he transitioned into a new role and acquired a new set of skills along the way.

Here’s a closer look at that journey, told in John’s own words.

Celebrating a new path

Coming up on nearly two years at Rapid7, I am over the moon with what I have achieved personally and professionally. Before joining the company, I was a Q developer working with KDB+ systems. Now, I am an Engineer working in our Salesforce ecosystem in Belfast.

Getting up to speed with our Salesforce system, becoming a valuable member of our development team, and helping to knock out some big projects in that time period have made me incredibly proud of how my career has grown in under two years. I have also become the team’s SME for an integrated software tool that is connected with Salesforce and have completed my first Salesforce certification, with more planned before the end of the year. These certifications are funded by Rapid7 as part of their core value of “Never Done.”

Creating a new direction for my career and having the opportunity to grow has certainly paid off, but it didn’t happen overnight.

Jumping into something new

Rewinding back to 2020 – I had been working for over two years as part of a periodic low-frequency development team for a Tier 1 bank. We were responsible for the maintenance and development of the low frequency components of the plant. This role revolved around a holistic time series database system built on kdb+ (q language), containing a wide range of data covering both periodic and aperiodic frequencies and all asset classes.

I felt like I wanted a new challenge and was interested in moving back into a role based around an object oriented language, similar to what I had been working with throughout University. I had heard of and researched Rapid7, so when they contacted me and outlined their goals, objectives, and culture along with the specific role I would be applying for, I knew it was for me and wanted to make that jump.

Supporting new skills and growth

One of the core values of Rapid7 is “Never Done,” which encourages employees to constantly learn and improve their knowledge stack. I believe this was pivotal in my upskilling process, as the support needed was very accessible.

Rapid7 was invested in my growth from the moment I joined. As a candidate, I didn’t fit 100% of the requirements at the time. I understood the fundamentals and met the core criteria, but I didn’t have a ton of experience in Java and had no experience with Salesforce. Rapid7 recognized my potential and was invested in helping me grow my skills and become a great Salesforce developer for the team.  

When upskilling to Salesforce, the main area I used was Trailheads, a free program provided by Salesforce. These exercises and learning modules are very detailed, interesting, and interactive. They really help with absorbing and understanding the information in conjunction with actively completing tasks in parallel. Additionally, I was supported and mentored by colleagues from Rapid7, who were equally invested in my growth. Whether it was through formal 1:1s or just making themselves available for advice and questions, I felt supported throughout the process.

Creating impact

Making the transition was not easy, and it took a lot of time and effort. I had to be self-motivated and determined to get up to speed with the Salesforce CRM and Salesforce Apex. Having completed this transition journey into Salesforce, it is all the more satisfying when completing and planning work, knowing that it has paid dividends in terms of my career growth.

Our team is making an impact by enabling the Salesforce ecosystem to operate more efficiently. We do this by analyzing and debugging issues, identifying opportunities, and improving our integration capabilities. This means the Rapid7 team is better positioned to support and protect our customers against outside threats to their business, as well as protect the personal information and data of their customers.

I have great confidence and pride in the work that I complete and feel I play a vital role in our team. I would highly recommend anyone thinking of making that jump to something new, to go for it. I know I haven’t looked back.

Additional reading:

• Creating an Exceptional Workplace: Building and Expansion in a Post-COVID World
• The Forecast Is Flipped: Flipping L&D to Ensure Continuous Growth
• Rapid7 Belfast Recognized for “Company Connection” During COVID-19 Pandemic
• The Rapid7 Sales Culture and Experience: An Inside Look From 2 VPs

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/05/27/the-rapid7-sales-culture-and-experience-an-inside-look-from-2-vps/

Sales roles are all about people. That holds true not only when you’re building relationships with prospects but also in your day-to-day experience on the team. Having the right culture and people around you can make or break your success, satisfaction, and long-term growth. If you’re a job seeker looking for a technology sales role, getting to know the people you’d be working with can help you understand if that company is a place you can flourish and advance your career to the next level.

We asked two experienced sales leaders — Dan Bidwell, Regional Vice President – Central; and Jason Doris, Regional Vice President – East — who recently joined Rapid7 to tell us a little bit about themselves, what’s most exciting about being on their teams, and why they chose Rapid7 as the next step in their professional journeys.

What was your background prior to coming to Rapid7?

Dan: I have had a lengthy career selling enterprise technology solutions for both large high-tech providers and startups. My career started with companies like NCR, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle. I left Oracle to pursue a path of working with early-stage startup companies such as Portal Software, Arcsight, Veracode, and Illumio. I enjoyed the cybersecurity space, and once I started, I never looked back.

