My NTS Journey: Kaitlyn Rappa

When did you know that you had made the right decision in deciding to work at NTS?

It was about two years ago when I had only been on the job for about a month.  I totaled my car. I was fine, I’d broken my ankle, but I was otherwise ok. I emailed the director and tried to tell him what happened and that I wouldn’t be in the next day. Of course, he said that was fine. 

I was in the hospital and my mom’s phone rang (my phone had been broken in the accident), and it was the CEO, Biney Dhillon. He just called because he was concerned and wanted to make sure I was ok. I’d only been on the job a month; I think that was my first time talking with him. It was really nice that he called, and then about five minutes later my mom’s phone rang again, and it was my VP, Kris Nagy, concerned about whether I was ok.   

I told my parents while I was in the hospital that my CEO and VP had called to check on me and make sure I was ok. My dad looked up at me, he’s worked in IT all of his life, and I’ll never forget this, he said “You are very lucky to work at a company that cares about their people. I’ve never seen anything like that.” And it kind of clicked for me then that I was in a special place. I knew from then on that I was where I was supposed to be. 

I’ve felt heard and seen from Day 1, and two and a half years later I feel the same way. I think it’s very rare to find companies with this type of leadership.  

What drew you to NTS?

One of my sorority sisters who is working for the company now, Tori Fanning, reached out to me and said she knew about this great company that was hiring. She heard that NTS was looking for people to grow into careers. They had a few entry-level positions that weren’t exactly what I wanted, but they wanted people that would grow with the company. At the time I think NTS had around 22 people, we have since tripled in size.  

When you’re in cybersecurity, most people finish school and become an analyst, where you’re just a number and you’re really fighting to be seen. When I interviewed and I toured the campus, I could tell it was different, I’d met the director, I’d met a few people that worked there, I’d met Kris, my VP. I’d applied to a lot of places and had a few options to pick from, but NTS stuck out to me.  

It didn’t feel like a normal offer letter, a lot of companies just pushed a number at me, and they said, sink or swim. I felt like NTS’ offer wasn’t just a number, it was their promise to invest in me and my career. When I was looking for a company, I looked at my dad and a lot of other people in my industry. I really wanted to be a part of building something great. I’m really thankful for the day that I made that decision because that’s what I’ve done and what I’m doing here at NTS. It’s really great to start at a small company. I think a lot of people look at the biggest names in the industry and they want to work for the biggest names in the industry, but to be a part of building one of the biggest names in the industry, I think that’s way better. 

What has been your proudest moment in working for NTS?

It was about a year ago, I had been promoted to Cybersecurity Engineer for one of our programs. The team was brought in because our customer was experiencing a lot of frustration with other companies telling them no, what they want can’t be done, or it would take too long. This was about a year in, and I had been trained by some of the best people in the industry. They asked me to do a brief on what my capabilities were and how the team and I could fix their problems. NTS prides itself on being seen as problem solvers & innovators.  We believe in the “easy button” approach.  

This philosophy gave me the opportunity to present my brief, and instead of telling them no I was able to tell them, “Yes, and this is how it’s going to work.” I saw a look of relief wash over their faces. 

When people ask me, “when did you figure out what you wanted to do with your life?”, I look back at that moment as a pivotal & defining moment. That brief very much solidified my confidence and made me feel like I was giving back some of what NTS has invested in me.  

What surprised you the most about NTS?

For me, starting out as an Assistant Facility Security Officer, to having the opportunity to be mentored by so many amazing individuals to learning from all those around me. Everyone at NTS is so willing to give me the resources and support that I need to be successful. The NTS team as a whole wants everyone to succeed and everyone is willing to share their knowledge – that’s a rare find in a team.  

I really feel like NTS is a second family. The NTS I started with two years ago is not the NTS it is now–it’s better. A lot of times when companies grow larger, they lose sight of what’s important. I always joke about this, but I’m kind of grateful that NTS and I took a chance on each other, I’ve been really blessed to be a part of that growth and I can’t wait to see where it goes. 

Here at NTS, our people are our greatest asset, we invest in our employees and make sure everyone is appreciated, listened to, involved, and challenged. Are you ready to join the NTS family? View our current open positions today.