vodori

Part of an ongoing series to get acquainted with the citizens of Vodoriland. Collect them all! 

Name: Collin Green
Title: Senior Designer
Specialties: Branding, illustration, abstract thinking, finding solutions—but not always the immediate solutions. 

So, what exactly do you do around here? 

I'm in charge of most things creative. That ranges from Photoshopping random employees' heads onto animals bodies to the creation of branding and websites. I have more of a focus on branding; within our team that's my little specialty. 

Where do you get your inspiration? 

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Luckily I sit by a window, so a fair amount comes from that. The music I'm listening to, that intrinsically creates emotions that effects what I'm doing. My bike rides to work are surprisingly littered with all kinds of snippets and details and sound bites and colors. 

What sites do you visit most often? 

I've been paying a lot more attention to technology stuff, so The Next Web, I check that out at least once a day. Of course Dribbble, and A List Apart. The blog Brand New. And bldgwlf.com, a site dedicated to contemporary design and illustration.

What do you do when you're not at work? 

I go to as many concerts as possible, and I'm trying to get the outdoors stuff going. Bike rides are a big thing. Especially now that the weather's getting going. I don't like to be closed up during winter—makes me grumpy. 

I'm trying to read a stack of books that never seems to dwindle. Books range from fantasy to career-based stuff. I'm currently reading The Wise Man's Fear, which is fantasy, and then How to Be A Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul. I like to read stuff in tandem. 

Do you find a lot of overlap between the fantasy world and the design world? 

Kind of. It does kind of put a spin on some things. My desire for bringing magic from the fantasy world into design would be great, if I could find a way to make that happen. 

Since we're on the topic, what would be your superpower? 

Teleportation. I guess flying has its advantages, but teleportation is immediate. FaceTiming with my friends on a regular basis, we make jokes about "how come Apple hasn't invented Wonkavision?" So that'd be pretty wild. I could dig that. I could visit everybody and multitask that much more if I could teleport. 

Who are your heroes? 

As cheesy as it sounds, my dad was always a tremendous inspiration. He taught me everything from how to draw to hooking up lighting. He's my go-to "What would he do?" guy. 

I also had a huge admiration, when I was very young, for Frank Lloyd Wright—his living structures, things like that. I was into architecture. Ever since I was little I was fascinated by people's sanctuaries, and where they came to get away from everything. He created these cool, unique environments that were also integrated with nature. 

And when I was very little, Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun was pretty badass. Maverick.

The face of 1980s America, in all his badassery.

Do you have a theme song? Other than "Danger Zone" of course. 

"Feel It All Around," by Washed Out. That's the song I play in my head every day when I smack my alarm off. It's smooth like me. 

Do you have a nickname? 

"C-Bear." 

And where did that come from? 

From an older Vodori employee. It originated from my passion for hip-hop, and if you look up C-Bear, it was a cartoon in the '80s where Tone Lōc did the voice of C-Bear. It was Calvin-and-Hobbes-esque, where this kid had a teddy bear who was alive when people weren't around. But this teddy bear was a gangsta. He has a blue cap and dark sunblocker shades on.

Notice that Collin's idols all share an affinity for awesome shades.

What's your definition of a Vodorian?

Someone that's going to be open-minded, willing to say yes to a challenge before even taking it on, and of course following through at any cost. Self-sacrificing, determined individuals. 

What do you like most about working at Vodori? 

The dress code's pretty nice. The relaxed environment. It's an opportunity to work not only with brilliant minds and hard workers, but people I can call my friends as well. That's pretty awesome. 

Better Know Other Vodorians: 

Conrad Akier, Consultant
Jeremy Arnold, Technology
Carrie Blood, Strategy Analyst
James Kearney, Program Manager
Jesse Krantzler, Technology
Christine Mortensen, Design/Strategy
Erin Willingham, Platform Engineer
Peter Winter, Office Manager
Matt Young, Technology

Congratulations! You followed our super-handy resume and cover letter tips to a T, and consequently advanced to the next stage in your job search: the interview. But our helpfulness doesn't stop there—we've also gained a few insights into the interviewing process. If you're in the running for one of our open positions, heed this handful of pointers to ensure a smooth interview, on the phone and in person. 

