Beyond the Job Description: IT Systems Developer

Meet Elise, an IT Systems Developer with Great West Casualty Company. 

What do you do at Great West?

I work on a systems development team that maintains and develops changes to several systems mainly related to our underwriting and rating processes. We work with a wide variety of programming languages, technologies, and vendors to create software solutions for our employees, agents, and customers.

Describe a typical day on the job.

Each day is spent working to complete larger projects while responding to any issues or questions related to the existing systems that our team supports. I am a member of a team of seven developers with varying levels of experience and areas of expertise. We work together closely to design, build, and test system changes. Some of these changes take just a few hours to finish, while others take months or even years to complete. Every day we have a short team meeting where each team member gives updates. We discuss changes that were made since the last meeting and how we will collaborate to accomplish our current tasks.

What surprised you about this role when you first started? 

I have been surprised at the level of involvement IT has in defining business processes. Our development teams support a large percentage of Great West’s systems and processes. Several of these processes have been in use for many years and continue to change and grow. In order to design solutions that will meet the needs of the business, developers must understand our existing systems, be educated on emerging technologies, and have a good understanding of how the business units function.

What's challenging about your job?

Each day reveals a new problem or puzzle to solve, but that’s one of the things I love about my job! I work directly with the business users to design streamlined solutions that will solve their problems and help them do their jobs more efficiently. Priorities are constantly shifting to respond to industry changes, and we find ways to adjust.

What is the best part about working at Great West?

I truly feel that what I do is appreciated, and I directly contribute to the success of our organization. Working closely with agents and business users is rewarding because I can see and hear how what I’m doing affects their jobs every day.

What's your favorite memory from working here?

You will hear over and over again that the people of Great West make this a special company to work for, and it is the truth. Over the years, I’ve had many mentoring relationships that developed into friendships. My coworkers have been with me through most of my life’s biggest milestones.

What advice would you give to someone who just joined our team?

Take advantage of the training opportunities. Great West encourages and rewards you for continuing your education. You will be given every opportunity to further your career and expand both your insurance knowledge and professional skills.

Did you ever think you'd be working in insurance?

I actually did! As a high school student, I enjoyed mathematics and thought I would be interested in a career in actuarial science. It was in college that I discovered my love for programming. I began working in underwriting support at Great West as a senior in high school and was able to continue working here through college. Fortunately, there was an opening on the systems development team close to the time I graduated. It’s been fun to work on many of the same systems that I used as an underwriting employee.

At Great West, we hire great people for great careers. Ready to take the next step to great? Join our Talent Community for job alerts, company updates, and priority resume review.

This blog post was created by Megan L., Great West Casualty Company HR Communications Specialist.

© Great West Casualty Company 2020. The material in this publication is the property of Great West Casualty Company unless otherwise noted and may not be reproduced without its written consent by any person other than a current insured of Great West Casualty Company for business purposes. Insured should attribute use as follows: “© Great West Casualty Company 2020. Used with permission by Great West Casualty Company.”

This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Great West Casualty Company does not provide legal advice to its insureds, nor does it advise insureds on employment-related issues. Therefore, the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds. Legal advice should always be sought from the insured’s legal counsel. Great West Casualty Company shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein.