Many Opportunities to Make an Impact - Software Engineer(Internship) Embark.com Employee Review

Embark has an extremely robust product offering, a long-standing history in the EdTech space, and a smart, friendly, and nimble team. Embark’s product and industry experience provides for the stability that most start-ups long-for, and means you can breathe easy knowing the company is here to stay. While this stability could easily be taken for granted, Embark’s CEO Sarita has a keen eye for growth opportunities which means no two days at Embark are exactly the same and we are always working on new initiatives to continue to grow the business. This focus on growth extends far past the company level and down to each individual on the team. The leadership team is extremely passionate about helping each employee reach their full potential by encouraging open feedback and encouraging team members to try new things. For someone who values continued learning over time, Embark provides the perfect landscape to continue to take on new responsibilities and hone your skills over time. On a personal note, I am deeply appreciative and inspired by Sarita’s passion not only for our mission but also for each individual at Embark. Her positivity, excitement, and deep caring for our successes as a company, as a team, and as people come across in nearly every interaction and are truly invaluable to both the product and the culture at Embark.

While the culture is highly collaborative, some of the work can be extremely independent and occasionally open-ended. If you are someone who likes things to be a bit more prescriptive or clearly defined, you’ll need to become comfortable diving into new areas and sometimes helping to define your own finish line. Once you realize the team will always be supportive and available as a resource whenever you need help, I think this can actually be a huge pro and a great skill to learn.

A great product, a great company, and great folks. Embark’s culture is a simple synergy of enthusiasm and open discussion. I’ve been around the block and seen the dark corners of decency and workplace cohesion; Embark is miles ahead of the competition. The team and management keep us driven and happy with flexibility and a focus on client driven priorities that have quick and immediate impacts. Certainly a great place to learn and lead if you’ve got the bootstrapping spirit and want to see your work make a difference in the education technology space. You can experience the start-up spirit in at a stable company with a stable product, lots of customers, and lots of traffic. In that vein, a company is only as successful as the vision of its CEO. Besides being a brilliant and kind person, Sarita has proven that she can read the winds of change, point us in the direction of profit and growth, and do it all with an empathetic eye.

Hiring software engineers is tough business, and some overeager decisions were made, and we brought in some very smart folks who weren’t cultural fits. Lessons were learned, patience has been rewarded and although team growth has been slow, we’re on the right track with some fantastic hires.