When our Ironhackers land tech jobs, they end up in all industries in all sorts of different companies. Occasionally they end up on the same team, which is always great to see. But Mediaquery, a full service tech agency from Miami, went one step further by practically filling their development team with Ironhackers!
What is Mediaquery?
Hailing from Miami, Mediaquery support and drive their clients forward by offering a host of services, including software development, website design, data visualization, cloud based strategy, branding, and much more. Basically, anything a thriving company needs.
Mediaquery is the brainchild of founders Olivier Carissimo, a tech expert, and Florent Garcia, a designer with an eye for aesthetic perfection. Combining these two disciplines created an agency where developers and creatives work hand in hand in a collaborative environment where everyone wins.
Why does Mediaquery Love Ironhack?
With their design and engineering teams bolstered by Ironhackers, it’s safe to say that Mediaquery trust Ironhackers to get the job done. We got to chat with Olivier and Florent to find out why…
What first attracted you to Ironhack as your solution for fresh talent?
Olivier: We hired our first Ironhacker through Indeed, and he told us about Ironhack and invited us to participate in an Ironhack Career Fair to hire our next employee. We realized the hiring process was greatly accelerated via this “speed dating” style.
Florent: [The Career Fair] allowed us to quickly compare talents with the same base skills. The rapid-fire interview format helped us identify standout individuals who would be the best fit for Mediaquery. This was our initial point of entry with Ironhack. Additionally, we value that Ironhack’s training programs stay current with the latest tech stacks, aligning well with our company.
How do you like having so many Ironhackers on your team? What impact has it had?
Olivier: Ironhackers are already curated, trained tech people. At entry level, they are ready to go to the next level and turn into real tech professionals within less than a year. Mediaquery helps them have their first real tech experience.
Florent: Hiring individuals from the same cohort has been beneficial because they already have a working dynamic. They were drawn to work together on projects, so we gain a head start in building a team. They are familiar with each other’s strengths and are supportive, as they were during the program. It’s advantageous to have people who complement each other and can rely on each other when facing challenges. Although they have more to learn upon joining, their shared experiences and teamwork make the integration process smoother.
How do your Ironhacker teammates find their first few days/weeks on the job?
Olivier: They find a high level of camaraderie as they start working with their peers, and see it as a continuation of the Ironhack training program, the difference being that they’re working on real life problem solving and contributing to real business problems. Ironhackers find a nice, comfortable, focused engineering environment where they can progress and fulfill their passion of building tech.
Florent: They quickly realize the difference between class projects and real-life projects. They transition from working on abstract projects with limited impact to contributing to software and platforms used by real users. The level of responsibility they experience from the beginning is evident. On a personal level, the shared experience of going through Ironhack, whether in the same class or not, facilitates the integration of newcomers into the team. Existing employees (previous Ironhackers) understand what they’re going through and provide natural onboarding support. This makes it easier for new team members to adapt and thrive at Mediaquery.
Why do Ironhackers Love Mediaquery?
We’re always happy when our hiring partners are happy! But we also wanted to know how our graduates were getting on…
We spoke to Paulina Sanchez (UX/UI Design Bootcamp, Miami Campus) and Eduardo Beyra (Web Development Bootcamp, Ironhack Remote).
Did your Ironhack bootcamp set you up for success on the job?
Paulina: My bootcamp did set me up for success in my job. During my days at Ironhack I learned a lot of design skills, rules, and helpful tips and techniques that make designing easier. There’s still a lot to learn as I continue my career journey but I’d say Ironhack is a great starting point for the basics needed to begin a successful career.
Eduardo: Yes. I walked away with knowledge on the basics of web development, and the understanding that a big component of future success is to be open to continuous learning along the way. This prepared me in more ways than one to meet challenges on the job which were outside the scope of the curriculum.
Would you recommend Ironhack to anyone else trying to break into tech?
Paulina: I would recommend Ironhack for anyone breaking into tech. Even now I encourage others and even some of my friends to pursue Ironhack for their tech interests. I think Ironhack opens up a lot of doors for opportunity as you gain the knowledge for your field as well as a community of friends and mentors who can meet with you and help set you on the right track towards growth. The community is so helpful, you can reach out to anyone with a question and they’re so eager to help you because they’ve been in your shoes before.
Eduardo: Absolutely. As a career-changer from an industry outside of tech, Ironhack was a great way to hit the ground running.
How have you enjoyed your time working with Mediaquery?
Paulina: I’ve enjoyed every second I’ve worked at Mediaquery since the day I started six months ago. Everyone here is so kind and helpful and everyone in their own way has contributed to my growth and guided me to be a better designer each day. There’s still so much for me to learn but I know that at Mediaquery I have access to a community of people who not only appreciate the work I do but challenge me and push me as well. Because of that, I’m excited to continue my journey into the UX/UI field and I’m excited to see how much I’ll have changed throughout the years as I continue my journey here.
Eduardo: Mediaquery is an incredible place to work. The only limit to what you can achieve is yourself. I've had the opportunity to work on amazing projects with real world impact, on a collaborative team that looks out for each other. I couldn't have hoped for better.
Looking to Hire or Get Hired?
This is an awesome win-win story. A company in need of tech talent that drives their mission forwards filled their team with passionate individuals. And a new generation of career changers found a tech company that trusts their ability to rock the job. Everybody is happy!
But this doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a conscious effort on our part to design a curriculum and foster an environment that sets Ironhackers up for success. We focus on listening to the needs of the market and designing our curriculum around the skills that companies are looking for. We instill a sense of confidence in our students by showing them how much they already know, and by giving them the opportunity to meet companies that love hiring career changers.
So, if you’re looking to hire tech talent, or you’re a career changer ready to break into tech, Ironhack has got your back!
