Quick Take with Jake

When “Good morning ROCstars!” gets posted in the Mindex internal chat, you don’t have to look at who posted it because you know it is the one and only Jake Brandt.

Jake is a Mindex Principal Cloud Engineer that is not only a skilled developer, but a team member with an infectious personality, positive demeaner, and passion for technology. Whether it is discussing the future of Blockchain, motivating others to decorate their office space with fun neon lights, or sharing his experience using a Raspberry Pi to control the horn of his car with 20+ different sounds, conversation with Jake is NEVER boring. Chances are you learned something new!

We recently chatted with Jake, asking him to explain more about his role on the Cloud Services team, his thoughts on Mindex, and advice for others considering a career in software development.

1. Your title is Principal Cloud Engineer. What do you do?

Oh boy, that's tough to answer because I feel like everyone has their own idea of that these days, but generally speaking we all work in harmony to deliver software. To get a little more specific, my job is best described as supporting all our projects by ensuring that team members have assistance if they get blocked at any point on their daily tasks. I work with them and bring them up to speed on whatever they need, allowing them to continue working at a high level for our customer.

2. What resonates with you regarding Mindex’s mission and values?

Yes, ok, let's talk about this because I think what Mindex does is GREAT! We have this fantastic plan where employees get involved in the charity selection each year by submitting a charity they would like Mindex to support. Depending on the charity selected, Mindex raises money and contributes to team walks, building classrooms, and hosting fundraisers. It allows us to meet the people we're helping, which is amazing, but in addition we can see clients and show them we're not just here for technology and cloud. We're also here to continue to build Rochester from a community perspective. I just love that Mindex does things this way!

3. Tell me about your team culture at Mindex.

You can actually feel the genuine love on the teams here. When that clicked for me, I started to care more about my team's mental health and the support they need, which translated into a happier work environment and producing better technical work. If I work remotely for a day or two, I'm excited to get back into the office and connect with my team because I genuinely missed interacting with them.

4. What advice would you give to those, considering your career and software development?

Figure out how to work with people. I've realized that you come out of college and think your job is all about the work, the brains, and being the smartest. It’s not. It's a lot more about communication. If you can find a team that you trust, one that cares about your story in life, instead of just about what you want to learn that day at the office or the clients you want to work with, the rest comes naturally. If you find yourself in a challenging work situation with a client, a supportive team makes it much easier to work through. Especially when that team says they believe in you. Mistakes happen, it’s part of life. Having the trust and support of your team makes all the difference in your success.

If you're interested in working with fellow tech geeks like Jake and the team at Mindex, take a look at our current job openings and apply today!