Career growth at IT By Design isn’t a motivational slogan. It’s a lived experience: built through ownership, humility, continuous learning, and a culture that rewards consistency.
I was reminded of this while watching a recent episode of our Culture and Career Corner podcast hosted by Anamika Rathore, featuring Raymond Shankar, an integral part of our Service Delivery team.
The episode was supposed to include two guests – Raymond and Daniel – but due to an audio issue (Daniel’s laptop being on a restricted domain), the conversation continued with Raymond alone, with Daniel scheduled to return for a future in-office recording.
And honestly? Even with one guest, this episode delivered a powerful story about what it really takes to grow inside a high-performance service delivery environment.
What Does Career Growth at IT By Design Really Look Like?
When people talk about career growth, they often focus on titles.
But what stood out in Raymond’s journey was something deeper: progression through curiosity, ownership, and consistent delivery.
Raymond joined IT By Design straight out of college as a Junior System Administrator. He didn’t come in with years of experience or an inflated role.
He came in with a willingness to learn.
Over the last five years, his journey has moved through multiple stages of growth:
- Junior System Administrator (Centralized Team – managing backups and foundational operational work)
- Transition into the NOC Team (managing infrastructure and core service delivery operations)
- Promotion to Senior System Administrator
- Additional responsibility as a Shift Lead (managing the team while managing the shift)
- Promotion to Advanced System Administrator (ASA)
- Leading projects for a dedicated client and for IMS
- Currently attending the Leadership Program
This wasn’t a linear climb. It was a journey built on expanding responsibility.
That’s what real growth looks like.
Why Culture at IT By Design Makes Growth Feel Natural
Anamika asked Raymond to describe IT By Design’s culture.
His answer was simple, but it captured the essence of what makes our organization different:
“It encourages ownership, learning, and growth. If you take responsibility, stay humble, and keep learning, opportunities naturally flow.”
That statement matters.
Because culture isn’t what we write in playbooks.
Culture is what happens when:
- You take initiative and people support it
- You make mistakes and people coach you
- You show ownership and people trust you with more
Raymond’s words reflected the kind of culture we’ve always worked hard to build: a place where growth is earned, but never lonely.
The Core Value That Separates Good Teams from Great Teams
When asked which IT By Design core value is his favorite, Raymond said:
Accountability.
And his reasoning was even more important than the word itself.
He spoke about looking up to leaders like Gary, Sameer, and Keith, and observing how they hold themselves accountable not only to clients, but also to their peers and teams.
That is a critical distinction.
A lot of people can deliver to clients.
But the leaders who create great teams are the ones who remain accountable to the people around them.
That is where trust compounds.
The 3 Career Lessons That Shaped Raymond (and Why They Matter)
One of my favorite parts of Culture and Career Corner is when Anamika asks guests to share their “aha moments”: the life lessons that shaped them personally and professionally.
Raymond shared three principles. They were simple. But they were powerful.
1. Never Stop Learning (No Matter Your Experience)
Raymond emphasized that learning doesn’t end once you get a title or hit a milestone.
Technology evolves. AI evolves. Expectations evolve.
And if you want your career to stay relevant, your learning has to keep pace.
This is especially true now.
AI is not a future trend.
AI is today’s baseline.
2. Stay Humble as You Grow
Raymond spoke about humility not as a personality trait; but as a leadership requirement.
You can lead a team.
But if you stop caring about peers, stop listening, or let success get to your head, your growth becomes fragile.
Anamika reinforced something we say often internally, and something I personally believe:
Never forget your roots.
Growth without humility is temporary.
Humility keeps you coachable.
And coachability is one of the most underrated career accelerators in the world.
3. Be Consistent and Accountable Every Day
Raymond’s third lesson was about consistency and accountability.
Not once.
Not occasionally.
Daily.
He pointed out something we recently discussed in leadership sessions as well:
Consistency is what takes you leaps and bounds.
Talent creates moments.
Consistency creates careers.
Why IT Professionals Should Not Be Afraid of AI
Anamika closed the conversation with a question that is becoming more relevant every month:
Why is it important for people to not be afraid of AI but to embrace it?
Raymond’s response was refreshingly practical.
He didn’t frame AI as magic.
He framed AI as a tool.
He said AI can help engineers with:
- Troubleshooting steps
- Faster responses and research
- Better direction during problem-solving
- Cutting down repetitive tasks
But he also included an important responsibility:
Don’t share critical or sensitive infrastructure information in AI chats.
That is a mature approach.
Not fear.
Not blind adoption.
Responsible adoption.
And he expanded the point beyond engineering.
AI isn’t just for technical teams.
Even HR professionals can use AI to:
- Create presentations
- Build PPTs
- Draft internal communication
- Reduce repetitive effort
The message was clear:
AI is for everyone.
How Raymond Uses AI in His Daily Work
Anamika asked a follow-up question I loved:
Do you use AI in your daily work?
Raymond said yes, absolutely.
And not casually.
He uses it actively in projects for:
- IMS
- Dedicated client work
He described using AI almost like a strategic lens:
A way to proactively approach projects.
Then he explained how AI helps him day to day:
- It supports automation
- It reduces repetitive tasks
- It accelerates learning
But one line stood out:
“If I search upon a particular topic, I get to learn that topic plus 10 additional topics related to it.”
That’s the real value.
AI doesn’t just speed up tasks.
It expands curiosity.
Gen Z and AI: Passion Is High, But Guidance Matters
Anamika asked about the sentiment among younger engineers and fresh grads.
Raymond’s observation was clear:
Gen Z is very passionate about AI.
They use it instantly even for small queries.
But he offered a strong piece of advice:
Learn the basics first.
Then use AI to broaden your perspective.
Don’t outsource your thinking.
That is the difference between:
- AI-dependent professionals
and - AI-augmented professionals
One becomes replaceable.
The other becomes unstoppable.
AI Will Not Replace Humans (But It Will Replace Repetitive Work)
Anamika made an important point during the conversation:
AI is not going to replace humans.
Why?
Because even AI requires human prompt engineering.
It needs human thinking to guide it.
And she gave a practical example that every service delivery team can relate to:
If a task takes 12 hours today, AI can cut it down to half.
That time didn’t disappear.
It gets reinvested into higher-value work:
- Strategy
- Proactive planning
- Client relationship building
- Better decisions
That is the real transformation.
What This Episode Reinforced for Me
Raymond’s story is not rare at IT By Design.
But it is important.
Because it highlights what career growth looks like when culture is healthy.
It happens when:
- ownership is encouraged
- learning is constant
- humility is respected
- accountability is visible
- AI is embraced responsibly
- leadership opportunities expand naturally
Raymond started as a junior engineer.
Today he leads shifts, drives projects, supports clients, contributes to IMS, and is actively developing as a leader.
That doesn’t happen in every organization.
It happens in organizations where culture is not a slide.
It’s a system.
Closing Reflection: Culture Is Not a Policy. It’s a Practice.
This conversation reminded me of something I believe deeply:
The strongest careers are built where learning, accountability, and trust intersect.
AI will keep evolving.
Technology will keep accelerating.
But career growth will always happen the same way it always has:
People helping people become better than they were yesterday.
That’s what I saw in Raymond’s journey.
And that’s what makes IT By Design special.
