Mitchell Mann began his career at Tideworks in 2021. His data analyst internship was aligned to begin right as the Tideworks team was returning to the office following the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the date grew nearer, the realities of the pandemic came crashing in, and the in-person internship start date was no longer possible. Instead, he’d have to begin his career at Tideworks remotely.

As a brand new face in an experienced team, Mitchell was eager to find ways to be productive early on, a desire the remote setup might have compromised if it hadn’t been for the leadership and support he benefited from on day one. This early support, and the opportunity to contribute early on during unique and challenging circumstances, were just the first of many great experiences he’s had while working at Tideworks.

Today, Mitchell is a full data analyst within the products group, a member of the data platform product scrum team, a manager of Tideworks’ company-wide agile estimation process, and the subject of our latest employee spotlight.

From Interning to Leadership

Mitchell had some background in the maritime industry, but he’s always been interested in software. Whether he was building his own PC or seeking out computer science electives in college, he was always drawn to technology, which made Tideworks a perfect fit for a career pivot.

Finding Ways to Contribute as a Remote Intern

Finding ways to contribute as an intern can be challenging in the best of circumstances, but in Mitchell’s case, the remote work setup only compounded the challenge.

A lack of direction or clear success criteria can make it difficult to make a real impact, and being remote would only increase the chances that he slipped through the cracks, but the leadership at Tideworks made sure that wasn’t going to happen.

• “One of the things I really enjoyed about my internship here at Tideworks was that I was immediately presented with an opportunity to contribute.”
• “I was able to operate as an individual contributor to a couple of our key customer projects we did in terms of rolling out a prior version of the data product, and I was most importantly able to do that while continuing my time at school and finishing that up.”

Enjoying The Process

Any fulfilling career should facilitate the personal growth of their employees and have ample opportunity for growth.

For Mitchell, this type of job fulfillment has been one of the great privileges of working at Tideworks.

• “I’ve had such a great opportunity to work on what interests me. Data solutions and everything that surrounds them are what I’m passionate about for my career. Having the freedom to let that passion and curiosity guide me has helped me continue learning and developing my technical skills at a rapid pace.”

He also credits all of the leaders he’s worked with during his time at Tideworks, of which there were too many to name.

• “In terms of, on the technical side and skill set progression, of course, the development team that I work with, they have been excellent in terms of finding ways that I can contribute immediately, and also always being there to answer whatever questions I have.”

Development Into Leadership

Over the last 3 years, Mitchell has gone from intern to full-time data analyst. Currently, he serves in a leadership role as a manager of Tideworks’ company-wide agile estimate process.

He credits this personal development in part to the forward-thinking culture within Tideworks:

• “Over the last year, I’ve really been focusing on how I provide technical leadership to my team. Software is always evolving. What’s the standard today is probably going to be different tomorrow. Being at Tideworks, I’ve had the opportunity to continue to learn all the different data projects and pieces of software that are out there, and part of continuing to learn is also committing my time to sharing that wealth of knowledge with other team members.”

A Culture of Success

Tideworks is a smaller team, which has more advantages than disadvantages, especially for employees like Mitchell, who enjoy the opportunity to be so closely tied to the organization’s goals and successes.

• “Everyone is aligned on the view of specific strategic goals we have as an organization. So, whether you’re dealing with my team or a team across the hall from me, we all share the same goals and the same purpose.”

Great Power Means Great Responsibility

Being closely connected to the company’s goals means extra responsibility, but that’s exactly what Mitchell loves most about his work.

• “The benefit of working at a smaller organization like Tideworks is the opportunity to touch many different components of the software lifecycle.”

Then, there’s the chance to be part of a team filled with experienced professionals who view problems through a unique lens that combines decades of knowledge with a dedication to customer support.

This is the perfect place for someone like Mitchell to learn, develop his skills, and help find novel solutions to complex problems.

• “What makes Tideworks’ customer support unique is our depth of expertise in dealing with customer specific processes. I really enjoy the complex problem solving. There really is no manual for the projects that I work on. And oftentimes it takes multiple attempts to get something right. But that’s okay. It’s all a part of the journey and it makes success just that much more satisfying when we get there.”

How Tideworks and Mitchell Made a Perfect Fit

One key aspect of successful people and businesses is their willingness to act. Solutions don’t find themselves, and this mantra holds true whether it applies to an individual or a company full of people trying to make a difference.

Tideworks has spent the last several decades building a team of experts who are as dedicated to customer support as they are to refining their technical skills.

Being ready and willing to seize opportunities, and overcome challenges as they arise, is one of the main drivers’ of Tideworks’ success. Mitchell’s natural alignment with this philosophy is what’s helped him succeed here.

Mitchell’s main advice to anyone looking to succeed in a new career path is to be open to change, willing to adapt, and prepared for the opportunities that will present themselves on their path.

• “If someone’s interested in a similar role as I have at Tideworks, I say, as with everything, you have to take action and find out more about it. I wasn’t sure where this journey with Tideworks would take me. But it was something I was passionate about. Something I was willing to put effort into pursuing. For someone that’s interested in data analysis, or data engineering, or anything like that, there are so many resources online. There’s meetup groups, forums, and all the information that you need to succeed and follow this as a passion is there, you just have to go.”

Looking for a forward-thinking software team to guide you into the future of terminal technology? Contact Tideworks today.