Phone Interview Tips

1. When scheduling a time to speak on the phone, remember to factor in time zones. 
    
2. Just like in real estate, location is critical: Choose a spot with reliable signal service, and without any background noise. After all, we want to hear what you have to say. 
    
3. Keep your energy high. Communicating clearly without the benefit of eye contact or body language can be tricky—your speech and tone of voice have to do the heavy lifting. Coming into the call sharp, alert, and prepared makes that much easier. 
    
4. It's understandable to be nervous, but don't let that stop you from being yourself. Within a 25-minute call, your goal is to persuade us to bring you in for an interview; in that short amount of time, personality goes a long way. Bring up a topic you're passionate about—a technology, a project, a design, a book, whatever—and be able to articulate why it sparks your interest. 

In-Person Interview Tips

1. Naturally, you don't want to be late. But please don't show up more than five or ten minutes early, either. You'll end up feeling awkward while you sit around waiting, and so will we.
    
2. Dress appropriately. Even though we inhabit a casual work environment, you still want to present yourself in the best possible light. This is the first impression you're making in person. 
    
3. Take the interview seriously, but let your personality shine through. We're a business, and we're also people. Show us not only how you can help grow the business, but also why we'll enjoy having you around the office. 
    
4. Be prepared: Bring extra copies of your resume, your portfolio or relevant work samples, and a pen and paper to take notes. 
    
5. If you're unsure of the answer to a question, it's better to admit it. We've all been in that position in interviews—none of us knows everything, and we don't expect you to be the first person who does. Humility and self-awareness are much more admirable than faking your way through. 
    
6. Do your research and come up with unique questions. Think a level or two beyond, "What's a typical day like?" or "What are the things you look for in an employee?" Stellar candidates should give the impression that they are interviewing us just as we're interviewing them. Asking thoughtful questions will reflect that.
    
7. Refrain from raising the matter of salary right away. However, if we ask what salary you expect, you should be prepared with an honest and reasonable answer. Severely over- or undervaluing yourself may color our impression of you as a candidate. 
    
8. Remember the names of the people you speak with, both over the phone and in person. And follow up with your interviewers within a reasonable time frame.

Part of an ongoing series to get acquainted with the citizens of Vodoriland. Collect them all!

Name: Peter Winter
Title: Office Manager
Specialties: Organization, communication, team-building, maintaining morale.

So, what exactly do you do around here?

The role is evolving. Right now, my goal is to streamline as many of the administrative procedures as possible. I'm creating documents, and forms, and routines that are reusable for me and the other administrative staff. Making it easier to pass along.

What sites do you visit most often?

NPR, CNN, just general news. I try to stay tuned in to what's going on in the world.

What do you do when you're not at work?

I play music, compose. I play guitar, bass, drums. I sort of play a bunch of other things—mandolin, harmonica. If it's got strings I can probably figure it out. I'm horrible at piano—I've tried. I'm a singer, and mostly I enjoy composition for large ensembles. Trying to make a dozen or two dozen different things work in harmony. Or disharmony, depending on what I'm going for. 

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everywhere. That's a very vague answer, but it really can be everywhere. Oftentimes I find it in architecture, in the dichotomy between man-made and naturally occurring things. The big picture of the human state is probably where I draw the most inspiration from. Just the moment where you're sitting and you're looking at something you pass every day, and you see it in a different way, that's pretty amazing...or pretty awful, depending on what you're looking at.

Do you have a nickname?

I have a lot of nicknames that go along with the name Peter—it's bound to happen, the Peter Rabbits and Peter Pans. No official nicknames.

Who do you look up to?

