Why Qualtrics – David Mathis – Senior Software Engineer – Provo, UT

My name is David Mathis. I’ve been working at Qualtrics as a Software Engineer for over 6 years. I started as an intern when the company had only 30 engineers. I’ve enjoyed being a part of the company’s rapid growth. I am now a Senior Software Engineer and lead a team that develops back-end services in Qualtrics’ data platform.

So tell us, what is your why? And how does Qualtrics connect with that?

I like being helpful. I also like feeling like I’m needed and that my contribution matters. I’ve always felt needed at Qualtrics. I’ve always been able to work on challenging problems and I can see how my work has helped the company gain a competitive edge in the market. There is no shortage of work at Qualtrics. It is easy to find ways to take ownership and add value.

Another big part of my why is my family. I want to be able to provide a great life and future for my wife and kids. Qualtrics has always been good to me and my family. For example, Qualtrics covers 100% of my family’s medical insurance premiums and gives us $1,500 a year to go on a vacation and have an experience together. My wife and I are very grateful to Qualtrics for everything it has done for us.

What is your favorite part of your role?

I have never stopped learning new things at Qualtrics. Qualtrics is constantly growing and that growth continues to present new interesting challenges. We are always exploring new technologies and experimenting with new ways to improve our systems to overcome these challenges. Also, Qualtrics hires the best. I feel like everyone around me is smarter than me. I am grateful to have so many coworkers that I can learn from.

I also love the teamwork at Qualtrics. I spend a lot of my time working with my team. I enjoy the collaboration and the banter. We help each other grow. I love helping the members of my team find ways to be better and to advance their careers.

What does your day look like?

I typically start the day off with a cup of cold cereal and some yogurt from Qualtrics’ breakfast kitchen. I then meet briefly with my team to discuss the priorities for the day. I spend the rest of the day writing code, maintaining our systems, and collaborating with my team and others.

What surprised you most about working at Qualtrics?

Qualtrics expects its engineers to actually engineer. When I first started working at Qualtrics, I was surprised that I didn’t have a manager telling me what to do and how to do it. I was expected to proactively seek ways to contribute and I was expected to apply the things I’d learned in school by experimenting, measuring results, and using data to drive decisions.

Any tips for someone who is considering an opportunity at Qualtrics?

For the first several months that you are at Qualtrics, your brain will feel like it’s going to explode as you try to keep up with everything that is going on. My advice is to embrace it and enjoy it. You’re never going to be bored. If you dig in and fully engage, you will love what you do and what you’ll accomplish. Qualtrics is the type of place where you are in control of how happy you are and how much you enjoy your job.

	David is a Senior Software Engineer at Qualtrics.  He holds a Bachelors in Computer Science from BYU.