Your First Day

So now that you are here and assimilated, how do you get started? We know it can be quite overwhelming.

The answer to that question will vary greatly depending on the capacity in which you have joined us. If you have become a member of DevNet, there are no specific tasks, expectations or obligations. You should have received your welcome package, and you probably have access to the devnet@codemag.com email list, and you are ready to go. Lean back, fasten your seatbelt, and enjoy the ride! 😃 The only thing we ask is that you make sure we have your up-to-date information in case anything changes (such as email addresses, physical addresses, technical expertise,…) which allows us to integrate you better and make sure the projects that are of interest to you are actually flowing your way.

If you are an employee or contractor, a more active role is suggested. 😉 By now you should have received your account information to log into our infrastructure, and you probably signed all your paperwork. EPS used to be a very traditional brick & mortar operation, and if you are physically in our offices, your co-workers will show you around. However, chances are that you are an “off-site resource” who comes to the office only occasionally, if ever, in which case please make sure that you can log in remotely and that you have all our standard tools and infrastructure set up. You may receive separate documentation about this process.

In addition, it never hurts to familiarize yourself with all our different divisions. Poke around our website (codemag.com) and check out all the different things that are going on. Take a look at the consulting and training options we offer, take note of upcoming events, and, of course, check out the magazine site. For all developers, you should pay attention to the CODE Framework area, which lists many links to technical resources. We don’t have a formal “required reading” list, but the introductory CODE Framework articles are highly recommended. If you are a contractor looking to be assigned to projects, then it certainly helps a whole lot to be familiar with the technologies and processes we use (hint, hint! 😛).

Also note that we have an internal training program we refer to as DEPs (Developer Education Program). You can read more about DEPs below, but they are important to mention because we record our training events. Hence going back and watching existing recordings of prior training sessions is a great way to familiarize yourself with the things you need to know.

Beyond that, make sure you help other people in the organization to do their jobs. Like every other company, we have a few chores that need to be taken care of every week. This includes doing your time sheets (so we can create client invoices and analyze our expenses—important tasks from an overall company point of view) and if you are an employee, sending around your “3 Wins” every Monday. Not doing these tasks will quickly eliminate you from the friends-list of those of us who require these items to get their own jobs done. If you do those timely, on the other hand, you will find that we do not need to bother you with a lot of micro management.

That’s just about it! Most likely, your manager (or mentor) will already have a few tasks for you to get started on.