Let’s kick off by talking about your educational background!
I have a degree in Sociology and Media Studies. I am a self-taught/mentored software engineer and started in this industry in the data and ETL space. Then, I gradually shifted to infrastructure and back-end development, eventually going into people management.
Which educational opportunities have made the biggest impact on your tech career?
Connecting with the people around me and being able to spot opportunities in companies is where I’ve had the most success. I’ve actually been able to drive my own career growth more than educational opportunities have. The biggest educational impacts I have had were on a mentorship and opportunistic basis.
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What would you like to learn more about?
I stopped studying jazz guitar in college and wish I had stuck with it a little more. I consider myself a pretty good player and would love to dive into that space again.
What led you to pursue a career in tech?
I traditionally worked with very small companies where I had to wear many hats. As a data person, I often didn’t have software, tooling, QA, or infrastructure engineers to help build what I needed. It was often up to me and my team(s) to fill those gaps. It wasn’t always pretty or elegant but we learned a lot and got the job done. This paved the road for my career in tech.
How has your skill set evolved over the course of your career?
It has evolved immensely. I started out only being an excel expert, automated through macros, then moved on to database management. Then, I went on to automate ETL, build services to automate the data munging, and finally, build internal platforms for other software teams to use.
If you choose to specialize in one area, what was it and why?
Developer Productivity is a space I am extremely passionate about. I’ve seen really good platforms, really bad platforms, and just about everything in between. For engineers who have never been able to experience what life could be like with a solid platform, I love showing them how their life can be improved, bottlenecks removed, and wait times reduced to virtually nothing.
Is your new role different from previous ones?
It’s actually very similar to my previous role. I am managing a platform team made up of a handful of extremely talented folks. However, in some ways it is different. For example, instead of being globally distributed, the team is centralized in one US state. The industry is also very different. Instead of retail, we work with security.
What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role?
Using my interviewing process as a basis, both the team and my manager are extremely good at and passionate about what they do. They care deeply about people and enjoy many of the same cultural ideals that I have. That includes empathy, empowerment, and psychological safety.
What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?
Before Hired, the process was what you’d expect. You’d send many resumes and cover letters, hoping to hear back from a percentage either way. Once you could speak with someone, it was typically pretty positive, but it was a percentage-based game if you didn’t have a referral.
What’s your best advice for jobseekers registered on the Hired platform?
I had more than one really good experience with the Hired platform. My advice for others would be to trust it, use it, and not neglect common courtesies in terms of speaking with people — that goes for whether the opportunity seems like a good fit or not.
What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?
I would 100% recommend it and would use it again. It’s a passive way to cast a wide net. You know that anyone who reaches out to you has a real need and wants to talk to you.
Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?
Tech is fun, exciting, and always changing. One thing that shouldn’t change, however, is how we treat each other. To quote my favorite characters: “Be excellent to each other. Party on dudes.”
About Cisco
Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make networks possible. Founded in 1984, Cisco has 5,001+ employees and is headquartered in San Jose.
Tech Stack
Python, Spark, Javascript, React, AWS, Kubernetes, Java, Go, Docker, Microservices, Kafka, iOS, Android, Kotlin, Kibana, Datadog, Terraform
Benefits
Health/dental/vision/life/disability insurance, 401k plan/matching, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, stock options, employee discount programs, job training, and more.
Source: Talent Acquisition - hired.com
