Our guiding force at Sparq is our mission: to create high-quality technology jobs in Middle America cities where talent is often overlooked. Our Mission in Action showcases Sparq colleagues who represent how this mission impacts individuals and the communities in which we operate.
Before starting at Sparq, Natascha Thomas worked for companies where many young developers have dreams of making their mark one day, including EA Games and Disney. With the exciting subject matter, however, came some drawbacks. Natascha’s work-life balance was basically non-existent, and she had become defensive and untrusting of her colleagues due to the competitive nature of the office. Plus, she wasn’t able to achieve her savings goals because of the high cost of living in Los Angeles.
From the ocean to the gulf
Natascha and her family decided to move to her husband’s hometown of Mobile, Alabama where she accepted an offer at Sparq. Here she found a much more collaborative and supportive culture: “I’m never ashamed to ask for help, and have never had anyone say to me, ‘you should know this.’ I can tell my manager if I’m feeling ‘underwater’ or have too much assigned to me without fearing that it could negatively impact my career advancement.”
A better quality of life
Natascha took to living in Mobile right away: “I think the things that really drew me in about Mobile compared to Los Angeles were the low traffic, clean streets, and polite folks with cool accents.” And while she hasn’t exactly grown fond of the “most massive insects I’ve ever seen,” Natascha feels as though living in Mobile and working at Sparq has truly given her the space to thrive.
Soft Skills for Tech Leads: How They’ll Help You Excel at Your Role
If you manage a team, you already know that this experience can be as challenging as it is rewarding. At Sparq we have different management roles and one of the most essential is the Tech Lead position. In addition to being seasoned developers, Teach Leads need to be able to mentor up and coming talent. One of the ways they do that is by utilizing soft skills. In this article, Delivery Lead Rodrigo Trelles explores the most important soft skills to be a successful Tech Lead.
Exploring the World of a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)
Technology is advancing rapidly and the new advances introduce new roles and responsibilities. Among the most significant roles is the Site Reliability Engineer (SRE). This article will explore the role of an SRE, how it differs from a software developer and the essential skills required to succeed in the field.
Automated Testing Applied: How This Practice Can Help Developers Across Projects
In this article, Technical Lead Pablo Carballo shares how automated testing practices have made his team's work more efficient and diverse.
Inside the Minds of Digital Innovators: Highlights from OctoTalks Podcast
Creating exceptional digital experiences involves a blend of creativity, strategy and technology. Octobot, a company that was recently acquired by Sparq, hosted a podcast that delves into these elements by showcasing the visionaries who dream up and build these experiences. In this blog post, we want to share some highlights about the conversations and invite you to give it a listen!