My name is Zayyan Ahmed and I am a Data Engineer at Devoteam Netherlands. In July 2021, I finished my Bachelor of science by completing the Business IT & Management studies. In my college time, I have tried different studies to find out what kind of career I want exactly. In the end, the combination of IT and working with people is what I liked the most. After finishing my Business IT & Management bachelor, I wanted to learn more about data. The Data traineeship program at Devoteam triggered me immediately. From that moment everything went quite fast.
From Data Trainee to Data Engineering Consultant
In September 2021, I started a Data traineeship at Devoteam. During the start of the traineeship, I already learned a lot. In the first month, I learned the basic skills that you need to become an IT consultant. Progam languages like Python, SQL were introduced in the first weeks. After that, building up knowledge about networking, working with Cloud, and also working with Linux, followed. The first part of the traineeship (the basics) was the perfect start for someone who just finished his bachelor.
The second part of the traineeship was completely focused on how to work as a Data Engineer in the cloud. I learned how to ingest data, store data, process data, and consume data in the Microsoft Cloud (Azure). Additionally, I learned to work with tools such as Azure data factory, Azure storage, Databricks, Microsoft SQL server, and PowerBI. During my traineeship, I got a complete understanding of what’s expected from a Data Engineering Consultant.
At the moment, I have just finished the Data traineeship and I’m preparing to get some more certificates while waiting to get my first client project as a junior Data Engineering Consultant.
What does an average working day look like for you?
My average day of working until now has been mostly about learning different skills to become a Data Engineer. My day starts in the morning at 8:45 with planning how I will be dividing my day of work and different tasks/assignments. Every workday at 9:45 I have a meeting with all other trainees where we tell each other what we are working on and what we’ll be doing on that day. This helps to stay connected and offers the possibility to help each other when necessary. In the morning I do most of the heavier work that requires a lot of focus. This is because in the morning I have the most energy and am most sharp. In the afternoon I mostly try to have my meetings, testing, and other kinds of work. My workday finishes around 17:00, once I have completed all the assignments I had planned for that day. After 17:00 it is time for me, myself, and I.
Hobbies and activities
Outside work I often enjoy time with my family, friends, and at the gym. I love playing competitive games with friends such as Chess, Valorant, League of Legends, and more, especially in these COVID times where everything is closed. I also love cooking. In my free time, I like to discover different kinds of dishes from different cultures. Traveling to a lot of different places and experiencing different cultures is something I like as well.
What I am most proud of
I am most proud of the fact that even after switching from studies a few times and taking a few years off to find myself, I still managed to find a study that I liked, finished it without any problems, and found a job that I enjoy and hope to learn a lot more about. This made me realize that it doesn’t matter if something goes wrong. It is more important to just keep trying until you find what you like to do.
Advice for new colleagues who just finished their studies
The advice I want to give new colleagues is to just always ask and communicate with people at work. Don’t wait until the last minute if you can’t finish before a deadline or if it is too complicated. The mindset of asking if you do not understand will help you immensely when you start your own career!
Discover more about working at Devoteam
Open, accessible and ambitious are the keywords of our organizational culture. We encourage making mistakes, we strive to do better every day and love to have fun. Our teams full of Tech Enthusiasts are fully focused on growth and innovation, each and every day.