Smoothstack is revolutionizing the way aspiring IT professionals launch successful careers in information technology. They do this by focusing on aspiring IT talent, using proprietary aptitude and knowledge-based assessments to evaluate skill, talent, and trajectory. From there, Smoothstack custom builds their talent pool specific to their client needs through a vigorous, in-house, project-based training program designed to mimic their clients’ IT stacks and environments. Smoothstack’s business model is similar to a consulting firm, as their employees are billed out to their clients as consultants.
What makes Smoothstack unique is that, unlike traditional consulting companies, they do not place value on prior relevant experience or educational pedigree. Smoothstack recognizes that the markers of a successful IT hire rely mainly on what a person knows and what they are capable of doing, in addition to a select set of soft skills. In conjunction with hiring candidates with baseline coding skills, Smoothstack attributes their success to hiring candidates with good presentation skills, willingness to collaborate, ability to accept constructive criticism, and high aptitude.
By focusing on aspiring IT talent vs experienced IT talent, Smoothstack is able to tap into a demographic that is overlooked and underrepresented. This talent pool is highly successful when provided with opportunity. When Smoothstack first started using this approach, two unexpected things happened.
First, the elimination of hiring bias typically present in the traditional hiring model, resulted in a workforce that was highly skilled and diverse. Today, Smoothstack is over 50% diverse and through case studies have proven that diversity breeds higher success within IT, as technology solutions typically cover broad and diverse populations.
Secondly,
Smoothstack reviews show that a high percentage of new hires had computer science degrees. This was surprising given that Smoothstack does not screen for degrees. When digging into this phenomenon, Smoothstack realized that computer science programs often leave skill gaps resulting in lack of employment opportunities post-graduation. Colleges and universities typically do not teach nascent and in-demand programming languages, and in contrast to Smoothstack’s upskilling model, teach in a theoretical classroom style model. Smoothstack understands that in order to properly prepare talent to be successful in the workplace, agile Scrum based environments that mimic actual environments in the real world, are an absolute necessity.
This leads to the dreadful chicken or the egg scenario for college graduates. Most companies will look to hire IT professionals with experience. Of course, the problem for recent college grads is that they will not yet have the experience outside of the classroom. If they have had an internship, it’s unlikely tailored to meet the needs of open positions available after college. A few will get lucky and find a business that will hire them as interns and add them to the fold after graduation, but most finds themselves back at square one.
Through their model, Smoothstack has become an onramp to a successful career in IT, with talent coming from a wide variety of backgrounds including military, career transitioners, and more. Irrespective of backgrounds, Smoothstackers all have one thing in common…their IT workforce has a passion and aptitude for IT that is unequivocally tier one.
Smoothstack IT talent start their career at Smoothstack with 12-16 weeks of specialized training to get them job ready. New hires will learn what is expected of them on the job, sharpen their technical skills, and learn new skills. Smoothstack career specializations are custom to client partner needs.
Smoothstack career tracks:
- Appian
- Application Development
- AWS
- Business Analysis
- Cloud
- Cyber Security
- DevOps
- Java
- Java AWS
- Java DevOps
- Java Fullstack
- Mobile Development
- PEGA
- Salesforce
- SDET
- UI (User Interface)
Through the use of AI for code comparison, Smoothstack has demonstrated that their immersive employee training program equates to 1-2 years of hands-on experience. Companies that have traditionally sought to onboard talent with experience have turn to Smoothstack based on their track record of churning out professionals who can be trusted with skillsets applicable to client’s needs.
Opportunity follows passion, and as many have discovered, there are new pathways for people that may not have otherwise had the same opportunities with hiring model of yesterday.