Definitely my father and my mother. And a lot guitar players and musicians, when I started getting into music. Artists, in general, who are able to make a difference by creating something from scratch, get people's attention.

Do you have a theme song?

Carmina Burana. It’s like the doomsday choral orchestra piece. I think that’d be a pretty awesome theme song.

What would be your superpower?

It's hard to pick one when you're put on the spot, you've got to pick a good one—as if it's actually going to happen! I think telekinesis. But on a very large, powerful scale. I think that's implied. I want to be able to knock the world off its orbit if I choose.

You're not gonna go halfway. You want the full Jean Grey.

Phoenix, not Jean Grey. Though hopefully more controlled.

Phoenix but not Dark Phoenix.

There you go.

What's your definition of a Vodorian? 

In the two weeks I've been surrounded by Vodorians, I'm astounded by the welcoming  nature of the group. It's a very diverse group of people. Even people in the same job description, you have drastically different personalities and traits. In my limited experience, I'd say a defining feature of a Vodorian is an accepting, multi-disciplinary individual, someone who's got a lot to share with others, and someone who is eager to have others share with them.

Better Know Other Vodorians:

• Conrad Akier, Consultant
• Jeremy Arnold, Technology
• Carrie Blood, Strategy Analyst
• James Kearney, Program Manager
• Jesse Krantzler, Technology
• Christine Mortensen, Design/Strategy
• Erin Willingham, Platform Engineer
• Matt Young, Technology

“During our weekly company meeting, the skies parted, leaving the sun with no choice but to shine its mighty rays over our windowless conference room. This prompted Scott to ask me if I would be willing to plan a Whirlyball event. As social coordinator and bumper car aficionado, I happily obliged.” —Conrad Akier

And thus the first Vodori WhirlyBall outing was born. For the uninitiated, WhirlyBall is a “sport” that mixes lacrosse with basketball with zipping around in bumper cars.

What was the reason for this company outing you ask? Well, nothing says teamwork better than slamming into your coworkers in a barely-controllable, most-likely-combustible motorized vehicle, of course. As Greg Lyon would so profoundly summate through laughter afterwards, “My back hurts.”

While no major injuries occurred beyond mild soreness, the evening provided the team a chance to come together and revel in topics other than the best way to solve dependency injection issues. Instead, we focused on the camaraderie we share as Vodorians, cheered each other on, and shared many, many laughs.

The event also gave us a great chance to meet our new office manager, Peter Winter who immediately made quite an impact, “Several of my new coworkers introduced themselves mid-collision. I guess it was like a kiddie version of a gang initiation—if you can make it through the beating, you’re a member.”

While Peter’s experience was unique, we take the time we spend outside of the office just as seriously as we do inside the office. We firmly believe that forging great relationships after-hours translate to happy, productive teams within the workplace.

Needless to say, everyone had a good time—as evidenced in the photos captured by Conrad below:

As you may have heard, we're hiring. The ranks of Vodoriland have been growing steadily for a long time, giving us occasion to read a lot of resumes and conduct a lot of job interviews. And as you'd expect, we've learned quite a few things about what we like to see from a prospective candidate—and what we don't. 

Whether you're a Vodori hopeful or trying to land a job at a company like ours, these tips should help your resume and cover letter earn more gold stars and raise fewer red flags. 

1. Rid your resume and cover letter of any typos or grammatical mistakes. Often, it helps to have someone else look them over to be certain. Sure, you're not applying to be an English professor, but your attention to detail shows in your writing. That's something we require of everyone who works here. 

2. Make sure your cover letter states which position you're applying for. Do you want to join us as a developer, an analyst, or an in-house juggler? If you force us to guess, you'd better show up for the interview ready to juggle. 

3. Spell our name correctly. (It's right there at the top of this page, if that helps.) Also, while we're on the subject, spell your name correctly.

4. Do not use a cut-and-paste cover letter. Take the time to customize it for the job you want. Let us know how your skills align with the job posting in your cover letter.

