Josiah Thomas is a Digital Partner who found his home on the ICC team through our college internship program. Before that, he was working closely with H-E-B customers in our stores. Although he doesn’t work alongside customers anymore, he uses data to support the Digital teams and tools that keep our stores running and improve the lives of Texans. But that’s not all Josiah has on his H-E-B resume, he was also recently featured in our ‘Be a part of something as big as Texas’ Campaign! Josiah plans to make H-E-B his forever career, and he invites others to join him in Taking Care of Texas.
What is your H-E-B Story?
Back in college, I worked at H-E-B as a bagger, cashier, and eventually a front-end manager while studying for my bachelor’s degree in computer science. In the summer of 2017, I applied for a college internship through H-E-B right before I graduated. I was accepted to the Integration Competency Center (ICC) on the Digital side of our business. It was a fantastic experience, and I learned so much. After graduating, I accepted an opportunity to work for the ICC team full-time. I’ve been here for about five years now.
Tell me a little more about your team and your role.
We build APIs to provide data to applications within H-E-B — including heb.com, centralmarket.com, apps like FAST, and some external vendors. We compile this data together so it can be easily utilized by other applications.
That sounds exciting! What piqued your interest in an internship with Digital?
Digital is where I wanted to be, and I was in the market for an internship. Since I already worked for H-E-B, I began exploring their internship program. When I saw they were accepting applications, I immediately applied. I was already working on my degree in computer science at the time, and this was the logical next step to begin gaining valuable experience.
Did you have an experience with H-E-B when you were younger?
Yes! Growing up in Killeen, H-E-B was a big deal. I remember when they built one right around the corner from our house. From that point on, that was the only place my mom would shop. She always loved the assortment of fresh vegetables, the friendly Partners, and the good prices. For us kids, we were primarily just interested in getting a buddy buck and feeding it into the machine in exchange for a sticker that brought us closer to a prize. Of course, I never actually filled up one of those books, it inevitably always got lost, but it was a fun experience all the same!
What is your favorite part of your job?
It was surprising to me at first to see just how expansive the technical side of H-E-B is. There are so many incredible Digital roles to explore here. My favorite part is working with the different teams across H-E-B. With a background in the stores, I especially love seeing more of a behind-the-scenes look at the technology that keeps our stores running.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Sometimes, combining data is like a challenging puzzle. While these complexities certainly make my job fun and ensure no day is ever the same, it’s the most challenging part of my job.
How do you feel your contributions are valued?
Because of the nature of our work, we don’t see a lot of immediate customer feedback. Our value is really in the data we provide for other internal teams who use that data to inform decisions that immediately impact customers. We work closely with the FAST teams, Enterprise Engineering, and our mobile and web app teams for H-E-B, Central Market, and Joe V’s. The feedback we get from them is always so encouraging.
What’s been a memorable moment at H-E-B for you?
My internship and all the experiences within that two-month period. We met many leaders and heard their stories, volunteered, visited the snack plant, and attended a San Antonio Missions game — all of those were memorable. Overall, I just really enjoyed that internship experience.
What advice would you give others about working for H-E-B?
Be yourself. Bring the value and experience you have from the past and the present to help H-E-B grow for the future. Sometimes we think we should come in with a specific personality, but H-E-B welcomes everyone. The title of this series says it best – Here, Everyone Belongs.
