At Planview, we truly believe anything is possible when people work together on the things that matter most. When we break down silos and collaborate across all levels, functions, and borders, we see our people succeed. When our people succeed, so does our business. Our analytics teams play a central role in collaborating with teams across the enterprise and supporting our global teams.
Today in our Day in the Life series, we’re spotlighting one of our incredible Analytics Engineers, Kaley Coddens. Based out of Colorado, Kaley had a lot to share about her team, how she finds success, and what she loves about working at Planview.
Here is what Kaley had to say:
Explain your role as an Analytics Engineer and a few of your responsibilities.
It’s an interesting job. It’s a mix between a data analyst and a software engineer, but not fully one or the other. It’s a lot of Javascript and HTML. Clients are able to perform their own data analysis much easier with the tools I build for them. I put the structure in place for them so that are able to see information automatically, or as automatically as possible.
As an Analytics Engineer, what type of meetings do you prepare for? Who do you typically collaborate with?
I probably have five to six meetings a week. I prepare for meetings with clients where they outline their expectations for upcoming projects or upgrades. Those help me get a sense of what’s expected of me for the following few weeks.
Tell us about working from home — what are your tips for success?
I’m currently working with a hybrid model; three days of the week I spend in a coworking space, and two days of the week I spend working at home.
My biggest tip is to allow yourself to take breaks when your brain gets tired or distracted, and make them quality breaks—not just sitting and browsing on your phone for ten to fifteen minutes. When I take breaks I set everything aside, close my office door, and go out and sit on my porch.
Tell us about your career journey to date?
So far, I’ve only had one other corporate job before Planview; everything before was in the service industry or through college. My prior job was as a project manager, where I was managing the work and actually delivering it, too. I liked working on delivering a lot more than I like project management, so I knew I wanted something focused on problem-solving for the next step in my career.
How is Planview different from other companies you’ve worked for?
The flexibility is nice and makes it easy to balance my life. If I need to go to an appointment or I’m just not feeling productive in the morning, I can take that time off without needing to talk to my manager. I’ll just make that time up later in the day or the next day when I’m more focused.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as you’ve moved up in your career?
I had to learn how to be a lot better at time management. In college, you have to do time management, but not as meticulously; if you forget about something, the consequences aren’t a big deal. But when a client is asking for something, you do have to be a pro at managing your time.
How do you manage your work/life balance?
I try to be as present as I can when working. That’s a big thing for me. Making sure the time I’m spending at my desk is actually productive and recognizing when I need to step away, close the door, and take a proper break are both important.
Are there any experiences in your life that you feel contributed to your professional success?
I’ve had great mentors throughout my career. Most of the people at the companies I’ve worked at were smarter and more experienced than I was, so it was an honor to learn from those people. Having patient and experienced coworkers who are willing to share their knowledge and lessons has been helpful.
As an Analytics Engineer, how do you make time for your team?
We do this fun thing called a “bullpen.” Every week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in the afternoon, we have a tentative hold on our calendars for a Zoom call; we can jump in or out as needed and work with each other and chat. It’s like a virtual coworking space and so helpful when we’re working remotely, especially as a distributed team.
What makes your team so effective?
All of us are good at working with clients and interpreting their needs. We’re also the people that implement those requests, so it’s nice to not have a middleman and avoid communication breakdown. Everyone on the team is super smart and comes up with great solutions.
What is the best career advice you have received?
Prioritize your happiness and well-being, and never sacrifice your personal life for your work. That helps set the boundaries you need to succeed. When you’re more refreshed and focused, you’ll bring your best self to work, too.
From your perspective, why is Planview a great place to work?
Planview genuinely cares about its employees. The benefits are high-quality and go beyond specific things they have in place. I feel confident in knowing that if life hit me hard, Planview would still support me. They genuinely want everyone to succeed.
Companies have to care about the bottom line, of course, but it’s nice when they place the same emphasis on the happiness of their employees—and that’s what Planview does.
What motivates you while working?
I love puzzles, so the problem-solving aspect of my job is motivating. I also like the clients I’m working with; they’re nice, and I want to give them nice things.
For fun, how do you rewind when you are off the clock?
I like yoga and climbing; they’re both great ways to unwind. When I’m being leisurely at home, I love gardening and painting.
Looking for a new team that truly cares about you?
Planview is looking for talented and passionate new members to join our team. If you’re looking for new opportunities, make sure to browse our job openings on the Planview career page and apply online.
