Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/09/06/5-things-rapid7-looks-for-in-a-bdr-and-how-we-spot-them/

Every successful organization has a great salesforce. At Rapid7, the Business Development Representative (BDR) Program is a huge source of talent for our sales organization. Some of our most successful salespeople come from the program. So, what is it?

The BDR Program at Rapid7 is an entry-level program that aims to provide early careerists the opportunity to kickstart their career and grow their selling skills. As a part of the program, new hires develop the skills to uncover opportunities with prospects and customers and partner with account executives to continue to expand their knowledge around the entirety of the sales cycle.

As we gear up to welcome another round of applicants, our Talent Acquisition Partner, Lauren Coloumbe, shares five things we look for in BDRs and how we spot them in the interview process.

1. An interest in the sales process

Sales gives you an opportunity to flex a lot of different problem-solving muscles. At Rapid7, we believe the key to solving problems effectively is through building strong relationships. Each customer has different needs and priorities, and building a relationship establishes trust and understanding that will help us learn more and determine how Rapid7 can meet those needs.

How we spot it: We’re looking for people who demonstrate a passion for problem-solving and are excited to build relationships. Sharing what you’re passionate about in your career and how a role in sales can help you use these skills is something we want to see.  

2. Interest in or curiosity about cybersecurity

You don’t have to be a subject matter expert, but showing an interest in our industry is a great way to help you stand out. Our lives are becoming more digital and connected every day. While that comes with a lot of excitement and efficiency, it also opens up a lot of new risks to our information and communities.

How we spot it: Think about real-life examples of cybersecurity threats around you every day and how impactful it can be to play a role in protecting not only our customers, but our communities at large. We love when candidates can make a personal connection to our mission or share something interesting they may have learned when conducting some initial industry research.  

3. People who are open to learning

We don’t expect you to come in with a ton of industry knowledge, but we do expect you to be prepared to learn, take direction, and ask thoughtful questions. As a BDR, you will be given a lot of opportunities for coaching and development. Being open to learning new things will help you grow and establish a strong foundation.

How we spot it: Natural curiosity drives opportunities for learning. Think of a time when you were especially curious about something or were put in a position where you had to learn a new skill or subject. The interview is also an opportunity for you to express your curiosity. Ask thoughtful questions and let us see your curiosity in action.

4. Team-oriented individuals

At Rapid7, selling is a team sport. You’ll have a group of people in your corner who are invested in your success and ready to lend a helping hand, and you’ll be encouraged to do the same when you get the opportunity. The more we partner together, the better outcomes we can create for our customers and for the company.

How we spot it: There’s nothing wrong with celebrating your wins, but how you got there and how you worked as part of a team are equally important. Share examples of how you worked as a team and either succeeded or failed together. Focus on the effort of the team and the collective impact rather than your own personal role in the process.

5. Challenging convention

Challenging convention means speaking up to share an idea when you feel it can benefit the team. This is a place where everyone is expected to check their ego at the door. This makes it easy for everyone to try new things, fail, learn, and try again. You don’t need to be a manager or a long-time employee to challenge convention, we all have an equal voice when it comes to creating positive customer outcomes.

How we spot it: Think of examples where you stood up for a new or different way of doing things. How did you challenge the status quo or share a new perspective that helped the final outcome?

Learn more about our BDR program and entry-level sales roles at Rapid7.

Additional reading:

• How One Engineer Upskilled Into a Salesforce Engineering Role at Rapid7
• 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

Post Syndicated from Julian Waits original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/08/17/leading-the-way-in-tampa/

If you’ve been to the Tampa Bay area in recent years, you’ve probably noticed the significant tech industry expansion taking place in the Channel District. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the scene, and Rapid7 is smack in the middle. Being active in the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce is incredibly rewarding. I’ve personally been involved with the Chamber for more than a year, and I’ve witnessed first-hand their commitment to making Tampa Bay a vibrant, inclusive place to do business.

