Here at Launch by NTT DATA, we’re lucky to work on some of the coolest digital innovations. Look no further than the new experiences we created for DTE — that have since inspired similar initiatives at other state utilities. Or Epic Games’ HMI for one-of-a-kind in-vehicle experiences. Or CancerBuddy’s support app for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

Our game-changing projects are vast and varied, and they wouldn’t be possible without the very best DevOps professionals. With so many of you job hunting right now, we want to offer four tips to help you land the right gig, not just the right now gig:

1. Look for signs that you can grow your market value

Engaging, fulfilling work that makes an impact on the market, continuously uplevels your own skills, and sets you ahead of your DevOps peers isn’t a fantasy — it’s the reality you should be actively pursuing. When you’re evaluating a potential employer, dig into the problems you’ll be solving on a daily basis and the tech you’ll be leveraging. Otherwise, you could end up becoming a seat warmer instead of building a win-win relationship with your company. 

2. Interview your potential employer as much as they interview you

We just told you some of the important things to dig into, but there are plenty of other things you should be asking about during the interview process. What are the clients like? Does the company serve them in a one-size-fits-all way, or in a more boutique-like experience? What are some examples of really unique things the company has done? (This will tell you if they’re truly on the cutting edge or if they’re just a typical consulting company.) Are they making strategic, long-term hires, or are they merely trying to fill ad hoc gaps?

3. Figure out how they eliminate the mundane

Depending on clients’ maturity, some DevOps’ fundamentals need to be built out over and over again. That doesn’t mean you should have to do all the building, though. A great employer will actively come up with ways to streamline the basics so you can focus on deeper, more strategic work. For example, here at Launch, we built platform accelerators that work for any client, no matter the software, that shave months (or years!) off projects. And we made them open source so we can constantly learn and optimize from the people who use them.

4. Understand where they stand

Companies that live up to their mission and vision aren’t afraid to take a point of view on big topics. Understanding where they stand on various issues will help you determine if this is a team and a culture you want to be part of. For example, here at Launch we have a specific point of view on AI: it’s here, it’s a big deal, and we want to leverage it to be even more successful. As a result, we specialize in platforms that are a foundation for AI, and we’re constantly getting new opportunities to help clients drive impact with it.

Now that you’re armed with questions, allow us to answer them. The Launch team doesn’t just say we’re different by design — we live up to the phrase every day. We do the most cutting-edge work possible and solve the most unique problems for clients who urgently need our expertise to make a difference for their entire business. We don’t shy away from challenges, and we’re actively looking for DevOps professionals who want to get in on the ground floor, work on technology that matters, get new skills that matter, and operate at massive scale. Does that sound like you? Apply here.