Evo July Spotlight: Edward

Meet Edward

This month, we’re going to get to know one of our backend engineers, Edward, a bit better.

Tell us a little about yourself, Edward.

I’m from just outside Turin and now live in the city. When I’m not at work, I read a lot of comics and books. I do cosplay. I draw a lot and plan to write a book if possible one day.

What do you do at Evo?

My job is a bit peculiar because it’s a DevOps job with a hint of automation. Now it’s moving more towards that direction. It’s an ever-changing process because when you work in automation, you work with the company’s processes. So my work depends a lot on the processes and projects you grow into. In my specific role, I provide support to my teammates and external teammates on all the things that can make their lives easier, both in terms of automating things for our clients and internal use.

I’m also involved in many other tasks related to data ops, such as the automation of databases and datasets, for example. I’m on the ETL team, so that’s a big part of my job. But basically, I do anything that helps people do their jobs better and faster.

Have you always known you wanted to work in a tech role?

My background is kind of particular for my field. I studied literature and then art, but then I started working in web development. I moved into IT, and now I’ve moved to automation. It’s been a growing path. So I didn’t always know, but being here fits a lot because it made me grow.

How’d you end up at Evo?

I came into Evo almost four years ago now. It’s been an amazing experience up until today (we’ll see how it goes after today 😆 but I have high hopes).

I ended up here because I was in web development in a role that did the first steps of frontend development, but I was searching for something more complete. I was looking to build my skills. Again, I didn’t start as an engineer, which is a very different career path than someone who started in the field in school. So I wanted to develop a base in the area to grow from. Then I met Evo, which was searching for an IT specialist.

I joined IT, and the position grew. I was able to learn and grow into other roles. That’s also why I retain some of those IT tasks because of what I did before: building the office and the servers, which was an amazing experience.

What do you love about your job?

I really love the environment. I love that my colleagues and the whole company environment are friendly. It’s a place where you can really really grow both as a person and as an employee for the company. So you can grow personally and professionally, which for me was very important—especially living in Italy, where this environment is not necessarily common everywhere.

I like that the company is very international. We end up meeting people from many different cultures, and it’s an ever-growing experience. I’m a very curious person, so I like when these experiences all come together and let me learn.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced at Evo?

The skill level required is always challenging me. You are in an ever-changing environment, so you have always to stay up-to-date to deliver professional results. It’s a fast-paced role. That’s exciting, but sometimes it can be challenging. You have to run to keep up.

What is it like working on the Evo team?

I love the Evo team! They really are the nicest people I’ve ever met in a workplace (and sometimes even outside the workspace!). They are all very accepting. It’s the kind of environment where you really cooperate. You can bring all your differences from your varied backgrounds, experiences and cultures and use them to achieve something together.

Evo’s like a puzzle. If you’re missing something, you get it from the others. The others, in turn, get something from you. You all gain. We fit together to do more. I really like this environment. It’s not even about being just accepted. It’s about being a part of something just as you are.

What makes Evo’s tech innovative?

What gives us more than others is the ability to catch up and constantly stretch to new things. We are in the sweet spot where we work with many tools that are also standards for other companies, but we really learn them and use them in new ways without outsourcing the work. To me, this is a great innovation. You own what you do. You’re not just using other people’s tools. This knowledge lets us do more than most.

More than a single specific technology, it’s the approach that sets us apart. I don’t have a single technology that I can pinpoint and say, “Ah this is it, our brand new technology that is the greatest”. In ten seconds, you’re behind again. Instead, building the environment the way we did is the innovation that propels us forward.

What excites you about Evo’s future?

To me, the answer is always more or less the same: the path. Getting to understand new technologies, meeting new challenges, and doing new things for our clients and, in my case, my teammates, because I also work for internal goals. It’s very exciting. You’re always meeting new challenges in the market and technology.

I also have to mention that we are growing as a hybrid company. The team is both remote and in person. Being able to see that company culture beginning and then growing as we get bigger is something that not many people get to experience. It’s very exciting for the future. To see Evo become even bigger and more inclusive is a great thing.

What advice do you have for anyone interested in becoming a part of the EvoFamily?

Be really open-minded. Also, listen to what people really want to do and what this company has to offer.

Sometimes you start from a really bright and clear idea, and here is a place you can really discover if that is good idea for you or you want something different or just explore all your options. Evo’s a place you really have to stretch. That’s not bad! This workplace helps you learn that stretching and pushing your goals is not bad. It’s how you grow and find your place.

Anything else people should know about Evo?

Sometimes we get free breakfast!