Adam K.

Software Engineer II

Toast is proud to offer a returnship program with our R&D function in partnership with Path Forward. Returnship programs are designed to support individuals returning to the workforce after leaving their careers to focus on caregiver responsibilities. 

In this series, we will be spotlighting Toasters who participated in a returnship program, and then decided to join Toast full time.

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Name: Adam Kwok

Title at Toast: Software Engineer II

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Prior to joining Toast, I had worked at a small Insurance QA Software company as a Professional Services Engineer. I worked with clients to customize the core product offerings for their customers. I worked on reporting and dashboards, using JavaScript and Java.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I took time off from my engineering career to help take care of my elderly mother. During this time, I picked up some classes on LinkedIn and Udemy to grow my skill set.

I knew it was time to rejoin the workforce when I realized that days were passing too slowly and when COVID cases declined and vaccines were widely available. I was a little nervous; I wasn't sure how companies would perceive my break from my career. I applied to various job postings- including entry level engineering roles- but did not hear back. I thought it must have been the gap on my resume.

I had no idea what a returnship was until I found out about Toast's program. I knew about Toast prior to joining and read from Glassdoor that it was a great place to work. During the recruiting and interviewing process, the recruiter explained the returnship program to me, and how it would help ease me back into the workforce. Ultimately, I accepted the offer because a returnship really resonated with my circumstances and everything I read about Toast sounded amazing.  

One of the most important aspects of my journey with Toast was the interactions with my team. Everyone was so supportive. People were empathetic and understood that it’s tough to return to the workforce after a break. However, both my manager and my team helped me through. It was clear that they wanted to see me, and the rest of our team, grow. I had weekly check-ins with my manager to see how I was doing. Our team has a “buddy system” to help newer engineers onboard, and Toast provides an awesome training program.

I was also relieved to see that Toast has great work life balance, and would allow me a more flexible schedule if I still need time to help my mother. Luckily I did not need this, but it was comforting to know it was an option.

At the end of the program, I was thrilled that Toast made me an offer to join the team full time. I accepted Toast's full time offer because of the community at Toast. Everyone is welcoming and respects each other. Toast promotes being hungry and leading with humility, and I could really see that while working with my current team. Even with the short time frame of the returnship, I was able to learn a lot and feel like I was contributing to the team.

For someone who is thinking of returning to the workforce after some time off, I would suggest trying a returnship program. I had no idea what it was, but it turned into a great opportunity. You get a chance to learn new things and explore a new field.  

I would also offer this advice: just don't be afraid. It can be nerve wracking and intimidating to jump back in. You may not hear back from some companies, but the ones that do respond (Toast in my case), do so knowing you have a gap and are willing to work with you and hear your story.