Strengths and Your Future You: A Conversation with Racker Alumnus

Building our employees, Rackers’ skills and enabling career growth is something we take seriously at Rackspace Technology®. It’s a hallmark of our culture of continuous learning and something we look to do better and better each day. After all, our expertise helps shape business outcomes for thousands of customers around the world. 

One of the ways we equip Rackers with the skills they need to deliver the future is through our Global Speaker Series, which invites thought leaders and speakers to challenge our thinking and expand our perspectives. Past speakers have included Dr. Jen Welter, the first female football coach in the NFL; Grit author Angela Duckworth; happiness researcher and author Shawn Achor; and Embrace Innovations founder Jane Chen. 

This week, Rackers were treated to a very special edition of the Global Speaker Series.   

In our first #OnceARacker edition, we were excited to welcome Racker alumnus Jeremy Price. We believe that Rackers are very special people and to be a Racker is a special thing. So much so that we think that once someone is a Racker, they are always a Racker.  

Jeremy, who is currently a technical trainer at CodeUp, worked at Rackspace Technology from 2014 through 2020, first as a software developer and then a trainer with Rackspace University. During his hour-long talk, Jeremy led Rackers in a discussion on how understanding their Strengths can help them develop the best version of their selves.  

Your Future You

Rackspace Technology has been a Strengths-based organization for years. In fact, every Racker completes the CliftonStrengths® assessment upon hire to understand areas where they have natural skill and talent.  

The Strengths-based culture at Rackspace Technology changed the course of Jeremy’s life, leading him to pivot his career from engineering to training.  

“I love Jeremy’s story of coming from an engineering background,” said RaChelle Streetman, Director, Global Talent Development, who hosted the session. “He’s now found himself in a completely different arena — just because he learned more about himself and tapped into his Strengths and how he shows up.” 

For most Rackers, understanding their Strengths doesn’t result in a total career change, although they have that opportunity through our Technical Onboarding Program.

Strengths help them understand themselves better, talk about their skillsets, and get work completed more efficiently. Strengths can also help Rackers quickly identify when they may need to partner with others for tasks they may find challenging.  

In the long-run, Strengths — like Rackspace University, the Global Speaker Series, and our monthly Wellbeing Challenges (August’s theme is around career growth and professional development) — are simply tools we offer Rackers to help inspire growth.  

“Rackspace is in my heart,” said Jeremy when asked why he was interested in giving back to his former company. “I’ve always believed that Rackspace is a great place — not only because of the Rackers that are there, but because leadership, Rackspace University, and all the different parts of Rackspace really care about the Racker. I want to continue to be part of that ‘care.’” 

Learn more about how we’re empowering Rackers to advance their careers on their terms.