I have now been employed by the LDS Church for a month, so I’d like to offer a few thoughts regarding the experience thus far.
People
The Interaction Design department is full of talent. Many have obvious specialties/strengths, but overall the group is pretty well-rounded. I see magnificent things happening as IxDs (that’s our magic acronym for Interaction Designers) defend the user experience against the often short-sided view of developers and managers. It’s almost like we’re the Easy Police. We enforce simple, intuitive use. We attempt to bring to the forefront of a project the fact that if we don’t make an application’s use an enjoyable experience, we all lose (even if the servers are soooo sweet and all decked out).
Processes
Every company has its limitations, and the Church, from a business perspective, does too. Nevertheless, I have yet to see any glaring administrative issues. The project management philosophy is clear, and the manager/developer/designer interaction seems to work.
Technology
This is another area where the Church is full of goodness. Suffice it to say that I have all the software, hardware, and other resources I need to not only get my work done, but to do it efficiently and comfortably. The Church is the most technologically advanced institution I have ever worked for. I dig it lots.
Overall, I really love my job. Great people, interesting and meaningful projects, and wonderful benefits. I’m a lucky man.
You sure are lucky. I’m jaleous
I’m glad to hear it, Clifton.
Keep up the good work
It is good to ready about your experience working for the Church. I myself have been employed by the Church for nearly 2 years. I am an instructional designer/e-Learning strategist. I am currently working with the Audio Visual Department to produce an enterprise e-Learning development tool.
I am having a blast and I cannot believe that I get paid to have this much fun! Like you, I feel that the Church is advanced in many ways in business and technology.
There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm among many of the employees and departments. It is a wonderful institution to be employed!