My next adventure with the Chamber involves becoming a part of its Leadership Tampa program — one of the oldest leadership programs in the country — which fulfills a mission to highlight the strengths of the Tampa Bay region and impact the community through various organized projects. Our 52-person group will also be collaborating with local not-for-profits to create strength in numbers.

We will continue building upon the diversity and inclusion efforts driven by previous Leadership Tampa members, as well as focus on the challenges of transportation, affordable housing, and inflation, among others. I’m looking forward to the many conversations and activities we will undertake as part of this initiative.

Additional reading:

• How One Engineer Upskilled Into a Salesforce Engineering Role at Rapid7
• Rapid7 Belfast Recognized for “Company Connection” During COVID-19 Pandemic
• Creating an Exceptional Workplace: Building and Expansion in a Post-COVID World
• Securely Advancing in the Sunshine State: Rapid7 Announces Tampa Office Opening

Post Syndicated from Jamie Kinch original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/07/13/creating-an-exceptional-workplace-building-and-expansion-in-a-post-covid-world/

Since its launch in 2011, Rapid7 UK has been on a mission to build a strong footprint in the region. Today, the company is celebrating the opening of its newly expanded and designed Reading office, located in the Thames Valley District at Forbury Place.

This new location was selected to reflect both the changing needs of the business since its original UK introduction, while balancing the needs and desires of our people. Working together, Rapid7’s Real Estate and Workplace Experience team partnered with many of the local employees, ultimately narrowing down the search for new space based on items such as accessibility to rail, newly configured space to meet the evolving needs of our team members (we call them “Moose”!), and our ongoing commitment to championing environmental sustainability in our office spaces.

In designing this new space during a time when many companies are managing through dynamics such as “The War for Talent” and “The Great Resignation,” much thought was put into creating a vibrant, energetic space that draws people in. The team is intent on building a space that fosters meaningful connections that help us innovate and build careers while providing a neighborhood community feel, as opposed to static workstations and limited connections and collaboration.

The world has adopted a sharing economy (think Lyft, Uber, WeWork, and Airbnb), and the workplace has evolved, too. We no longer divvy up office space based on the size of a team with no consideration of how they use it – we are purpose-focused, we help our Moose consider the work that needs to be completed on any given day, and we make sure the resources exist to best achieve this. (We also measure this so that we can adapt and respond to how our resources are used – we are never done.) Through these efforts, we are confident that even those who prefer to work largely remotely and want the option to do so will be drawn to this space in a way that makes them feel working in this office will serve to support their success and career.  

Using our new Reading space as a model, here are three ways we believe in-office time (even in a “hybrid” situation) can make a positive impact on the business as a whole:

1. Relationships – Technology certainly helped us stay connected and productive through the pandemic. And yet, no amount of virtual happy hours will ever truly be able to replace genuine human interaction. Virtual meeting platforms are a game-changer for productivity and flexibility, but they can’t offer true trust or relationship-building. Think of all the magic that occurs when you share a lunch outing with colleagues or catch a person in the hall and say, “Hey, do you have five minutes to whiteboard this with me?” Consider all the impromptu conversations that take place in the halls, elevators, etc. Those interactions are wonderful because they don’t require formal meetings.
2. Separation – Nearly everyone we’ve spoken to feels like they have been working more hours since the pandemic began. Why?! We are never away from our technology. Even if we’ve managed to carve in more flexible time during our days to help a child with homework or walk our dog during lunch, we are never more than a few steps away from email, Slack, or our computers. Having a space to go to actually meet with people and get some project work done allows us to create a bit more distance between our work and the rest of our lives.
3. Inclusion – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been a hot topic in recent years. At the same time, companies are working hard to diversify their workforces in terms of their mix of people, while also creating a sense of parity among people AND nurturing a sense of belonging. That is a high challenge for any organization, but it will be further complicated with new working models. And it’s absolutely the right problem to be solving. Even with the most flexible new “work of the future” models, there is a risk of people “not in the room” feeling left out or overlooked. However, by carefully crafting experiences where people can gather, we can optimize that feeling of inclusion and belonging through collaboration and human connection.