Jason: After 25 years in the document capture and workflow industry, I transitioned to cybersecurity. I have an eclectic background, having sold in virtually every segment (enterprise, mid-market, consumer) and in every route to market (eCommerce, B2B direct and through the channel, OEM) including 14 years in global roles.

I am coming from Fastly, an edge computing cloud services company focused on website acceleration and web application and API protection. While there, I started a Financial Services vertical where we closed large deals with the likes of Goldman Sachs and PayPal. Most recently, as the RVP for the East, Fastly’s “Security First” strategy has helped take customers like HCA, Metlife, Foot Locker, and Assurant away from competitors like Akamai and Cloudflare.

How did you first find yourself in a sales role?

Dan: My first sales role was with NCR out of college. NCR provided two benefits — one, they had an extensive training program for people who had not sold high tech solutions. The second was that I worked for their Computer Systems Group, so I started selling both mini computers and manufacturing software from the beginning.

Jason: In college, I grew disenchanted as a Psychology major and changed my major to Business Administration late in the process. Directly out of college, I returned to the supermarkets that I worked in since I was 15 and entered the management trainee program. After rising to a department manager and experiencing 60-hour workweeks for 5 years, I took a chance on myself by entering a sales career. I believed that with my work ethic and lessons learned in a false start in grocery, and given a chance and a fair set of rules, that betting on myself would pay off — and it has.

How would others on your team describe you as a leader?

Dan: I strive to be a leader who is hands-on and works closely with his team. This is not code for micro management but rather being another member of the team who is there to assist and add value in any way possible to advance the cause. No job is too big or too small to help with.

Jason: I believe that my team would say that I lead from the front and by example, that I take the profession of sales seriously, that I am grounded and transparent, and that I am a positive, optimistic influence.

How do you define and measure success?

Dan: In sales, success is ultimately defined by quota achievement. But quota achievement cannot be attained unless you build and enable a team of sellers who have a passion and a belief in both the solution they are selling, and their customer’s success and satisfaction with that solution.

Jason: I see success as achieving goals on one’s career arc and personal financial goals arc, while positively contributing to a company’s team selling culture.

What has surprised you or changed your ideas about what it means to be in sales?

Dan: If you observe sales from the outside, you may feel it’s about the individual, but the reality is that it’s about the team.

Jason: Mature athletes at the highest levels often refer to the game “slowing down” for them as they gained experience and became more successful. Despite what I would have initially believed, this is exactly what I have experienced: I started out selling on adrenalin and threw myself at my customers and prospects. Since then, I’ve planned my attack, listened more, had more opportunities sought the advice of others, practiced conversations, surrounded myself with smart people, and focused on the needs of customers.

What do you think are the most important elements of a successful, thriving sales team

Dan: The team needs to understand that you cannot go it alone. It can take a village to land a deal. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask early, and ask often. And be willing to offer help to your teammates, as well.

Jason: Curiosity, creativity, energy, resourcefulness, resilience, and a willingness to bet on oneself.

What made you choose Rapid7 for this chapter in your career?

Dan: I have admired what Rapid7 has done and I am excited about where they are going in the future. I believe they have the right solutions at the right time. Rapid7 has a great culture, strong executive leadership and the company is financially strong.

Jason: I was looking for an important role at a growing security software provider with deep enterprise aspirations and a great culture. At Rapid7, what I found is an expanding portfolio with a high cross-sell ceiling and engaging conversation with everyone I’ve met. In our transition — largely from a mid-market, one- to two-product selling motion to that of an enterprise portfolio or platform company — the need for developing deep relationships with customers and the channel is key, and that’s something I enjoy and can help with.

What’s ahead for your sales teams at Rapid7? What kinds of opportunities and experiences can those who join expect?

Dan: What is ahead is an exciting ride. There will be plenty of challenges, victories, and fun. I expect we will build relationships that will last a lifetime.

Jason: Rapid7 is growing rapidly while learning to be more efficient at scale. We are not opportunity-constrained in the market, and we rely on a balanced approach — both landing new customers and expanding the ones we have. Sellers can expect to learn a diverse strategic approach from peers while given the freedom to develop and apply their best ideas.

Why should those looking to start or grow in sales roles bring their talents to Rapid7?

Dan: Rapid7 is a great place to learn, grow, and flourish. I can’t think of a better company to start and evolve your technology career.

Jason: Diversity in experiences, an excellent selling culture, and great technology. We also have stakeholders who are willing and able to help, as well as generous awards for those who succeed.

As you think about the year ahead in your role and at Rapid7, what are you most excited for?

Dan: Success!! As mentioned before, I believe we have the right products for us to meet and exceed our customer’s needs, and this is an exciting time where cybersecurity has become more of a “must have” than a “nice to have” for companies across all industries. I look forward to leading my team through the many wins and inevitable learning opportunities that are before us.