5. And yes, you still need to include a cover letter (either in the body of your email or as an attachment). If you send us a resume without a cover letter, we assume you're sending your resume to any email address you can find—and we won't get the opportunity to learn as much about you as we'd like.

6. Including your name in the file name of any documents you attach sure makes it easier for us to keep things organized. 

Don't let this be your resume's fate.

7. If you list a programming language or technology on your resume, be prepared to answer specific questions about it. We don't ask "Do you know C?" We ask "Using C, how do you implement TreeSort?"

8. Be judicious with the skills you claim on your resume. Most developers have a higher level of expertise at one language than the others that they list.  Few people are experts at anything after three years of experience. We're very happy to teach people what they need to know on the job - and we'd rather have you present yourself as an eager student than a know-it-all.

9. In general, don't artificially pad your resume. It's often hard to know what to include in your resume, but its length should be commensurate with your experience level.

10. If you're a designer, your resume should be designed by you (we can tell). The standard Microsoft Word templates are not acceptable. Also, your resume design should match your portfolio site design—think of yourself as a brand.

11. Also for designers: more important than your resume is your portfolio. Explain your role in creating or working on each piece, and relate the design considerations you made for each project you showcase. If we don't know how you contributed to the work you're showing then we can't accurately determine if your skills match the open position.

12. On the flip side, if you're not applying for a design job, resist the temptation to get too gimmicky with your resume. Naturally you want to stand out, but unorthodox formatting and random color schemes aren't the way to do it. We may take that as a sign that you don't trust your talent to stand out on its own.

13. Avoid expressions like "I believe I'm the perfect/ideal candidate." Everyone says that, and no one is. We aren't perfect and you might not be either. Explain why you'd be an excellent candidate in concrete terms. Humility is a very alluring quality.

Part of an ongoing series to get acquainted with the citizens of Vodoriland. Collect them all! 

Name: Erin Willingham
Title: Platform Engineer
Specialties: Linux system administration, security, breaking things. 

So, what exactly do you do around here? 

I am a Linux system admin, I manage the security on the servers, and I set up new users with laptops and other equipment. 

Where do you get your inspiration? 

From the stories and conversations with other people in the security industry. A lot of them come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Many of them are extremely smart and have a wide breadth of information. 

What sites do you visit most often? 

I watch Tech News Today pretty much everyday. I go to Darknet once in a while. Besides that, whatever websites I'm trying to use for research.

What do you do when you're not at work? 

I play with my family. Bike riding, running. We go to the playground all the time, even when it's freezing out.

What would you choose as your "super power"? 

Immortality. That'd be excellent.

What's your definition of a Vodorian? 

Someone that's dedicated to their profession—and there's all different fields at Vodori—but who also enjoys the social atmosphere at our company.

What do like most about working at Vodori? 

Along the same lines—most everyone is dedicated to what they do, yet they also socialize with everyone else. 

Better Know Other Vodorians: 

Conrad Akier, Consultant
Jeremy Arnold, Technology
Carrie Blood, Strategy Analyst
James Kearney, Program Manager
Jesse Krantzler, Technology
Christine Mortensen, Design/Strategy
Matt Young, Technology  

Like most people, we here at Vodori spent New Year's Eve basking in quiet self-reflection (as far as we can remember). That gave many of us the chance to conjure the perfect New Year's resolution.

Here's a sample of the goals some of us have set for 2012, Mayan apocalypse be damned. Vodorians are all about rising to the challenge.

"Successfully launch Pepper 3 and grow Vodori's product offering." - Grant Gochnauer, Vice President

"Write more, type less." - Tori Reneker, Designer

"More cowbell." - Conrad Akier, Consultant & Senior Gymnast

"NOT work. Tropical Asia here I come!!" - David Wolverton, Vodorian Emeritus, Intrepid World Traveler

If you look closely, you can see David laughing at all us working stiffs.

