Altana Career Growth & Development

Give us a snapshot of what you do to stay on top of your engineering knowledge and skills. 

I love learning in many different ways. For general knowledge and exposure, I enjoy listening to podcasts, and then I often dive deeper with books or long-form articles. If there’s cool tech or a library I want to explore, I’ll spend an afternoon building a mini project to get hands-on experience. To stay updated on the latest trends, I usually listen to podcasts and read articles and substacks. My favorites are the Changelog podcast and Pragmatic Engineer newsletter. They provide me with the high-level key insights and trends that I then explore further in my own free time — and generally not after a long day of work. I’ll try that every month. I try to allocate a day or so on the weekend, and otherwise it’s what washes over me through podcasts and reading up on articles.

What are your go-to resources for keeping your engineering skills sharp?

My job! A huge perk of Altana is that there are so many interesting engineering problems to solve, and I’m often being challenged with both the scale and complexity of the problems — within reason, of course. We have several Slack channels where there is also a good amount of space to explore what’s the latest and greatest in the engineering world.

What does the learning culture look like at Altana?

Altana really promotes learning in so many ways. Altana provides a professional stipend to invest in our own personal growth, but the greatest wealth of the learning culture is centered around my coworkers. Altana’s talent is incredible, and I’m constantly learning from colleagues, both in engineering and in broader fields. The likelihood that a coworker you’re speaking with has a doctorate in their area of expertise is high, but what’s even more remarkable is how down-to-earth and collaborative everyone is, even though they’re the smartest people I’ve ever worked with.

Which skills do you leverage most often in your day-to-day work?
The skills I lean on most are curiosity, relationship building and organization. I’m genuinely curious about how prospects think about their value chains and where they’re feeling the most pressure — that curiosity helps me uncover real challenges and build trusted, lasting relationships (many of which I’ve been able to leverage here at Altana from previous companies). 

Strong organization enables me to leave no stones unturned in my pipeline. There are enough variables in sales to slow a deal down that I will make sure to never be the reason a deal moves slowly. Whether it’s sending topical articles, recapping calls or following up quickly, I’m always aiming to set the tone. I’ve learned that consistency, thoughtfulness and speed build credibility and trust — that are essential when navigating complex sales and building long-term partnerships.

How have these skills enabled you to heighten your impact on the company or grow your career?
Leading with curiosity has helped me build trusted relationships across customers and colleagues, often creating advocates who stay with me across companies. In previous leadership roles, this same curiosity helped me coach and develop team members by understanding what motivated them and where they needed support. Organization has been equally critical — whether it’s driving a deal forward, managing internal stakeholders or setting a strong operational rhythm for a team. I pride myself on being someone who keeps things moving, whether that’s through thoughtful follow-up, timely responses or sharing relevant insights. These habits have helped me consistently drive impact, build trust and grow into a well-rounded, strategic partner across every stage of my career.

What are some resources or sources of inspiration you’d recommend for reps eager to refine their sales skills? Are there resources your company has provided to support this growth?
I’m obsessed with personal development and believe that investing in myself — both personally and professionally — is key to growth. Like many people, I battle with imposter syndrome from time to time, so I make it a point to stay grounded. I’m an avid podcast listener and reader — favorites include “10% Happier” with Dan Harris, “A Bit of Optimism” with Simon Sinek, “Dare to Lead” with Brené Brown and the book “Impact Players” by Liz Wiseman. 

I also learn a lot from revisiting my own Gong calls (despite cringing at the sound of my own voice) and listening to how others on my team at Altana approach complex deals. We have a collaborative culture where call reviews and strategy sessions are the norm, and I’ve found that some of my greatest learnings come from peers and mentors who challenge me to think differently. Overall, sales is an emotional job, so prioritizing mental health is essential to staying resilient.