Javid’s journey: From supporting iManage Indexer to building it

At iManage, growth opportunities extend beyond your original career path, with many possibilities to thrive outside of your current role. Harnessing the power of internal mobility has proven to be of great benefit for both individual employees and the organization at large, so we make a point to empower our employees to take control of their careers.

To celebrate this unique opportunity, we want to share an internal success story from Javid Ismail, a London-based Support Engineer turned Software Engineer. From starting as a Support Engineer for iManage Indexer to moving into a Software Engineer role supporting the same solution, Javid is a testament to building relationships and not being afraid to follow one’s passions. We sat down with Javid and his new manager, Sangeetha Sivanantham, to learn more about his journey to Engineering.

A start in support

Javid graduated with a Computer Science degree and was initially looking for a Software Engineering role, but when approached by iManage, he felt the best way to learn about a product was through supporting its users.

Throughout his time in Support, he expressed interest in growing into the Engineering function, as he felt compelled to explore more of his passion for development. Two years into his role, Javid had a conversation with his manager in Support, Ankit Upadhyay, to share his goals and start an open dialogue about the internal opportunities available. It was this initial conversation that catalyzed the relationships and training needed to make this internal mobility dream a reality.

Working with Ankit, Javid knew that he would need training and development in additional areas before applying for a role in Engineering. Ankit helped to connect Javid with some teammates on the Engineering side of the Indexer product to help Javid get a clearer understanding of the technologies he would need to be successful. In addition to brushing up on his Java skills, after getting connected to Tom Clabon, Senior Principal Software Engineer, Javid learned about other tools, like Docker and IntelliJ, that would put him in a better position to transition into a role as a Software Engineer. Not only did Javid take the initiative to connect with other engineers on the team, but he also focused on learning these new technical skills, demonstrating his true passion and commitment to engineering.

This self-determination is exactly what we encourage at iManage, with Hunger for Learning as one of our core values. It’s this type of behavior that creates thriving environments for our employees to knowledge-share and learn from different areas of the business, contributing to our culture of growth and ultimately leading to a better customer experience.

Making the move to engineering

On the Engineering side of Indexer, Sangeetha Sivanantham, Manager of Engineering, had previously partnered with Javid to work through several challenges and knew he was deeply familiar with the product from both customer and business perspectives. Javid connected with Sangeetha to learn about the open role on her team, an overview of the interview process, and how he would be able to contribute his unique experience and knowledge to the team.

Throughout the interview process, Javid met with another engineering manager to go through a technical interview where he showcased his problem-solving and analytical skills, spoke on his hunger for continual learning, and demonstrated his passion for engineering. Sangeetha also sought feedback from other managers Javid worked with who vouched that he is a proactive learner who wrote scripts to solve problems and documented these solutions for the rest of the team to use in the future.

Advice for managers and employees

Sangeetha reflected on this internal mobility process from her perspective as a manager. She pointed out the impact of manager-to-manager communication around growth opportunities for their employees, advising other managers to learn about their employees’ interests and where they want to be in the next five years.

In addition, Sangeetha noted that internal transfers are always beneficial because the employee already has the product knowledge and the opportunity for growth in a new role is critical for retention. Javid has advice for other employees seeking growth, as well.

“Simple! If you’re thinking of making a change, have that conversation with your manager.”

We enable and encourage managers at iManage to have these types of conversations with their team members; your manager values your growth just as much as you do! Javid confirmed this:

“You might not think they’d be supportive of it, but once you talk to them, you’ll find out that they really are. When Ankit showed his support, that’s when I felt reassured about pursuing the opportunity. I would also encourage talking to others who are already in that role to learn more about it—people are more than happy to help and are eager to share their knowledge!” 

Investing in your success

Javid’s story highlights our commitment to the growth of our employees, while also outlining the personal reflection and determination it takes to seek out new opportunities across iManage. If you’re in a similar situation, ask yourself, “What teams or products am I already familiar with? How can I apply my existing skills to another part of the organization?” Outlining a clear pathway for yourself can assist in the internal mobility process and accompanying conversations you will have with your current manager and prospective managers.

Internal mobility is an important value at iManage and we cannot wait to hear about the next success story! Whether you’re a current or prospective employee, check out our careers page to learn more about roles and teams that you can trust will invest in your growth and development.