Pros
• Backing of Dell Technologies means links to a strong portfolio of customers. Brand recognition is good in US region. • The new CEO has struck the right balance between focusing on the core product and diversifying the portfolio. Whilst it has put itself in the Healthcare and Multi Cloud space, it hasn’t lost sight of its bread and butter product offering that gave them the edge into the market to begin with. As a result, everybody now has a crystal clear vision as to what we do, where we are going, what to offer customers today. • In the 5 years I have been here, the exposure to the vast array of technologies has boosted my confidence and upon reflection has given me some fantastic CV material (not that I am looking to move anytime soon). • You will never have a boring day. There is always something to do, whether it be a build project for new capacity or inbound customer, a DR test, some investigation, some ops procedure that could probably be automated, regular maintenance or migration. If you are bored and have nothing to do, you aren’t doing it right – reach out to your team. • Looking back over the 5 years, having the discipline of Dell Technologies trickle down to Virtustream has now changed the start-up mentality of “Get it done, get the light on at all costs” to mature, tried, tested and proven procedures with a far more robust outcome. • The sheer talent you will work with. I thought I was a geek until I joined Virtustream. Now I am surrounded by geniuses on another level. Regardless, the talent will bring you under their wing, mentoring you and helping you get up to speed on the environment. Being “different” is well and truly embraced here – it’s not how you, look, dress or act, it is the results you bring to the table that matter. • The amount of amazing technologies you get to work with. VMWare, Azure, GCP, Isilon, nearly anything in the Dell EMC product catalogue is embraced within Virtustream. If you are interested in the various Healthcare platforms, Virtustream are in on the ground floor so you will be exposed to a variety of fascinating technology on that front. • Great experience working across multiple time zones. We have a centre of excellence in Bangalore, the 24x7 operations teams that are the beating heart of VEC services and we also have various domestic teams across UK, Europe as well as across the whole of the US (literally coast to coast). • The benefits package is decent (even once Dell Technologies took over and “harmonised” our benefits). Your salary, including on call and overtime, whilst not market beating is still up there with the good ones. In addition, if you go above and beyond the call of duty, there is a decent recognition program where you are given an award which can be traded for products or gift cards. Furthermore, the Long-Term Incentive program is a good way to retain top talent by offering them shares in the company if they stay (leave early, and you will have to pay it all back, which is only fair). • Working from home and flexi-time really is a boon to those who are parents. Virtustream and Dell Technologies are not one of those companies who expect you to turn up at the office at 9am on the dot every day. You work as and how you please, as long as the work gets done. The Work From Home culture is embraced with both arms since the advent of COVID-19. You have so many collaboration tools at your disposal that you can really do business from anywhere.
Cons
• As with technology in general, the pace of change is rapid and ever evolving. To this end, you may need to be prepared to pivot with the changes or you will be quickly left behind. If you show initiative and drive to learn new products/tech then your boss will guide you to the next steps. You will be given definitive action plans at each performance review, and you will be encouraged to set up 1 to 1 meeting with your manager to seek feedback and you will know where you stand. This is only really a “con” depending on the type of individual you are. If you are a driven individual who wants to develop their career, then this isn’t a con at all, this is a pro for you. If you are coming from a “cushy number” job looking for a role where you can simply clock in at 9, clock off at 5 and simply bumble along with the same routine for 30 years, then go work at the local council. Virtustream (and any good technology company for that matter) is not a company for the slow moving, apathetic, regular “9 to 5’ers”. • At times the company feels rather “US centric” and the European staff often feel a little bit left out. This has immensely improved over the 5 years that I have been there and there have been great efforts to create global teams. Don’t get me wrong when the company wins, everybody wherever they are in the world also wins, but a lot of European staff would love to see more European logos signed up. • Brand recognition outside of the US is slim to none. Virtustream did an amazing campaign a while back, reminding customers of its bread and butter product – mission critical cloud. These adverts were all over major US airports, including Newark (I saw this one for myself). Yet over in say Heathrow, Gatwick, Charles-De-Gaul, Berlin, Frankfurt, Athens, Rome, Bangalore (the tech centre of the East) not a single advert in sight. The closest exposure was a Dell Technologies advert on BBC World News TV channel in Greece, where the Virtustream logo appeared alongside the Dell Technologies logo at the end at like size 8 font. If you are outside of the US, it is easier to identify yourself as Dell Technologies as literally nobody knows who Virtustream is or what they are about.