Jason: Learning, growing, and digging deep. Learning how to apply the benefits of our technology on the most important customer needs and challenges. Growing as a leader by surrounding myself with smart and ambitious sellers and applying the best suggestions early and often. Digging deep by immersing myself in customer and partner relationships.

Additional reading:

• 7 Rapid Questions: Meet Adrian Stewart, Aspiring Pilot Turned Product Manager
• The Forecast Is Flipped: Flipping L&D in New Hire Training
• Security for All: How the Rapid7 Cybersecurity Foundation Will Expand Access and Inclusion
• 7 Rapid Questions: Growing From BDR to Commercial Sales Manager With Maria Loughrey

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/03/24/reflecting-on-womens-history-month-at-rapid7/

During Women’s History Month, we invited some of our team members to share their best advice for other women in technology, celebrate their strengths, and reflect on how they’ve challenged convention within their roles and built their networks.

What is the best advice that someone has given you in your career?

Nino Nardize, Director, Technical Customer Success: One piece of advice that resonated with me early on was that you have to be comfortable making decisions with only 80% of the information available. That stuck with me because I think, as women, sometimes we feel we need to have all of the information, be 100% qualified for a role, or be able to achieve perfection. In reality, things don’t always work out that way. I’ve found it’s important to ask ourselves, “Have we done our best to gather the right information in relation to this decision?” Even if that means we still have things outstanding, that’s OK. We have to be comfortable with taking risks and feeling good about moving forward with what we have in front of us.

Jane Man, Director, Product Management – VRM: The most important advice I got early on was to be open and always look for opportunities to grow. If you are at a point in your career where you think to yourself, “I’ve got this,” and you know exactly what you are doing every day, you probably aren’t being challenged enough. This perspective has always pushed me to look for areas where I don’t feel comfortable and to seek out areas to grow my career — and myself as a person.

Jessica Reinne, Account Executive, Large: As a sales executive, the best advice I received was that buying is emotional, and people buy products most often from people they trust and have a relationship with. I’ve found firsthand that once you establish that rapport, people will want to engage with you and either communicate what they need in order to move forward or — just as valuable — tell you why they aren’t moving forward or why something isn’t actually working. When you have that open dialogue, you can really be a better partner to them, versus trying to sell them something they aren’t bought into.

Noreen Camelo, VP Enterprise Applications: One piece of advice I heard was to be brave, be brilliant, but be brief. I think this is important because sometimes we can get caught up in explaining our ideas or spend too much time setting the stage. As you progress in your career and are working with executives, it’s important that your key message comes across very clearly, as everyone is pressed for time. Be brave and speak up when you see opportunities, be brilliant and always keep challenging convention, but be brief and make sure to get your thoughts across in a succinct way.

Sarah Sidford, Manager, Commercial Sales: In life, and especially for women, it sometimes can feel like you’re trying to juggle a bunch of different balls in the air. You have your career as one ball, your travel plans as another, your family as another, your social life, and so on. It’s important to remember that most of those balls are rubber, if you drop them, they will bounce right back and be OK. But family and health are two that are glass — and you can never, ever drop them. Keeping perspective about what’s really important with a focus on family and health being most important can help you prioritize and know when you need to let go of another one of those rubber balls.

Paola Chadwell, VP, Customer Success Management: Always advocate for yourself — especially when negotiating your salary. I think, as women, we hesitate to ask for more because we’re afraid we will lose the offer that’s already on the table. In reality, the worst someone can say is no, or maybe they don’t go as high as you ask but are able to meet you in the middle somewhere. I’ve negotiated every salary throughout my career, and I think it’s helped me to own my voice and advocate for my worth.

Turning that around, what advice would you give to women who are early in their career and looking to challenge convention?

Jane Man: I would say to be confident in your own voice. At the end of the day, the goal is to create a better solution and work more effectively, and that means that when you have something to add, it’s your responsibility to speak up and you shouldn’t be afraid to do that — because it makes all of us better and stronger.

Paola Chadwell: When I was younger, I moved around a lot. The process of putting myself out there and making friends throughout childhood has translated into my ability to build strong relationships in my career. I’m in customer success, so I have to not only build strong relationships with our customers, but I also be able to have internal and cross-functional relationships so that I can be a better advocate for our customer needs and deliver the right solutions for their needs.

Nino Nardize: In the workplace, there are a number of different ways that each individual can contribute at a given time. Whether it’s in meetings or through a one-to-one conversation, each person’s ability to influence others can be a little bit different. Find where you are most comfortable and can create impact in a meaningful way and lean into that — don’t fight it to be something you are not.

How are you challenging convention in your role at Rapid7?

