From assembling PC pieces to IT Software Consultant in Latin America
Realizing one's potential requires non-linear career steps.
Some of the most important career steps in my 20 years of professional experience were lateral moves. For example, I joined the software team after 2 years in the testing department because I was already familiar with the software product and had established good peer connections. As my software experience added up, the next logical step for me was to take on a customer-facing role as a global consultant where everything had to happen Just-In-Time and the value was in understanding complex systems, connecting the dots, and following the processes. Other lateral moves have included technical writer for international RFP projects, complex systems analysis, architecture, and managing an operations team. The current lateral move is in an agile role in cloud architecture, with a touch of intrapreneurship - and so far it has been an amazing ride!
Sometimes I clear up the skies so the value flows naturally
Imagine Amazon UK, Amazon DE and Amazon US all share a common cloud platform with different local implementations, but the local systems are also interconnected and need to be constantly changed to meet ever-changing customer needs. On a daily basis, I ensure that the business or technical changes required for the platforms are analyzed from multiple perspectives: Business value, technical, functional, financial, reusability, and roadmap alignment.
Way of working around systems thinking, iterations and business value
By far the most important aspect for which I am grateful is the perfection of the ability to ask questions. The way of working is to constantly ask questions, either from the Scrum Master, from technical or business colleagues, or from myself. This allows to practice systems thinking, decision making, and problem-solving in addition to software tools and agile processes.
It is ok to not know, just make sure to ask questions
The only way to constantly evolve is to ask questions, change perspectives, and look at things from different angles. This is a discovery process that can be applied to any position, and for me it makes the map of the unknown clearer. Especially in the beginning, it can feel exhausting to ask questions about a new topic, but remember that this is a personal discovery process.
What really works for me in this role is a mix of consuming documentation, structuring written information, dealing with systems from the customer's perspective, sharing information with colleagues, and making business presentations about the progress I have made.
36hours task-force to create a code to prevent a 900k loss
When one of the other teams told me that the bank statements were going out with wrong information, I knew that this would result in big losses for the customer. I decided to resolve this issue at my team's level, as we had the necessary skills, knowledge of end-to-end procedures, and the right attitude. I managed to get through a 1.5-day non-stop task force. In the end, we managed to deploy and apply the code that would eventually correct millions of bank statements in a timely manner. I personally received recognition from VP of the company (top 10 in the world) for outstanding performance
