We’re excited to introduce a brand new feature on Praescient’s Ideas Blog we’re calling Employee Spotlight. The purpose of this feature is to call out an exceptional Praescient employee who exemplifies our unique approach to analysis, technology integration, and software engineering. We’re kicking off this series with a spotlight on Ben Parrish, one of our talented software engineers. I sat down with Ben earlier this week for an interview.
Ben came to Praescient in late August of 2013, joining our burgeoning engineering division. Still an active member of the National Guard, Ben embodies both Praescient’s military roots and our commitment to understanding cutting edge technologies. He is proficient in several software languages, including jQuery, Javascript, AngularJS, and NodeJS.
Ben’s military experience significantly informs his point of view on his current work. “Most people first out of college lack an attention to detail,” Ben said. “In the military, you have an appreciation of how the small things you do affect the organization – all the way up to senior decision makers.” Ben went on to say that his service in the Armed Forces taught him when to seize opportunities for advancement and when to follow the lead of one’s superiors.
“We hire the best people who we think will do the best job for the company,” Ben said in regard to our software engineering recruiting. He believes that our software-focused staff members possess not only the best technical skills, but an awareness of the technology trends in the near future. These characteristics make our software engineers well-suited to rapid shifts into brand new realms of work. “There’s a common stereotype that engineers aren’t people persons,” Ben said. “The idea that engineers use too much jargon and are too technically-focused to speak to customers is simply not true at Praescient.”
Ben, with several other Praescient employees, after his victory at the recent “Jingle All the Way” 8k run.
Ben also shared his thoughts on how young folks could be encouraged to break into the world of computer science. “Companies should commit to providing on-the-job training to high school and even middle school students,” Ben said. “This real world engineering experience would give these students a head start over their peers in the computer science and engineering fields.” To Ben, computer science in higher education is a good way to obtain a baseline knowledge, but a student can truly grow their skills only through hands-on experience on real-world problems or projects. Students need to “get their hands dirty” in order to become great software engineers.
At Praescient, we are extremely proud of Ben’s work and the work of our engineering staff as a whole. We are confident that this dynamic team will continue to identify and leverage the latest and greatest software tools for our diverse client set. Keep checking the Ideas Blog for future editions of the Employee Spotlight.
Praescient Analytics is a Veteran-Owned Small Business that delivers training, data integration, platform customization, and embedded analytical services in partnership with leading technology providers. Praescient’s teams of analysts and engineers provide comprehensive solutions to federal and commercial clients engaged in critical defense, law enforcement, intelligence, cyber security, financial, investigative, and legal analytics missions.
Charlotte Stasio is Praescient’s Communications Specialist.