Alex’s story in Endava started in February 2016, as BI Analyst Developer. Ever since, he has been contributing to a major project, a big-data analytics tool, core of one of UK’s leading payment processors; going through a go-live and apps performance challenges. All along, an awesome team stood beside him, setting the right environment for mutual support, challenge and recognition. 

How did you join the company and what is your role now?

Joining the company was a fortunate event. I was not looking for a new challenge, but a friend of mine joined Endava and referred me, so I said to myself "why don't I give it a try?".

I am a BI Analyst Developer, with my work gravitating a lot around Oracle Databases. I’m contributing to the same project ever since I joined the company: a big-data analytics tool, core of one of UK’s leading payment processors. We’ve been through a go live and apps performance challenges, handling ETL jobs of 12-15 mil transactions per day and fact tables that currently store up to 13 billion transactions, and growing. 

I try to keep in mind a balance between customer requirements which make the app look and feel better and the overall performance of the queries, as when working with such big amounts of data, any new functionality can add an overhead to the application as a whole.

Tell us about what drives and guides you at Endava?

I am a joyful person, and I always thought that in order to be good at something, you first have to enjoy it. Nevertheless, what drives me most is people's appreciation of my work.
I was fortunate enough to meet open and joyful people in the project I was hired for. Going through the same challenges at the same time helped us build a secure connection, trust, and respect.  

One of my proudest moments was last October, when I received a Your Zone Award. That’s a nomination submitted by colleagues in Endava when they feel one of us has gone the extra-mile and proved to be Thoughtful, Open, Adaptable or shared knowledge as part of the Pass It On culture. I was so grateful and very surprise by their gesture, being nominated for all of values. 

Secondly, I appreciate the knowledge sharing opportunities. Together with my BI colleagues, we have agile monthly chapter meetings where we discuss challenges and best practices. For me, those meetings are immensely useful and help me improve both professionally and socially. With time, I become more relaxed when speaking in public and more supportive to helping others. 

Name some books/tutorials/speeches that had an effect on your career path? 

My picks would be: ‘Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!’ - Adventures of a Curious Character written by Richard Feynman and Ask TOM, an online repository. 

I love the way Feynman thought. He was very passionate about his work, and he inspired the reader to do something, take some kind of action. It did not have to be in physics and math, but in whatever domain the reader was interested in. 

‘Ask Tom’ was a legend, helping out with answers to other developers’ questions, outside his work. He always made sure his response was understood.  

What can you tell us about your life outside of work? 

Apart from spending time with my wife and son, whom I cherish the most and is the single pure source of tranquillity and relaxation, I have always enjoyed trying to do things which had a tangible result. That is why I very much enjoy drawing using coloured pencils. I take inspiration mostly from cartoons. Iron Man was the most challenging drawing I ever did, hovering above the paper for more than 3 hours every day for a week. I now have it framed.

I also enjoy playing chess, tennis and… computer games. WOW is my favorite, then Dota, Counter, and Hearthstone. 

As I said, my hobbies are a way to relax and recharge my mind and body. That being said, I also bear in mind the different abilities that they hone, and I try to adopt them in my day-to-day activity. For example, while drawing one needs a lot of patience and concentration, as any incorrect pencil stroke can ruin your work. From playing chess, I realised that in order to evolve and move forward, sometimes you have to make a step back, see the big picture and proactively decide a plan of action. Last but not least, practicing tennis helps me stay in shape and keeps my competitive spirit alive.

If you were to start work at Endava tomorrow, what would be that one piece of advice you would give to yourself?

Just do it! You won't regret it.