Admin story
”I think we all feel responsible and committed to the life and development of the company. Each of us really influences what is going on in ANIXE - we do not recreate, we create it ourselves.”
Said Marek, who started working at ANIXE as Junior Application Quality Specialist and currently works as a DevOps Engineer.
How did your story with ANIXE begin?
My story with ANIXE started in August 2015 with a phone call from HR and an interview. I wasn't looking for a job at the time, but I found it worth a try since it was the IT industry (I had always considered myself one of the "IT guys" but didn't realize then how wrong I was – he, he). After the interview and tasks of the second stage of recruitment, ANIXE offered me the "Junior Application Quality Specialist" role. And that is how it all started.
Then, you became the LAN Administrator, although, in the beginning, that position did not exist in ANIXE. Is that right?
I wouldn't say "did not exist"; it was previously called something different. Due to several events that took place about a year after I joined ANIXE, I found myself helping with some organisational tasks for LAN administrators. The fact that we moved to a new office allowed me to show ingenuity and meticulous work efforts in this area. I helped relocate the server room and workstations, and it was then that I began to want to change my position :). Especially when I realised that computer networks had quite a charm on me :)
What do you like about the LAN Admin's role?
Working as a LAN Admin, I most liked the ability to be able to solve problems. I know that may sound strange, but for me, the more complicated, the better! It’s what I find develops me the most. Additionally, I want to deliver tasks as ‘a best service’ as quickly as possible – which is important to me personally and to my “clients” even more.
Being the LAN Admin was also an opportunity to meet new colleagues during their onboarding process. That was until I became a team leader and needed to share this duty with my team.
What are you doing in your current position?
In October 2020, I joined the Infrastructure Management team as a DevOps Engineer. My tasks include: Troubleshooting production platforms. Automation. Preparing environments for applications. Taking care of the network (I love it!) and much more. Thanks to these duties, I have a lot of opportunities to learn about the entire spectrum of tools and solutions that DevOps around the world use.
What was your career goal?
Over the last five years, I have achieved a few points from my personal "Roadmap" - that's a fact! However, I still have a lot of work and learning to do. I do not want to go into too much detail. Still, the area of my interest and the point where my current career path stops (as in the Mayan calendar) is Cyber Security, with an emphasis on testing and security breaches (tasks specific to RED Team teams). So far, everything is going according to plan :)
What motivates you the most to develop your skills at ANIXE?
Unlike many companies, I get to deal with a complete area related to a given role (not just a specific image section). At ANIXE, I get quite a lot of opportunities to develop, and I know that is not necessarily possible in every company - especially in these crazy times.
What advice would you give others so they can go as far as you in ANIXE?
What I managed to achieve during the last five years is not some superhuman feat - anyone can do the same, possibly even faster :). It's all about willingness and having a plan for your career. When these two conditions are met, all that remains is hard work and making sure that you don't lose sight of your targets.
What has changed at ANIXE over the years?
Hmm ... Lots of things : D. Starting with what really makes this company - people with whom I had the opportunity to work with all these years - with some shorter, with others longer, and with some, I continue to work with to this day (and I hope that it will continue so). Everyone leaves a trace of themselves, which in turn affects the development of all of us. There is a lot of ‘new’ in projects and technologies. We develop each and every day, and we are one step further.
What in your opinion makes ANIXE standout as a workplace? What do you value most about this company?
First of all, the atmosphere. Those with whom I have had the opportunity to work will confirm that the hardest moment when leaving is actually saying goodbye to colleagues. What I appreciate and notice as exceptional is that I can always count on the help of my friends. Thanks to that and many other factors, I think we all feel responsible and committed to the life and development of the company. Each of us has a real influence on what is going on in ANIXE - we do not recreate; we create it ourselves.
What do you do in your spare time?
This question is not an easy one to answer :) It all depends on the day. Basically, I try to spend time with both people close to me and by myself - learning new things and developing non-technical skills. Of course, I'm not one of those people who gets into the whirl of learning from work until late at night. I spend some time making movies, and I love hanging out with my friends.
What’s your recipe for success?
First of all, there is no such thing as a "Recipe for Success". If such a thing existed, everyone would subscribe to such a website (or whatever form it appears in) ;D. Everyone has to find the right path. At the root of each of these paths is the question, "What makes me happy?" For example, I love what I do. I don't work - I get money for doing my passion. The other thing that can be (really) useful, and I highly recommend it, is writing down your goals. Unwritten goals are just dreams. In retrospect, I can say that (for me) it turned out to be perfect – and owing to that, I was able to regularly check on an ongoing basis if I was still on the right path and, if necessary, correct the course. Another thing is persistence and flexibility. The former is quite obvious, but flexibility, as I understand it is the ability to adapt to changing conditions to achieve your goals. Sometimes it is impossible to do exactly what had been planned. Then you have to choose a different path, but in effect, get to the same point we were originally going to. Failure to do so can result in frustration, quitting and possibly burnout. I have found that we must not be afraid of making mistakes (contrary to what they taught us at school). In fact, errors are the driving force for learning and self-growth.