When our leadership revealed its vision for the next decade at the start of 2020 they could not anticipate the challenges of a global pandemic. Nevertheless, even then Karsun had already created the infrastructure to allow our teams to grow remotely together. This year we celebrated continued recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. As we scaled in this remote environment we also affirmed our commitment to team member development welcoming new intern cohorts, sponsoring professional development programs, and introducing virtual training programs.

Longtime Programs Adapt to Virtual Work

Through New Remote Program Interns Grow with Karsun

Through our Karsun Innovation Center (KIC) Internship Program each of our interns has a voice in the future of our company. These interns support the Research and Development teams rolling out new tools and processes across our organization. Interns learn and grow during their time with us. Shadowing team members in our Innovation Center and customer delivery teams, they participate in cross-functional projects, sharing their insights with teams across the company.

Coffee with Leadership Goes Online

Launched in 2017, Coffee with Leadership is a longstanding monthly tradition at Karsun. During this open discussion, executive leadership hosts a small gathering with frontline team members. In this open forum anyone may share their experiences, make suggestions or discuss opportunities to improve work at Karsun. This year saw a transition to a remote format for Coffee with Leadership and the addition of a second monthly Brunch with Leadership group expanding the diversity of feedback across management levels. We included these breakfasts in Karsun’s new remote environment to ensure all employees have the opportunity to contribute to our vision for growth.

DataOps NoVa Launches Virtual Series

Hosted by Karsun’s Data Practice, DataOps NoVa is a monthly Meetup designed to introduce best practices and tools to the data, analytics, and IT community. Its DataOps 101 series was among the last of Karsun’s in-person training events at our Herndon, Virginia headquarters. This first series included discussions and demonstrations from DataOps vendors and an introduction to data encryption using middleware components presented by our Innovation Center.

After taking a short break from in-person events, the Meetup returned virtually in August. The new series will cover topics like data fabric, analytics foundations for MLOps, and vendor demos. The new format also allowed the team to expand outside Virginia hosting data experts from around the world. These new virtual sessions are published on the DataOps NoVa Meetup Page.

Karsun Leaders Grow Through Industry Groups and Fellowships

Karsun Executives Recognized as Industry Leaders

As Karsun celebrated its tenth year in operation and its tenth year supporting the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) our President, Terry Miller, was recognized in part for his leadership within the organization. In March 2020 Miller was named to FCW‘s prestigious Federal 100 list. This list includes 100 men and women who personify what’s possible in federal IT. He also served as the 2019 Industry Chair of ACT-IAC’s highly regarded Partners Program. This training and professional development curriculum pairs “rising star” leaders from government and industry. New under Miller’s leadership, the group formed three challenge teams to provide direct solutions to government agencies (GSA, NASA, SBA). He is also a graduate of the Partners Program and was the Chair of the Management of Change (MOC) event in 2013.

Also early in 2020, the College of Engineering Guindy Alumni Association of North America (CEGAANA) named Karsun CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan its 2020 Chairman of the Board. Sundar is committed to making the organization a self-sustaining entity. His ultimate goal is strengthening collaboration between students, the college and the alumni network.

Satish Alluri Graduates from Selective Fellowship Program

Meet Satish Alluri, the Deputy Program Manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grants Management Modernization initiative. He graduated in 2020 from the selective ACT- IAC Voyagers Professional Development fellowship. In September we spotlighted this longtime Karsun team member. Over the course of his career he grew from a Senior Business Analyst to a leader in both our DHS FEMA and GSA programs. Learn how Satish grew with us here.

Karsun Concludes 2020 with Virtual Team Recognition Events

Both our FEMA and KIC celebrated successes transitioning from in-person to virtual work through team recognition at the end of 2020. While our FEMA program hosted team lunches, our Innovation Center recognized our Karsun Academy and Practice Area mentors during an Innovation All Hands event in November.

As an organization Karsun Solutions also celebrated with a holiday lunch in December 2020. Every team member had lunch delivered to them as Karsun looked back on contract wins, team events and other small victories throughout the year. It was a final opportunity for our leadership to say “Go Team Karsun! Thank you for all your hard work!”

