Today, I’d like to share some highlights from my professional journey at Wizeline in hopes that it might inspire some of you to take on a new challenge!
Before joining Wizeline, I was a software engineer (SWE) working on frontend development at a ship chartering tech company. I loved what I did. Every sprint, my team’s UI/UX designers brought exciting ideas to the table, always providing a new challenge.
At the beginning of 2020, I attended the DevOps Lightning Talk at the Wizeline office in Guadalajara. I was taken aback by the experience, and I remember thinking to myself: “One day I will work here.”
Destiny? Is That You?
Months later, after a series of successes, it felt like my destiny was calling. One of Wizeline’s Talent Ambassadors reached out to me to start the hiring process for a SWE position. In one of the calls we had, she told me about a Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) Apprenticeship Program that was about to launch through Wizeline Academy.
As a promising pathway to employment at Wizeline, it caught my attention right away and I started looking into it. I was excited about the possibility of taking part in the program, but in the back of my mind, I had self-doubt. I asked myself: “As an SWE, am I good enough to pass the interview and be accepted into an SRE program?” I had less than eight hours to make my decision, so I decided to take a chance – four days later, I was in my first interview!
Changing Directions
Fortunately, the process led to success for me, and I was given the opportunity to join the Wizeline team through Wizeline Academy’s SRE Apprenticeship Program.
What did this program represent in my career? A huge challenge! But I was up for it: I said yes to changing the direction of my career path and yes to returning to my days as a student, which involved lots of studying, learning, and constant practice.
I can’t express how excited and grateful I was to Wizeline for taking a chance on me and allowing me to join this new group of apprentices. More than anything, I appreciate the trust and confidence they had in me. They saw something in me that, at the time, I wasn’t yet able to see in myself.
New Beginnings
After about four months of constant learning, my teammates and I successfully completed the program with help from our mentors and each other. We graduated!
Following my completion of the program, I had the opportunity to work on a seven-and-a-half-month project with a Wizeline client. While working on this project, I challenged myself to join different Wizeline initiatives whenever I had the bandwidth to do so. I wanted to ensure my development as an SRE was accompanied by the growth and diversification of my power skills.
From Site Reliability Engineering Apprentice to Mentor
At the beginning of September 2021, I was invited to participate in an SRE Bootcamp similar to the apprenticeship program I completed, but this time as a mentor. Perfect timing! I was finishing up the project with my client, so I saw this invitation as a new challenge and the perfect next step for me in my journey as an SRE.
This SRE Bootcamp has been running for a couple of weeks now, and I must admit, it has been an incredible experience so far. The program has given me the opportunity to refresh what I know and continue growing at the same time. The other mentors and I have realized that it’s not only our mentees who are learning; instead, it’s a two-way street – as mentors, we are also learning from our mentees and developing new skills every day.
I’ve been working at Wizeline for a little over a year now, and I’m sure it’s just the beginning of my journey here, as an SRE and as a mentor. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for my professional development!
Who’s Up for a New Challenge?
Thank you for taking the time to read my story! If you’re like me and struggle with self-doubt and impostor syndrome, here’s my advice to you: Don’t be afraid to take chances and dive into new challenges – you never know where you might end up!
Check out Wizeline Academy’s ongoing free programs that offer the opportunity to upskill and reskill in the latest technologies. I encourage you to take a chance on yourself and apply. The sky’s the limit!
Learn more and register for one of Wizeline Academy’s upcoming bootcamps or courses here.
