Engineers of Endava
Discover Sandra's Story
Sandra is one of our first colleagues in Cali, Colombia.
She has started working in Endava as a business analyst and, while discussing with her career coach in Endava, decided that the best career path for her is still in Data.
Not only is she one of our most ambitious #EngineersOfEndava, but also a proud mom and a 5-am riser. Check out the following interview to learn more about her career, passion for tech and the things that keep her going.
How do you define technical excellence?
Deliver
Simply, I’d define it as consistently delivering high-quality products that add value to the client and the end customer.
How was your career path in Endava?
I joined last year when Endava decided to open an office in Cali. I was working at a local company, and I had no clue about Endava. Still, I’ve always wanted to work in a multicultural environment, so I’ve decided to apply both as a Business Analyst and a Data Analyst as I was already working in Data. But since I’ve embarked on a new path, I chose the Business Analyst job at first.
At Endava, I was surprised about how thoughtful the company is regarding its employees, and I’ve felt valued here.
Thanks to my career coach, who was very supportive and helpful right from the start, I'm now transitioning to Data Analyst since I've always been passionate about data and the powerful insights it provides our clients. I can see the potential that this field has over the following years.
What gives you energy and drives you throughout the day?
After reading some books, I’ve decided to be part of the 5 am Club. That means I wake up every morning between 5 and 5:15 am, and that’s my time for me, and this feeds my energy, good vibes, and positive attitude. I usually meditate after I wake up, use the Calm app, do sport, or dance.
This keeps me energised and focused throughout the day.
What would you recommend to those who want to build a technical career path?
Be willing to be in a constant learning process. Technologies are constantly evolving, and perhaps what you know today will be old news in the future. "The only constant thing is change". Be ready to face and accept this.
In your activity, are you focused on a certain Industry Vertical? If yes, what would individualise this industry vertical?
Right now, I'm working in the Retail industry. It's a pretty dynamic field open to innovation and digital transformation.
But I’d love to work in Payments in the future. This industry is provocative, and so many technologies can be implemented while working on projects in payments.
What are the tools/ technologies you are mastering?
Agile as project management philosophy and Scrum as Agile methodology are critical for modern technology projects. Even though they are simple to understand, they are not easy to implement. Tools like Endava TEAM 3.0 can be a great source of information.
On the technical side, Cloud Computing is a must for our roles; vendors like Amazon, Azure, and GCP offer a broad range of services like storage, serverless computing, and Machine learning platforms. So, we need to master these technologies.
Be willing to be in a constant learning process. Technologies are constantly evolving, and perhaps what you know today will be old news in the future. "The only constant thing is change". Be ready to face and accept this.
Sandra Milena Ruiz
Data Analyst | Cali
ERP or Cloud? What’s your take on this?
Clients get good support for ERP technologies, maybe not promptly, but sometimes this is just what they need.
In Cloud technologies, you can quickly escalate problems and get answers, and it also allows companies to be more innovative and take decisions quickly. This also comes with some concerns regarding the confidentiality of data.
So, it depends on what everyone’s looking for.
What is your strong suit?
I'm a highly committed and business goal-oriented professional.
Also, I have experience in enterprise platforms and databases, and for many years I was a database developer.
What technical subjects interest you when it comes to knowledge sharing in Endava?
Right now, I'm very interested in all topics related to cloud computing and data engineering technologies.
What are your passions outside work?
I try to practice a healthy lifestyle and balance my work with activities that allow me to disconnect, relax and energise. I love spending time with my family, reading, and practising hiking, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and exercise. Also, I'm an enthusiast of investments and blockchain technologies, which are very interesting and full of dilemmas, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this technology evolves.
I’ve also been part of some tech communities in Cali, like Pioneras, the community of women in IT.
What are you most proud of in your work?
I worked on a project where together with my team, we had to implement a tech solution that would allocate subventions to people with low income to buy discounted food and products at some shops.
This project somehow made me feel that technology can also help and empower less-fortunate people, and I felt good for being a part of it.
If you could do just one thing to make this world a better place, what would it be?
Although this is a complex question, I’d say make education available for everyone. It is the only way to fight poverty and give equal chances to everyone. For example, my region is not rich, and my family was not wealthy. Still, because I studied a lot, not only Software Engineering but also English and many other subjects empowered me to create a better future for my daughter and to have more possibilities.
Education opens minds, creates opportunities, and helps people navigate more efficiently and healthily in life.