NetApp plans to beef up its staff with 860 new positions in Wichita, Kan., and Raleigh, N.C., in the coming years. The storage and network management vendor plans to add 460 jobs in Raleigh over the next four years. These workers would add to the approximate 1,500 workers NetApp has in Raleigh and the company is specifically looking to hire software developers at the systems and application levels, project and program managers, performance analysts, technical marketing engineers, solution architects and technical support engineers among others. Some of these technicians will work on NetApp's new data center and FAS-Series product development. It’s also adding 400 positions in Wichita over the next five years, including new product development for its E-Series line, the technology from its 2011 acquisition of  LSI's Engenio external storage systems division, and expansion of its global support center. The 400-person Wichita staff will more than double over the coming years, with new hires being brought on board for software development, QA, testing and engineering techs. At the moment, though, the company has close to 300 open tech positions, including some at its Sunnyvale, Calif., headquarters; Pittsburgh; Waltham, Mass.; and Vancouver, B.C.

Reading the job descriptions

Come prepared for the interview, Grace Soriano-Abad, NetApp's senior director for global staffing, advised, by brushing up on skills listed in the job description. “Candidates don’t necessarily have to possess all the technical skills, as long as they have the ability to learn quickly,” she said.

Strategy

Network. If you know anybody within NetApp, reach out to them. Focus on specific positions for which you believe you are most qualified. “My advice would be to focus on two to three,” Soriano-Abad said. “We don’t just consider a person for one position. When a person applies for one position, we look at that resume and ask, ‘Could they be a fit for another area?’

Advice for New College Grads

NetApp’s college hiring begins in May or June and it will soon kick off as the company seeks to add approximately 200 new college graduates and 250 college interns to its roster. While grades are important, leadership in extracurricular activities, prior internships and relevant course work are just as important. Soriano-Abad said. “We look for students who are driven and motivated, who are creative thinkers, who are innovative,” she says. Demonstrating creativity doesn’t have to be with technology, it can be with a particular project, she said. In a college’s social media project, one student came back with a recommendation on how to make the social media strategy more effective. “To me, that’s creative,” she said.

Advice for Experienced Pros

Do your homework about the company. There are tips on the company website about effective interviewing. Take those into consideration before walking in the door. Provide examples of past work and how you’ve been able to adapt to changing technology environments and skills. “If you don’t have all the appropriate skills, if you come in with a can-do attitude and know that you’ve got learning to do and can ramp up quickly, it’s really important,” Soriano-Abad said. “Read up on our culture. It’s not based on great places to work, it’s based on creating a model company and the outcome is a great place to work. … The cultural fit with our collaborative approach is really key for us. The what you do in regards to your skills and experience are equally important to how you do it.” “We’re looking for someone who can come in and bring a point of view. It’s all about the team. It’s not an “I” culture, it’s a “we” culture,” Soriano-Abad says. “Leave your ego at the door.”