"Power the Vodori blog with crisp, engaging content and fresh ideas. Or, failing that, with strained humor and hacky rollover-text jokes." - Andrew Daglas, Copywriter

"Drink more orange juice to stay healthy. Because it sucks when you have to take forced time-off as a result of microbes. As an aside, I don't like doctors. They call what they do 'practice.'" - Salvador Gaytan, Developer

"Learn to swim. " - Ryan Shirkman, Information Architect

"Learn how to program. " - Zernyu Chou, Senior Developer

"Run a half-marathon in less than two hours. Or get over my fear of swimming...but that's probably too ambitious." - Meghan Palmer, Financial Guru

"Bike 1,500 miles, not including commuting." - Jeremy Arnold, Technical Lead

"More triathlons, more personal records!" - Jesse Krantzler, Senior Developer

"Help at least three other people keep their own resolutions—looking forward to seeing you at 6 a.m. for bike rides! - James Kearney, Program Manager

By December, we'll be in peak physical condition. Or possibly dead.

"Declutter, declutter, declutter." - Mike Sullivan, Technical Architect

"Complete the One Hundred Day Challenge by exercising for at least 30 minutes every day for 100 days in a row...I'm only on day four. Oh, and add clutter to Mike's desk." - Christine Mortensen, Creative Web Producer

"Shake my hip-hop addiction. That shit cray." - David Stinnette, Art Director

"Think of a resolution for 2013." - Greg Lyon, Senior Associate

Part of an ongoing series to get acquainted with the citizens of Vodoriland. Collect them all!

Name: James Kearney
Title: Program Manager
Specialties: Maximizing the business value of technology projects, leading teams, teaching, coaching, and solutions architecture.

What sites do you visit most often? 

Besides Gmail? Hacker News, Yahoo Finance, Stack Overflow, and probably Twitter.

What do you do when you're not at work?

Outside of work I do a lot of outdoors stuff - hiking backpacking, sailing, motorcycling. I like to hack in my lab at home. 

Nothing illegal, of course.

It's all on the up-and-up. I spend time with my family and friends, I read. And I'm kind of a dance music aficionado.

What sort of dance music?

All kinds of dance music. Pretty much every genre. 

When you were a child who did you look up to most?

Astronauts. They were the next best thing to being an actual superhero. They had this huge amount of discipline, fortitude, endurance. They were kind of unstoppable. Plus, you get to fly in a spaceship—how cool is that? I basically spent most of my childhood trying to emulate and become one.

What is your superpower?

Being additive. I'm always looking for ways to make things better.

What's your definition of a Vodorian?

It's about believing in yourself and in your team. Working hard, but not taking yourself too seriously while you're doing it—making sure to build in a little fun.

What do like most about working at Vodori?

I like the people here. It's been true about every great place that I've worked, and Vodori's no exception. People set the tone of the work environment. Just the amount of energy that our folks have, the willingness to help each other out, and the relentless focus on making sure the clients get the results they can. It goes a long way.

Better Know Other Vodorians:

Conrad Akier, Consultant
Jeremy Arnold, Technology
Carrie Blood, Strategy Analyst
Jesse Krantzler, Technology
Christine Mortensen, Design/Strategy
Matt Young, Technology  

So here we are, in the last week of 2011. What does that mean?

It's a normal practice to reflect on the past year and evaluate what we have or have not done. For those things we have accomplished, we are grateful. For those we have not, we make resolutions to do so in the coming year.

But why should we wait that long?

I won't go into the details of the hardships I've faced this year because, well, we each have our own.

What I will say is that with each of those perceived hardships, we have an opportunity to make the best of what we face. What we choose to do with those opportunities are up to us.

Vodori is no different. We have been fortunate enough to enjoy a tremendous growth spurt despite the economy's overall adversity. We have remained optimistic about not only our future, but our clients' futures as well. We see great things in store for 2012 (no matter what the Mayans may predict).

