When did you start working in RareJob Philippines, Inc?

I started working in RareJob Philippines, Inc. in June of 2021.

What made you choose RareJob as your company?

I’ve known about RareJob since I was in college because I had a friend who was a part-time ESL tutor. I thought RareJob contributed positively to the public by providing employment to Filipinos and facilitating educational advancements. When I was interviewed by an HR Representative and subsequently by my would-be teammates for the role, I got the sense that RareJob cares for its employees and that it is a place where personal growth is supported and valued.

As a Systems Engineer, how has the experience been so far?

In RareJob, I feel respected, heard, and supported. I joined RareJob very early in my career when I was having doubts about my place in the field I chose. From the very beginning, they have been nothing but supportive to me. They have validated my strengths, my work, and especially my place in this field.

Share with us what a typical day is like in Development Team.

My work day usually starts with a short meeting with my team in the morning where we update each other about the progress of our tasks. This setup works really well as it enables my team to quickly plan out the day ahead of us and to always be on the same page.

After that meeting, I catch up with group chat messages and announcements that I may have missed the previous day. I also use this time to provide assistance to my teammates, and communicate with our clients.

I usually set a huge chunk of time in the afternoon to do my work. While the mornings are when I am most active with communicating with people, the afternoons are when I just hunker down and focus on my main tasks.

My work day usually ends with me updating documents and sending task progress reports to designated point persons. This way, the documents and reports would be available to them the following morning.

What do you think are the highlights of your job, as well as the most important aspects?

The highlight of my job as a Systems Engineer is that it is rewarding to see my work be a part of something that is going to be used by thousands of people, and be an important part of RareJob.

The most important aspect of my role is to understand that the job is not only to solve a series of programming problems, but to design a maintainable and adaptable system that is going to live, grow, and change for several years to come.

What techniques do you implement in your day-to-day work to ensure that you meet your deadlines and provide quality service?

I think most programmers tend to fall into a flow state when they’re working on something. It’s especially true for myself. I think my best work is done when I am ultra-focused on a single task, but I do recognize that programming is not the job, it’s just a part of it. I am still part of a team, and it does not benefit them if I’m unreachable for hours on end. So, I have my alarm clock set to go off every 30 minutes to remind myself to check messages and be available whenever people need me to be.

This has become somewhat of a game for me. I challenge myself to get something done within 30 minutes before I have to pull away from it. I also found that accomplishing small incremental goals that can be done in a short period of time is much better at keeping myself motivated and stress-free rather than grinding towards one huge goal at a time.

From your experience, what skills should a Systems Engineer have to be efficient in the role, and how were you able to develop these?

Professionalism, assertiveness, and being an effective problem solver are the most important skills that a Systems Engineer should have. Systems Engineers should be able to take responsibility for their work and mistakes, be able to say no to demands when necessary, and to come up with solutions to complex problems.

I learned a lot from my seniors mentoring me, and from the overall culture of RareJob that advocates for continuous growth. The frequent company-wide and department-wide seminars especially helps me in learning new topics and skills that I would not have been otherwise open to or aware of.

I learn most of my technical skills by reading books and taking online courses. My role as a Systems Engineer provides plenty of opportunities for me to hone and improve them, and RareJob is open to new ideas and pushes us to innovate on existing systems.

How did you and your team/department maintain good working relationships despite the work from home set up?

Adapting to a work-from-home setup and building relationships with my team were initially challenging. However, with the support and guidance of my colleagues, I gradually learned how to effectively collaborate and have a good working relationship with them.

While working remotely, what are some things that you do to keep yourself from being burnt out?

I exercise in the morning and do a couple of mindful meditations throughout the day. Exercise physically and mentally prepares me for the day ahead, and mindful meditations help me emotionally manage the intensity and pressure of the day.

It is also important to have a clear division between your personal and work life especially now that I work at home. I found that the easiest way for me to do it daily is to remove my mind and myself from my work area by going out for a jog or a long walk at the end of the work day.

With the increasing interest in the IT field, specifically in being a Systems Engineer/Developer, what tips can you give those who are currently in this career path, or those who are considering opportunities in this field?

Never lose sight of the goal. The IT field is extremely broad and it is very easy to get lost when taking the first few steps. It is easy to get disheartened by the sheer number of things you have to learn. The beginning is the hardest part. Just keep moving forward.