Hey there, before we get started I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Sewar, I’m a 22 year old Junior Solutions Engineer at Dataloop AI. In this blog I’d like to share with you the different phases I’ve experienced since becoming a “Datalooper ” seven months ago. I’d also like to share with you how and why I started a career in a start-up and how I believe it can really make a difference .
Before Dataloop, Before Work Life
We have to go back to five years ago. I was in a completely different place in my life. I was starting a degree in Information Systems Development at the University of Haifa. I was 18 years old, moving to another city. I had no clue where I wanted to be in the next 5 years.
But I knew one thing for certain. 5 years can make a huge difference, and I wasn’t going to be the same person.
But the time came, and I finished my degree and it was time to look for a job, and this is where Dataloop popped into my life.
My Personal Journey to Dataloop
To be honest, it started out rocky. The long journey of job hunting for a Junior position with someone who has no experience is seriously daunting. Dataloop stood out to me during this process. I immediately understood from my very first interview at Dataloop that this was a cool workplace full of energy.
Are You a Carrot, An Egg or A Coffee Bean?
I knew going into my first interviewing process of my life that I had to find a way to make myself stand out amongst other candidates. This is where I decided to share my belief with my interviewers about a certain philosophy. I believe that when it comes to life challenges, human beings can be divided into 3 groups:
- Carrots 2. Eggs 3. Coffee
Let me explain to you what that means. Imagine these challenges in relation to boiling water. A carrot immerses into the water strong and hard, but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softens and becomes weak.
With an egg, the shell protects itself- but it’s easy to break. Then, we have ground coffee beans. They’re unique. Why? Because they change the boiling water and the coffee beans themselves in order to make them into a better and newer version . But here’s the question, and the question I asked myself… How do you handle the challenges in your life? And therefore, I ask: Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
So how did I utilize this philosophy to my advantage? I simply explained this philosophy to my interviewers and finished my interview saying:
The challenge now was to prove I was that coffee bean!
Dataloop As A Company
I felt welcomed right away, like I was immediately part of the Dataloop family. I felt like a new version of myself, done with my degree. A new job, and starting my career and finally moving on from the stress and life I had before, but little did I know what was ahead of me. Let me take a step backwards and explain a little bit about Dataloop. Dataloop is a technology company that builds data infrastructure and data operating systems for AI companies. They have a full data lifecycle management system for unstructured data. They enable AI teams to visualize, collaborate, and explore datasets, build data pipeline automation processing and most importantly accelerating the machine learning process by adding human validation into the loop. Dataloop’s cloud-based infrastructure provides a scalable, secure, and reliable solution.
So What’s My Job?
If you Google “What is a Solutions Engineer”, you’ll probably get a lot of mixed job descriptions. All of them are correct, but each is based on the company’s field, seniority etc. In my case, I work in the Sales Department where we meet with potential customers, demo the platform based on the customer’s industry, and then we start them on a trial program. We help and guide them throughout this process, customizing the experience based on their needs, ensuring they get the most out of the platform.
Behind the scenes, we let them feel the added value of our platform and how it helps them improve their workflow by customizing solutions in the platform to help reduce their pain points.
Sounds like a cool job right? Getting to talk with people, understand their needs, while also dabbling in the technical side of things! This was my dream job. But it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies.
I consider it to be one of the most critical jobs at any company.
You’re literally working side by side with potential customers, managing multiple trials, tasks, all while trying to keep up with the constant engagement with the customer. This means speedy replies, short turnaround of tasks , and constant multitasking. You’re trying to do all this all while trying not to show any signs of stress. Because for them – you’re the face of the company.
Starting to feel my stress???
Now, I’d like you to add the fact that this was my first job, and that it’s a startup company! Now are you starting to feel some of my anxiety?
My Initial Feelings
Oh my gosh, so many mixed feelings! Trying to fit into a new place was challenging enough. I wasn’t even sure if I was in the right place or if I had enough skills to get the job done. It reminded me of my first month of doing my degree, just tears and fear. You need to learn the product , work with it, and list the things you need to gain in order to become more experienced in your field. For me, I had to get started with these steps immediately, as fast as I could, thinking I would become the coffee that turned out to be the egg, easily doubting myself and my capabilities.
How Dataloop Helped Me Grow
In the beginning it felt like too much to do in so little time! I’ve now started the phase of taking responsibility for certain tasks. I’m starting to set my goals. I’m trying to work on myself. I know I’ve still got a lot to learn and I’m trying to multitask everything while not being overwhelmed. My journey is only getting started and I’ve still got a lot to prove…
Bring us to today… I’ve realized that everything is going to be okay. Eventually you get to a point where you realize things just take time and eventually you’ll learn everything you need to learn. But the important thing is to take it one day at a time, one step at a time. In order to keep moving, you need to outgrow yourself. You can still have 50+ tabs open, but at least you’ll know how to prioritize them!
How Did Working At a Start-up Make a Difference?
“Startups are fast paced. But you learn to grow with it. It helps you reshape yourself both on the personal and technical side.”
Sewar Drawshe
I always thought that starting a career in a start-up company would make a difference, but now after experiencing it, I’m even more confident about it. It’s a fast growing world, and you learn to grow with it. It helps you reshape yourself both on the personal side and technical side. It also helps you become a better version of yourself. A version that is step by step closer… to being that coffee bean!