Sarah Sidford: I think one way that I challenge convention is that I am very vocal about the need to hire more women in sales. There are still so many double standards for women in sales — we might describe a male as being assertive and have a positive association with that behavior, but when a woman is assertive, we’re quick to judge her as being pushy. The more we can prioritize diversifying our teams, the more we can start to challenge these stereotypes. I think a lot of times, people hire people who remind them of themselves — so if we have more men in leadership positions doing the hiring, how does it hurt those efforts if they are carrying that internal bias? I’m working closely with our talent acquisition team to really change the traditional landscape of sales and prioritize bringing a more balanced workforce into the field.

Jessica Rennie: I’m someone who is really open-minded and willing to try new things. One example is that when I joined the company, I saw an opportunity and went out on a limb to create a new program. At first, it can be challenging to get something like this that is new up and running, but we were able to create this network of give and get with our prospects that has ultimately benefited our business and our sales organization. It was great to be able to formulate a vision and strategy and be supported along the way by my manager and peers.

Nino Nardize: I challenge convention by encouraging different perspectives. Diversity of thought and experiences is a crucial component to any team. I can only be one voice, and my voice is reflective of my own personal journey. Whenever we are having a crucial conversation, we need to have the representation of multiple perspectives in order to make educated decisions. Asking ourselves, “What else are we missing? Are there too many voices from one business group and not enough from another?” can lead to a better decision and product in the end.

What strengths do you believe your identity and personal experiences bring to your role?

Jane Man: I come from an immigrant family. My parents immigrated from the big city of Hong Kong to the tiny island nation of New Zealand. Through my experiences, I’ve become interested in what makes people think a certain way, and I often find myself asking questions that dig into what we are doing and the purpose or “why” behind it. That natural curiosity is something that comes from being part of that small island community.

Jessica Reinne: I didn’t come from a cybersecurity background prior to Rapid7, but I was in the startup world. Some of the places I worked earlier in my career were so new that on some days the heat didn’t even work or the lights wouldn’t turn on — so I experienced the early growth grind that happens in the technology world where you have this pressure to prove yourself and everyone’s work has such a direct impact on the company. I developed almost this chip on my shoulder where I really want to push myself and always have that grit and determination. Doing it at Rapid7, where we are so established and have not only a great team and product but great amenities and support systems, really just puts it on a whole new level.

Noreen Camelo: I bring a lot of optimism to my team, and I think some of that comes from my past roles and being able to put things into perspective. Earlier in my career I worked in Oncology, so there was a lot of pressure around our decisions because of the impact it had on patients’ lives. When we feel stressed out or a task seems too big for us to tackle, I try to help my team keep things in perspective so they can prioritize, while encouraging them to find creative solutions. I really do believe that there is no challenge we cannot solve as long as we are willing to take the right amount of time and work together.

It’s often said that an important part of being successful is building a supportive network around you. How have you built your own personal network, and how has it helped you be successful?

Paola Chadwell: I think, first off, women sometimes have a tendency to look at other women as competition rather than allies. That’s not a mindset I ever want to have or that I want to encourage people to challenge, because we all have so much to add and to contribute to one another. I’ve been so lucky to have been surrounded by such strong and powerful women at Rapid7 and at previous companies. I’ve been monitored by them and have also been able to be a mentor to them at times. The beautiful thing about building a network and having a mentor is that it becomes a two-way street. We have so much to learn from one another and can really help each other grow.

Noreen Camelo: I’ve built my network through the different roles and companies I’ve been at. It’s been a proactive experience of reaching out and staying in touch, and the result is a diverse network of people to lean on where we can all give guidance to each other at different points. What I’ve experienced is that your network is a huge part of advancing your career, as well as rounding you out as the leader you are.

Sarah Sidford: I’m grateful to have been able to create such a great network of women around  me. In sales, it’s important to have relationships where you can be honest about what you’re going through and can talk about when you are having a hard day or when things are also going well. As women, we don’t want to share our struggles and appear weak, but then at the same time, you don’t want to celebrate or you will be seen as braggadocious — so you need to have a safe space to share that vulnerability and the highs and the lows, especially when it’s people who have also been through it and who can share their experiences with you, too. Whether it’s asking about what to wear to a client onsite or working through a unique challenge with a customer, having that safe space can help you feel so much more prepared and empowered. As a leader, that’s the kind of space I want to create with my team.

Want join our team? We’re hiring! Browse our open roles at Rapid7 here.

Additional reading:

• 7 Rapid Questions: Growing From BDR to Commercial Sales Manager With Maria Loughrey
• The Forecast Is Flipped: How Rapid7 Is Flipping L&D for the Future of Work
• 7 Rapid Questions With Our APAC Sales Manager, Soumi
• Securely Advancing in the Sunshine State: Rapid7 Announces Tampa Office Opening