Proven Development Program Q&A – Chris Whittemore

John Trainor
Behind the Scenes with John Trainor – Proven Development Program Testimonial Video
July 13, 2015
Proven Development Program Q&A – Henry Grimes
August 26, 2015

Now that we’ve heard from the mentors, we would like to share some insight into what it is like to go through the Proven Development Program, from the mentee perspective. We will be adding some interviews with our PDP “graduates” to the blog, starting with Chris Whittemore, one of our business intelligence developers who recently went through the program.

Chris WhittemoreHow did you hear about The Proven Method?

I was referred to The Proven Method by Jim Biles on LinkedIn.

Can you describe your experience with The Proven Method’s hiring process?

It was very easy, thanks to the recruiting team. After our initial email exchange, we quickly scheduled an initial interview and skills test. Once completed, I was invited back to interview with mentors and other company officials.

Can you describe the mentoring program you participated in, called the Proven Development Program?

The mentoring program was a quick and supervised immersion into the programming language I would be working with, SQL. I was provided with several of the official Microsoft training books, and spent the first few days getting set up with equipment and learning about the systems I would be working with.

What were the advantages to you participating in the Proven Development Program?

I had immediate access to the literature I would need to become effective in the languages I would be using, as well as a mentor ready and willing to answer any questions I had. I also had a supervised entry directly into the company and databases I would be working with.

Who was your mentor in the program?

Todd Lyman

How did your mentor help you during the program?

Todd was, and still is, a great resource for everything SQL. He went out of his way to not only answer any questions I had, but to also completely explain the reasoning behind the answers and design decisions we were making while working on our projects.

What are some specific concepts you learned while in the program that you didn’t learn in your college classes?

Since I didn’t study much SQL in college, many of the concepts relating to working with and querying large business databases correctly were new. Specific concepts included things such as correctly creating indices to improve query performance, using SSIS to facilitate large data transfers, and how to troubleshoot.

What project did you work on during your time in the Proven Development Program? What was your role?

The largest project I worked on during the mentoring was an overhaul of the Aaron’s bonus review process. We managed to take a workflow that originally took several days of manual input and error checking and refined it into an automated process that required only a few hours manual work for the end user. Todd and I both worked closely as a team on the creation of the SSIS packages that make up the final product.

Did you accept a position with the company where you were placed during the program?

Yes

If so, which company? How did the Proven Development Program help you with adapting to the company’s culture?

Aarons, Inc. Since I was working at the Aaron’s offices for a large part of the time I was with The Proven Method, I was already closely oriented with their culture and staff, making it a quick and easy transition.

Any other comments you’d like to add about your mentor, the program, or The Proven Method? 

I think it’s been, and will continue to be a great program. We have already had another three candidates from The Proven Method join the team I am working on at Aaron’s.


New Call-to-action