My point is that when you surround yourself with great people, nothing but greatness can be expected. This is my wish for the coming year: that those around us continue to do the great work they have proven capable of, and to exceed beyond those boundaries. And that everyone facing steeper challenges finds a way to push through in spite of them.

I am thankful beyond words for those I have around me, both professionally and personally. You are each an inspiration and a driving force for me everyday (much like Bradley Cooper's hair, but just slightly less magnificent). For that, I thank you. And for that, I wish you all a mighty year ahead.

Part of an ongoing series to get acquainted with the citizens of Vodoriland. Collect them all!

Name: Carrie Blood
Title: Strategy Analyst
Specialties: AdGooroo, AdWords, Google Analytics, SEM/SEO, Facebook

How did you get started in Ultimate Frisbee? 

When I came to Loyola—I always threw the disc around in high school, but in college we had a women's team, so I joined that my freshman year. Played all four years, and I was a captain for a couple of years. Then I started playing club ultimate, which is more competitive. 

What's the most common injury?

I've been injured playing ultimate far more times than playing any other sport—and I've played soccer, basketball, track, cross country. You get a lot of shoulder injuries. My left shoulder has been dislocated once and reinjured a second time, and I've had to go through physical therapy.

Is there anything that has translated from ultimate Frisbee to your professional career? Any lessons learned?

It requires a surprising amount of conditioning. Being a captain on a college teams, which tend to be a little less competitive, taught me to be very patient with people. I had to do a lot of teaching and, at the same time, learn how to teach people certain skills which come very naturally to me. I used to be very impatient, didn't like teaching people anything, but that definitely put me in check a little bit. It could be frustrating at times, and it chilled me out a little bit.

And perseverance. You have to work super-hard on something you want to be good at. I came in and had sort of a natural ability, but didn't know how to play the sport. You have to learn it from the very basics. It's something that I love playing too, so it's a combination of hard work, dedication, but also passion. That's definitely something that I'd love to see translate into my career. I'm just starting out here. I love it here so far.

What do you like most about working here?

So far I like the fact that I'm getting real responsibilities and kinda got thrown right into certain projects. I always had internships in advertising, marketing, but very different than anything we do here. My first day I got into a meeting and they're giving a rundown of a client, and I'm sitting in there like, "Okay, I'm really responsible for doing things, and I'm going to be held accountable for doing work! This isn't like being an intern anymore—I'm treated like a peer.

I also really like the people here. I think that's probably one of the best things. It's a lot of fun. The atmosphere is really young, spirited, everyone seems really tight, and I like that. At Happy Hour, it's easy to talk to literally any person in the office, despite the fact that I've worked with maybe five people so far.

What would be your definition of a Vodorian?

Going off what I was saying earlier—they're very diverse people. Everybody seems pretty adventurous, outgoing. Everybody does a lot of cool things. I could talk to people about beer festivals, marathons, biking...

What is your superpower?

I make a pretty bomb egg sandwich. Seriously. Largely due to the fact that I ate at least one/day all through college.

If you had a theme song, what would it be?

"Route 66." The reason why I'd pick that is, my dad plays harmonica and guitar and has always been in a band since I was little. We do a lot of bonfires and stuff like that, he has a lot of other friends who play music, so I grew up around a lot of very musical people—lots of guitar and jam sessions. And that was one of the songs that my dad always played, I can remember. A lot of it is a nostalgic connection. And it's also a great song—I like the idea of being on the road, traveling around. I like that style of music too, sort of bluesy, sort of folky. It's a solid choice for me.

You probably get the Carrie movie thing all the time, right?

I did a lot when I was younger. Now everyone just thinks my last name is really cool. I never really had a nickname, because my last name lends itself really well.

Better Know Other Vodorians:

Conrad Akier, Consultant
Jeremy Arnold, Technology
Jesse Krantzler, Technology
Christine Mortensen, Design/Strategy
Matt Young, Technology