Pros
It takes awhile to figure out if a new job is a good fit, as initial impressions can change once the honeymoon phase ends. The company you interviewed for may not quite live up to everything you had seen during the interview. Well, it's been 2 months since I started here as a developer, and I can confidently say that love it. While the company culture is exciting and fresh, and the projects are engaging, one aspect of employment sticks out: Vectorform actively encourages learning.
Vectorform recognizes that technology will always, and forever, move forward. To counter this, the company promotes individual growth across all disciplines. As developers, we're asked to attend talks about new platforms, learn the latest technologies and languages, and work on projects outside our comfort zones. Cross department communication shows a similar mindset for the design team: see what others are doing, experiment with emerging techniques, and stay up to date. This is crucial as new skills permeate throughout the office(s) via daily interaction with-in and in-between departments. Often, new platforms have similar implications on both sides of the fence, and designers and developers communicate their knowledge to bring each other up to date. This ups the experience level of the entire company, and keeps things relevant.
It's not just staying up to date where Vectorform excels: It's also in fostering a strong mentorship environment. I joined the team with a few years of self taught iOS experience and some varied programming knowledge I picked up in school. While I've worked in interactive media for the past 5 years, my strength as a programmer was less obvious. In my initial interview, I was told that Vectorform didn't care how many languages I knew, so long as I could pick them up fast. It didn't matter that I was self taught or wasn't a coding savant: Vectorform wanted something a bit different in a developer. This approach has worked out well, and I've been shown more than I could have learned on my own by extremely talented devs. I've repaid the team by helping out on some large scale projects, and have even taken on a few of my own. This give and take pattern works out for everybody as knowledge is effortlessly transferred between all developers, regardless of their strengths.
While a great company culture and interesting projects make for a solid work environment, the focus on learning is what really draws me to Vectorform. As a developer, we're constantly required to keep up with the times, and what better way to do that then with a crew of developers helping each other out. I hope this is just the start of a long and prosperous tenure, both as an employee and a student.
Cons
While multiple offices are very much a plus as it allows for flexibility and a greater presence, sometimes interoffice communication can be difficult. It's not a big deal once you get used to it, but you have to be ready to work with people around the world.
