Rachel Hain Reflects on Kipsu's First Rotation Program

Why did you choose to be apart of the first Kipsu Entrepreneurial Leadership Rotation Program?

I chose to be a part of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Rotation Program because I thought this position would be an incredible opportunity to try several positions within a year of graduating, especially because I really didn't feel like I knew where I wanted to start my career right after graduation. With this program, I was excited about the opportunity to get exposure to several parts of the company, which I felt would be really beneficial for my career development. In addition, I was really attracted to the way everyone working at Kipsu talked about the organization's dedication to their employees. I felt like this program really embodied their commitment to professional growth and development.

What is something surprising you learned about Kipsu?

This program has really shown me how collaborative all of our teams are. Each team functions individually, with their own goals and desired outcomes, but we all depend on each other so much. We are constantly working to improve the way we can collaborate and I think this program really helped highlight the need to prioritize the collective, rather than compete against each other. In the end, that's how we all win.

What are a few things you have learned about yourself through this program?

Through this program, I learned to keep an open mind about what I am able to do for a career. I came into Kipsu with a little bit of sales experience from a summer internship, but I would never have thought I would love Customer Support, or that I could be on the Engineering team here. I knew nothing about software engineering, and yet the team helped and supported me to be successful in something I would never have dreamed of doing. Another thing I learned is that you can prepare for something as much as you'd like, but sometimes you have to just dive in and try. Of course, being prepared is important, but in the end, you may never be quite prepared for what's going to happen, so I've learned to trust myself and my team to handle whatever happens. This has given me a lot of confidence in myself in taking on new challenges throughout the year.

In this program, you have been exposed to several roles without having prior experience in them, how has that experience been?

Having the opportunity to be involved in several roles has been a very humbling experience for me. Given that I had never done any of these 3 roles before, it sometimes felt like I was just figuring out how to do the one role I was in, right before I moved into the next role. I have done things this year that I never thought I'd have the chance or desire, for that matter, to try. Before this year, the idea of working on a software engineering team never would have crossed my mind, but now I've been able to do that, and I have learned so much in my short time with the team. It's been an awesome reminder to continue to be curious and ask questions and although the frequent transitions were challenging, they've allowed me to keep thinking critically about what I enjoy, how I can be a better team player, and continue to learn all the time.

What has been the most challenging and rewarding part of the Rotation Program?

The biggest challenge for me has been all of the transitions that come with having 3 different positions in one year. It was a big transition to graduate and start working, and then on top of that, we did a lot of moving around between teams, which meant a lot of time adjusting to all of that change. Of course, all of that helped me learn so much about Kipsu as a product and as a company, but it also meant a lot of unknown, trial and error, and patience with myself.

For me, the most rewarding piece has been really accumulating a ton of knowledge about Kipsu and being able to use that to build connections across teams to aid in communication and understanding. Each team has their unique way of operating and this experience has helped me see how we can come together to help each other achieve what the company as a whole is working to do. I have grown so much through the process, and it's exciting to realize how much I've learned.

What advice would give to the next Rotation Analysts?

To the next Rotational Analysts, I say never be afraid to ask questions or set up meetings with others on your team to talk through what you're trying to figure out. It may feel like by the 3rd rotation you should know what you're doing, but it's still a new position, you're still trying to figure out what's going on, and everyone is excited to help you!

Where did you end up being placed and how are you feeling about moving into that role in a few short weeks?

I will be heading back to the Customer Support team after my rotation, and I am thrilled about my placement! I spent my second rotation on with the Support team, and I really loved my experience there, so I'm looking forward to that next step.

Anything else you would like to add about the Program?

Lastly, I am just so appreciative for all of the support I've received throughout the year from each and every team I've been on. The teams welcomed me with open arms and helped me dive right into each position wholeheartedly. Having done it, I can honestly say that there isn't a bad place to work here and that is truly a testament to everyone's hard work and dedication to this company and each other.