“¿Qué ondas?”
That’s a well-known greeting in El Salvador, the place I’m from, a land the place surf and occasional mix harmoniously.
After I was rising up there as a child, my grandma requested me if I needed to take summer time courses. She gave me three selections: drawing, math, or English courses. On the time, I felt like I used to be adequate in math. I used to be extra into music than drawing. So, she paid for my summer time English courses. Little did I do know that her humble pension and that call would change my life endlessly.
After that first summer time English class, I developed a ardour for international languages, changing into fluent in French, Portuguese, and English, and studying some German, along with my native Spanish. I went to courses within the early mornings and labored into the late nights — this was my life for a number of years, finding out and dealing on the similar time. Weekends have been reserved for rehearsing with my rock band and educating English and French at an academy. Years later, I obtained my MBA in Logistics.
I believed I used to be headed towards a way forward for educating, however after I was not chosen for a educating function, it led me to use for and get an engineer function with a Canadian firm, a Cisco companion. The humorous factor is that if that hadn’t occurred, I most likely wouldn’t be working at Cisco at the moment. I imagine life has a manner of supplying you with what’s meant to be yours.
Somebody inside Cisco informed me a few French Consulting Engineer function at Cisco Poland, and whereas I used to be excited for the chance, transferring to Europe was a giant choice. I had every little thing at residence — my household, mates, band — but it surely felt just like the time to problem myself, evolve, and fly. I nonetheless keep in mind taking part in Eminem’s “Lose Your self” earlier than my ultimate interview, realizing this may very well be a once-in-a-lifetime alternative. Coming to work for Cisco meant the possibility to make an influence in a prime tech firm.
After I first moved to Poland, I didn’t know many individuals, so I introduced a bit of little bit of residence to Cisco, organizing soccer video games to have enjoyable and join with folks. It helped me, as a newcomer, combine by way of sport with the worldwide neighborhood. Since then, I’ve organized singing and occasional workshops and know-how occasions each time I can to construct bridges, join folks, and improve our office expertise. Even after three years,
Cisco continues to amaze me with its tradition, inclusion, and all of the methods we will convey ourselves into our work.
I started at Cisco as a consulting engineer the place I labored in design, implementation, and consultancy of Cisco options. Over three unimaginable years, I’ve gained quite a lot of expertise, transitioned to safety, and am tremendous grateful to have acquired two promotions. I’m now a senior consulting engineer of safety and collaboration applied sciences the place I work with monetary establishments to offer community safety and videoconferencing.
This yr, I launched into a enterprise journey to France, helping with videoconferencing deployment and design for a number one monetary establishment, and my life got here full circle in a manner I by no means might have imagined. I’m nonetheless educating, however now sharing my data with clients and colleagues on a world scale. The general public talking expertise I honed singing and taking part in dwell with my band ready me for presenting options to executives on-site and interacting with them in these convention rooms in Paris. I by no means imagined that my ardour for languages would lead me to a profession in know-how, not to mention impactful moments like these at an organization like Cisco. And none of this might have been potential with out my grandma and people summer time English courses. Visiting Paris made me understand how lucky I’m.
My profession path thus far has taught me that being open to alternatives, dedicating your self to lifelong studying, and being resilient to challenges are the keys to success. If you happen to embrace this, I’ve little question you’ll not solely ‘make it,’ you’ll thrive, similar to I’ve at Cisco!
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