Solving difficult problems drives the work at Karsun Solutions. One of those difficult problems included transitioning Karsun’s internship program, formerly based out of its Herndon, Virginia Headquarters, to a fully remote program. In this new virtual internship format, interns join a mentorship centered program designed to keep them connected and innovating even as they work remotely.

At Karsun Solutions the Internship Program is affiliated with the Karsun Innovation Center or KIC. As part of their virtual internship, each participant pairs up with a mentor from the KIC. Beyond introducing them to an innovative IT modernization culture, mentors provide continuous feedback so that interns may further develop and improve their skills.

Building a Digital Workplace with Karsun Konnect

As members of the Innovation Center, interns will envision the future of remote work. They will work directly with Karsun’s new digital workplace initiative, Karsun Konnect. This is a real-world application, designed for Karsun employees, which is created and maintained by the KIC. Upon completion, Konnect will include both an InnerSource library and provide workflow enhancements to the corporate functions serving Karsun teams.

Their work will involve collaborating with various stakeholders within the Operations, Talent, Human Resources, and Business Development teams, to identify areas of digital transformation. As part of this experience, interns will identify business requirements. Then they will learn to implement low-cost and efficient solutions within the identified constraints. Based on the business needs and feasibility, they next select appropriate software solutions. These solutions might include chatbots and other applications developed on no-code/low-code frameworks available under the Konnect platform.

An Immersive Innovation Center Experience

Interns will also participate in daily remote stand-ups and demo their projects weekly to Innovation Center leadership. Although remote these interns will also have the opportunity to present and engage with Karsun’s monthly virtual Innovation Town Halls. They may also participate in virtual training through monthly dojos and brown bags hosted by the KIC.

Some may continue their projects after completing their program. Graduates of three previous intern classes now continue their projects in the Karsun Innovation Center as full-time employees. Several of these former internship participants plan to participate as mentors or advisors for this year’s class. The KIC internship program is one of several outreach events designed to engage future IT professionals. In addition to engaging in other college hiring programs the organization previously sponsored a senior capstone project at George Mason University and hackathons at the University of Oklahoma and University of Southampton. Karsun accepts internship applications in the spring.

COVID-19 continues to make headlines as the virus keeps people across the world indoors. For many of us, this new normal includes working from home. Meanwhile, growing companies like Karsun Solutions still need to hire IT, development, and other technology professionals to fill their teams. As a result, phone and video interviews are becoming a widespread solution. To protect the health and safety of our candidates Karsun is among those companies hiring virtually. To help you prepare, we created this list of virtual interview tips and tricks.

Remember, a virtual interview is simply an interview that takes place remotely, sometimes over the phone, but often using technology like video conferencing and other online communication platforms. Like any other interview presenting yourself professionally is of the utmost importance. Below we review our top tips for virtual interviewing.

1. Position yourself in a well-lit, quiet, clean space. It is essential to limit distractions by choosing a quiet, well-lit, neutral, and clean space to conduct your interview.
2. Check and test your technology several times before the interview to ensure a successful session. Make sure you understand how both the camera and the microphone work on your device.
3. Don’t sit to close or too far from the computer. Sitting up straight also naturally gives you a bit more energy and helps you communicate your excitement about the company. If you rely on body language to communicate and engage interviewers, make sure your hands and upper body are visible on camera.
4. Visit the company’s careers page before the interview. Research the company and write down a few notes. It is best if you have only a few quick notes in front of you and glance at them sparingly. You should be ready to speak in-depth about why you want to join the company, how its mission resonates with you, and the value you will bring to the specific role.
5. Setup a mock video interview with someone, like a friend. Practice common questions. Ask your mock interviewer for feedback. This will help you feel prepared for your interview.
6. Be on time, be prepared, and dress professionally. Treat this as an in-office interview. Match your look to that of the organization’s office-based colleagues. Browse the company’s website and social feeds for clues to its dress code.
7. Be personable! Be yourself! Be prepared and practice but do not memorize. You don’t want to sound robotic throughout your interview.
8. Within 24 hours of the interview, send an individual thank you email to everyone you met. Not only will it show you value their time, but it provides you the opportunity to sell yourself. Use this opportunity to express the unique strengths you bring to the role or share any talking points you forgot to address.