We aren’t just providing a desk – we’re building a community

At Rapid7, we are laser-focused on creating the chemistry that provides people with the right environment to create their best impact. We understand that not everyone thrives on the traditional 8am-to-6pm, in-office model, and we are not working to reinvent that – instead, we are building a flexible and supportive community that makes every Rapid7 office a great place to come to work.

Learn more about our company and its values. Click here to read about Social Good at Rapid7.

Additional reading:

• 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
• 7 Rapid Questions: Meet Adrian Stewart, Aspiring Pilot Turned Product Manager

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/02/09/rapid7-team-members-share-key-takeaways-from-amp-2022/

Each year, Rapid7 hosts AMP, our annual employee kickoff event where leaders from across the organization share their goals for the next 12 months. These goals bring us closer to achieving our mission of closing the security achievement gap.

With the effects of COVID-19 still physically separating us, hosting AMP 2022 virtually allowed our people from around the world to maintain a level of togetherness and focus on our shared vision as we move into the new year. While employees throughout the world eagerly attended, we invited some of our newest hires to share their key takeaways.

Patrick Sonou, Enterprise Cloud Sales Specialist – Paris, France

Takeaway: Understanding customer needs

As an Enterprise Cloud Sales Specialist, Patrick’s role requires him to hone in on his customer service skills to build and strengthen client relationships.

According to Sonou, “We need to speak and understand the customer language, their needs, concerns, and expectations.” AMP 2022 was the perfect opportunity to learn more about the challenges our customers face and how to be a strategic partner by enabling them to advance securely.

“Beyond the technologies, we need to understand our customers deeply and provide the best user experience throughout the life of the collaboration,” says Sonou on the subject. It’s one thing to know the product and have the skills to sell it – it’s another to have a strong understanding of your relationship with the customers who are utilizing our products and services.

Luke Gadomski, Director of North American Sales Operations

Takeaway: Building customer and internal partnerships

Luke Gadomski joins Rapid7 as Director of North American Sales Operations. In his role, Gadomski is committed to creating value for our customers to drive impact. According to Gadomski, “The key elements to accelerating together are partnerships and building trust while aligning in shared goals.” In his role, Gadomski is well aware of the strong teamwork necessary to create and develop these important customer connections.

A quote that stood out to Gadomski on the last day of AMP was made by Rapid7 President and Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Burton: “When we drive forward together with our customers and fellow Moose, we accelerate toward our mission.” This highlights the emphasis on Rapid7’s customer relationships and how cultivating and nurturing those partnerships are closely tied to our overall goals as a company.

Carlie Bower, Vice President – Engineering Executive in Residence

Takeaway: Building and growing a career at Rapid7

Carlie Bower joins the Rapid7 team as Vice President, Engineering Executive in Residence. Through her experience at AMP, Bower noticed that there was an overwhelming presence of community. She recognized the culture that is key to what makes Rapid7 so special.

“We bring our whole selves to work, and that’s why we see so many aspects of our lives and experiences reflected at AMP,” she said. “It’s so exciting to have the opportunity to connect the learning and growth we experience as people. There are lessons in life, teaming, and connection through all of these facets of ourselves, and those provide the foundation for us to do great things together in the workplace. We have incredible potential to make a difference by closing the security gap for customers while having a fulfilling experience together on the journey.”

Bower, along with all Rapid7 Moose, appreciates the culture that brings Rapid7 together and allows career growth both individually and company-wide. Bower believes this success is most reflected in the opportunities our people have to work together to tackle tough problems for customers, “when we thrive working together as one, our customers feel the impact of that cohesion through the amazing experience they have.”

