At Ascend, we strive to provide opportunities for employees to stretch their skills and advance their careers by moving among business segments, brands and teams — driving personal and team growth while creating a culture where people love what they do, take ownership and are empowered to pursue new career opportunities within the company so we “hire our own talent.”

Walter Pultinas started his career at Ascend as an intern on the user experience (UX) team in Tech & Ops while pursuing his master’s degree in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University. After earning his degree in December 2021, he made his move and became a full-time member of the UX team in January 2022.

Ascend Communications (AC): How did your internship with Tech & Ops help prepare you to make your move into a full-time role? 

Walter Pultinas (WP): I had a wonderful experience working with the UX team helping create interactive prototypes of new product designs, conduct user behavior research studies on current products and support design projects across multiple brands. One of the most rewarding projects that I worked on was the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) mobile app. Through an iterative process involving the NHA product team and the guidance of senior UX designers, I designed the flashcard experience for the app, built an interactive prototype of the proposed design, tested it with users and saw it through the development and product launching stages.

AC: What was the process like making your move?

WP: After interning with the UX team for two semesters, I was encouraged by my manager and UX coworkers to apply for a full-time position upon graduating from my master’s program. I had a very positive experience with both the UX team and my manager, so following two interviews, transitioning to a full-time role was both an easy decision and a smooth process.

AC: Can you tell us about what you’re working on in your new role?

WP: I’ve continued conducting user behavior research and working on product design enhancements like I did during my internship, but I’ve also taken on bigger projects as I’ve gained experience and product knowledge. I’m also working on a UX team initiative to measure the impact that UX design improvements are having on product usability.

AC: How would you describe the culture at Ascend?

WP: I’ve had a positive experience at Ascend so far. Ascend’s focus on embracing change was a key theme to my transition from an internship to full-time work and was on display in all the relationships and conversations that guided my move. It’s inspiring to work with colleagues who are so talented, driven, and team oriented.

Do you have any words of encouragement to others at Ascend who are considering “making their move?”

WP: Ascend has cultivated a supportive and empowering work culture and this, paired with the breadth of opportunities that Ascend offers, makes it the perfect place to pursue new paths.

***

When team members move to new roles across Ascend, they grow their skills and stretch their capabilities within a company they already know, maintain their benefits and connections with colleagues, and teams gain an employee already invested in the work, mission and culture — one that can ramp up quickly and bring legacy knowledge to their new role. To learn more about career opportunities at Ascend, visit our Careers page.