Virtual interviewing is similar to interviewing in person. Practicing both answering questions and the interview technology will set you on the path for success. More importantly, using these tips may just land you your next IT job. If you are Full Stack Developer, DevSecOps Engineer, SDET, or other IT modernization expert that dream position might be at Karsun Solutions. Visit KarsunCareers.com apply today!

Like most organizations, in early March our teams moved to remote work. As we transitioned online we continued scaling up resources across our programs. While we are no longer together in person, we are working hard to integrate our newest team members while maintaining connections within our established teams. Below we share some of the steps our teams are taking to come together and Be Greater throughout this uncertain time.

Scaling Together

In September 2019 we moved into our new corporate headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Even as we settled into this new space, our rapid growth required the build-out of an additional office at our Worldgate campus. Our Operations crew’s commitment to preparing this space ensures we will be able to move in as soon as our offices are safe to occupy.  While we cannot see each other in person, we hope to celebrate our office expansion alongside you later this year.

Many new team members will also join us remotely. We continue hiring for our teams in both Oklahoma and Virginia as our rapid growth continues. In fact, in March, Karsun again received recognition from the Washington Business Journal which ranked us among the Largest Minority-Owned Businesses in the Washington, D.C. area.

To protect our team members during our ongoing recruiting surge, all talent operations are now virtual. Candidates should still apply through our jobs portal. They can also connect directly with the team by emailing talent@karsun-llc.com. Once they are in the system a member of our team will contact them with further details.

Connecting with Leadership

Just as our Talent Team presses onward with recruiting, our orientation process continues for new hires. Even as we transitioned online a dozen new team members joined us in March. These represent groups from our Innovation Center and Contracts groups to teams serving agencies including FEMA, FAA, and GSA.

The highlight for many employees joining Karsun is the opportunities available to connect with our leadership team. As part of our remote operations, Karsun’s Coffee with Leadership program also moved to a virtual format. In this popular program 10-12 employees each month are invited to grab a bagel, a cup of coffee, and then share their experience with the Karsun executive team. Every employee has the opportunity to participate in these intimate listening sessions. In its new format team members join the discussion from the comfort of their home. At the same time, they maintain the connection with senior leadership that is Karun’s hallmark.

While the path ahead is uncertain, Karsun is dedicated to embracing the innovative principles necessary to adapt to a changing world. Our corporate teams bring the same level of creativity to these challenges that they bring to difficult problems facing our teams and customers. Join us as we discover new solutions for today’s uncertain times while charting a better path forward.

As we adapt to government recommendations regarding COVID-19, maintaining the safety of prospective candidates and Karsun staff is our top priority. As a result, our Talent Team and hiring managers have moved to remote work. In addition to protecting our team members, we also want to ensure public safety. As of this week, we are either postponing or moving Karsun hosted events online until further notice.

Subsequently, our job interviews are also moving to a virtual format. Our Talent Acquisition Specialists will provide instructions when scheduling upcoming interviews. Candidates may also connect directly with our team on LinkedIn. Simply click the pictures in the upper right-hand corner for the LinkedIn information for each of our Talent Acquisition Specialists or email talent@karsun-llc.com.

Hiring in Oklahoma and Virginia

We are still hiring for both our Oklahoma and Virginia locations! Even in this uncertain time, we are filling roles across our organization. Our teams are growing to serve customers at agencies like FEMA, FAA, and GSA. Outlined below are some of our most recent hot jobs. Each week we share these top openings here on our website. We will continue sharing those opportunities here as they are available.

• Java Full Stack Developer – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Data Architect – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Service Delivery Lead – Herndon, Virginia
• Integration Lead- Herndon, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
• API Developer – Herndon, Virginia

About Karsun Solutions

Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative enterprise modernization firm. Recently awarded Best Company Culture by Comparably.com, its teams deliver modern software development, cloud, and data solutions to customers at government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration. Leveraging GoLean, Karsun teams drive digital transformation and help its government customers Do Extraordinary. Learn more at Karsun-LLC.com.