Nancy Li, Director of Platform Software Engineering

Takeaway: Authentic leadership and core values

Another new Moose who was equally impressed by the emphasis put on the community was Nancy Li. Li, the current Director of Platform Software Engineering, expanded on her experience, stating, “Good companies take the time to define core values, great companies champion the values so that the employees can remember and demonstrate the values, but rarely have I seen companies like this one where the people at every level live and breathe the values to our core. I felt that. Even in the short month that I’ve been here, especially during AMP, where we had the opportunity to see and hear from leaders and key influencers from all over the company.”

After being in the software industry for 17 years, Li is not new to forums like this. She explains, “Typically, I have seen leaders tend to reflect on the successes of the past and paint beautiful pictures of the future in forums like this, which leaves employees feeling a disconnected sense of reality. What sets AMP apart from others is that the leaders are all very honest about laying out the successes and failures that got us to where we are today and calling out the challenges we need to tackle down the road to succeed in an ever-changing world.” Li described this as being “authentic to the core.”

“AMP has informed me how we got here and left me excited about the future, as I embrace Andrew’s ‘ever curious, never judgmental’ message for 2022 and beyond.”

As a lead-up to the event, Rapid7 employees were encouraged to share personal stories, photos, and videos through Slack, enabling tenured employees and new hires the opportunity to create bonds and get excited. The result was an engaging event that aligned with core values and encouraged learning. AMP 2022 was carried out remarkably well and captured the attention of every single team member by utilizing a user-friendly platform, having sessions that aligned with our core values, and finding ways for our employees to continue to learn during and after the conference.

Interested in exploring a new role? We’re hiring! Click here to browse our open jobs at Rapid7.

Additional reading

• 7Rapid Questions With Our APAC Sales Manager, Soumi
• 7Rapid Questions: Stephen Donnelly
• Rapid7 Technical Support: Building a Career Path With Endless Possibilities
• Why Joining Rapid7 Was the Best Decision for These Sales Professionals, Even During a Pandemic

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/01/14/7rapid-questions-stephen-donnelly/

At Rapid7, there’s no shortage of passionate leaders looking to challenge convention and make an impact. Our “7Rapid Questions” series is a way to highlight some of the amazing work taking place behind the scenes, and the exciting growth opportunities available in our global offices.

For this installment, we spoke with Stephen Donnelly, Rapid7’s Senior Engineering Manager for SOAR in our Belfast office.

What does SOAR stand for?

SOAR stands for Security Orchestration Automation Response.

Describe what your teams do in 3 phrases

1. We provide a wide variety of interoperability between our own and other vendors’ products.

2. We accelerate time-intensive, highly manual incident response and vulnerability management processes.

3. We create a consistent automation experience for our customers across our entire Insight Platform, whether they are cloud or on-premise-based.

What are your most important technical goals in 2022?

For 2022, we’re looking at performance at scale, building an open API culture for our customers, and breaking down our work to show value to customers on a regular and consistent cadence.

What is your tech stack?

We use a little bit of everything, primarily Go, Python, Java, Kotlin, React, Typescript, AWS, and Datadog.

What’s a fun fact some people might not know about you?

I once tried out for the National American Football team after playing for the QUB American Football team. It hurts emotionally… and physically.

What was one of your proudest moments at work?

I’d say it’s been seeing our team grow in the last year. We had 13 people join our SOAR practice in 3 months, and seeing how they have all been welcomed and embraced by the teams tells me that Rapid7 is properly focused on our people and their experiences within the organization.

What three words would you use to describe the culture at Rapid7?

Welcoming, authentic, and learning.

Interested in exploring a new role? Stephen and his team are hiring in Belfast! Click here to browse our open jobs at Rapid7.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2021/10/26/securely-advancing-in-the-sunshine-state-rapid7-announces-tampa-office-opening/

In our quest to create a safer digital world for all, Rapid7 is also on a mission to reimagine the future of work, culture, and talent — admittedly, we’ve set the bar pretty high for ourselves. But that’s part of the spirit of Never Done, one of our core values. We’re always striving to do better, be bolder, and think bigger as we help organizations across the globe securely advance.

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that we’re expanding our US office footprint by opening our newest location in Tampa, Florida. With its fast-growing community of professionals — supported by a diverse population, great universities, and a strong veteran community — Tampa represents the next step in our quest to build the workplace of the future.

Building the next tech hub

We want to do something unprecedented in Tampa by taking an emerging center of tech activity to new heights as the next national hub of technology and innovation.

Tampa is fertile ground for this bold vision. The city recently ranked as one of the top 10 US metro areas for tech industry growth, and technology jobs have been increasing steadily here since 2015, with another 2% growth slated for 2021. This high concentration of tech jobs — and the talent to fill them — should come as little surprise, given the wealth of higher-learning institutions nearby, with 23 colleges and universities in the Tampa metro area. Tampa is also home to a strong military and veteran community centered around MacDill Air Force Base.

We want to take the seeds of potential in Tampa and grow them into a full-fledged tech ecosystem. To do that, we’re not just building an office and creating jobs — we’re putting a stake in the ground to help shape the future of Tampa.

To bring this vision to life, Rapid7 is partnering with Tampa-area colleges and universities to keep fueling the growth of local talent and build a stronger security community in the city than ever before. Our goal is to have 30% or more of our Tampa team be local college graduates and/or recently retired military. We’re also planning to partner with inclusion-focused STEM programs to help create a more diverse and supportive tech community through leadership and service.

Walking the walk on diversity

Rapid7 believes everyone deserves an equal opportunity to build the career they want — and that diversity of experience and viewpoints helps drive the innovation on which a healthy technology culture thrives. By boosting creativity and bringing a wider range of insights to inform better decision-making, diverse teams help drive business outcomes. In Tampa, we’re excited to walk the walk in our commitment to diversity and continue to bring this vision to life.

We believe a diverse workforce is integral to the success of our organization and the culture we want to build. That’s why we’re building something truly unique and putting diversity first in our hiring plan in order to build a team that reflects the rich, diverse character of Tampa.

We have ambitious goals to hire, retain, and develop talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences, with targets set for Black, Latinx, and female hires that we intend not only to meet, but to exceed. We’re aiming for a team that is 50% or more from diverse backgrounds.

With a diverse team that is empowered to be their one-of-a-kind, authentic selves in their day-to-day work — in keeping with our core value of Bring You — the Rapid7 Tampa office will truly help push the city forward as a hub of tech growth.

Build the workplace of the future with us

The task of securing the digital world is more complex and challenging than ever before. At a time when data breaches are increasing in frequency and severity, people need best-in-class security tools that are easy to use and deliver results. But as the challenge increases, so does the opportunity — and having the right people on board is all the more critical.

Our vision of the workplace of the future is not only diverse and rooted in the community, but also flexible, with a hybrid model that accommodates work-life balance while providing a collaborative in-office experience to promote teaming. In our effort to build the workplace of the future, we want to think ahead of the curve — taking the best of what we’ve learned from remote work in 2020 and 2021 while allowing talented team members to collaborate in person. We think the future of work involves flexible in-office policies while also allowing teams to spend time face-to-face. This makes room for serendipitous collaboration, fosters stronger relationships, and helps us support employees in developing their careers through learning and mentorship, which are enhanced by the in-office experience.

In Tampa, we have an exciting opportunity to build a model for the workplace of the future, blazing the trail rather than playing catch-up. This involves bringing a flexible, hybrid work model together with a diverse, dynamic culture that makes building a safer digital world rewarding and fun, while giving back to the community and setting the pace of growth and innovation in emerging centers of tech talent.

At our new location at Water Street Tampa, we’re adding more than 100 positions in data and software engineering, business development, customer support, IT, and people strategy.

Ready to help us meet today’s security needs, reimagine the future of work, and pave a path for the future of tech in Tampa? Check out our open roles.

Post Syndicated from Rapid7 original https://blog.rapid7.com/2021/08/20/why-joining-rapid7-was-the-best-decision-for-these-sales-professionals-even-during-a-pandemic/

As any job seeker knows, a lot of thought goes into accepting a new role at a new company — even more so during a pandemic. For sales professionals, this decision includes considering company growth and trajectory, industry leadership, and company culture, all of which had the potential of being majorly impacted by the effects of COVID-19.  

Over the course of the pandemic, Rapid7 has not only acquired four companies in the past 16 months, but we’ve been named a leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SIEM, a Strong Performer in Managed Detection and Response Report, and a Visionary in 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing, all while keeping our company culture more than intact.

We talked with a few of our North America Account Executives to hear firsthand about why they chose to join Rapid7 (even during a pandemic), how they learned about the company, and why they’d recommend Rapid7 as a great place to work.

Where did you hear about Rapid7?

“Prior to joining the team, I’d long been familiar with Rapid7 as a high-profile, publicly traded company here in Boston. Around June of 2019, the word had spread about what an engaging and rewarding culture existed at Rapid7.” – Nicholas Lennek

“I heard about Rapid7 because of the tech scene here in Boston; Rapid7 is a big name, and as I was searching for a career change. I knew of a few friends who had been working here for a few years at the time.” – Devonne Skinner

What attracted you to work for Rapid7?

“The energy! My role at Rapid7 gives me the privilege of tackling unique and often nuanced challenges on a routine basis. The team mentality here at Rapid7 is one of rigor and dedication, which is an attitude I crave. We set our aims high, work hard to achieve them, and recognize a job well done here. To me, that’s what it’s all about.” – Nicholas Lennek

“I started in the beginning of the pandemic, which sounds a bit crazy, I know. At the time, I felt like I needed a challenge, and switching industries alone was a mountain, but adding in starting remote was a whole other ball game. I was very confident after my interviews that Rapid7 was going to be invested in me through learning the security industry, along with helping me continue my growth here. So the clear path to where I could go in this role, along with training, was something that attracted me to Rapid7. Additionally, the team atmosphere was big to me. Collaborating with not just sales but other departments is important to not just individual success but team and company success.” – Devonne Skinner

“I realized that the company had a vision for the future; as the industry grew and progressed, so did Rapid7. I wanted to work for a company that was looking to be a leader in the space and not just another player. Rapid7 has exceeded my expectations and continues to grow rapidly.” – Stephen Hislop

Why would you recommend Rapid7 as a great place to work for your next opportunity?

“Speaking to my own personal path, Rapid7 offers you a chance to skip the local train and join the expressway. My role at Rapid7 isn’t a job, it’s a career — and that same opportunity is afforded to everybody. Your peers and your leadership personally invest in your growth and in your success. To fulfill my professional ambitions, I need the chance to make an impact with my work. Rapid7 has provided me with the platform to do that every day that I’ve been here.” – Nicholas Lennek

“I would recommend Rapid7 as a great place to work because of the attention to their employees. As mentioned, it was important to me when I took this role that I had a clear path to how I was going to achieve my goals and continue down a path of success. Rapid7 has always asked me how they can help me achieve my goals, and individually, that is going to be different for everyone. But they follow through. Whether that be additional training, collaboration with teams, listening to my ideas, etc., they take the time to listen and respond appropriately. Rapid7 is a great company to work for regardless of the industry you’re coming from, because they are invested in YOU just as much as the bigger picture.” – Devonne Skinner

“I would recommend Rapid7 because it is a company that will challenge you but also train you. I have learned so much during my time here and have grown as an Account Executive. I love working with everyone, and it truly is a collaborative environment.” – Stephen Hislop

Interested in learning more and joining the team to support our audacious goal of growing 20% in 2021? Check out our North America Go to Customer LinkedIn Life page and our open roles today!