HI PRINCE, COULD YOU TELL THE READERS A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
I'm Prince Kumar, a DevOps Engineer. In my free time, I enjoy doing all kinds of sports like cricket and badminton.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN THE IT AREA?
While in college, I followed a workshop about ethical hacking, which was very fun and interesting for me. The workshop showed us real life examples of what happens at network, code, data level and encouraged a responsible approach to technologies. which ignited my interest in IT.
I was leaning more towards studying mechanical engineering, but when it turned out that was no longer an option, I chose computer science and didn’t look back since 😊. Most of my friends are also in IT, in our free time we get together to code, try things out and have fun together.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC INFLUENCES OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED YOUR CAREER PATH?
I would say friends and family, they always supported me in both college and career.
While in college I stayed at dorms, so when I would visit my family during breaks, some of my cousins used to reach out for computer-related help or just experiment in general by try things out.
HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK AT ESSENT?
After college, I started working in engineering in India.
I worked for KPN and then got an invitation to come to the Netherlands, which I really liked. While I was working at KPN, there wasn’t challenging work for me. That’s why I decided to apply at Essent. The application was quick and smooth. It was an interesting switch to make, from telecom to energy sector. But I am happy I made that decision.
COULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES?
Of course! I am a DevOps Engineer. My primary responsibility is to facilitate seamless integration and delivery of services to make sure the call agents can work efficiently and serve the customers better every day.
This includes working on development of API's, business logic, collaboration and communication with teams and agents, defining solutions, implementing monitoring, logging and alerting.
WHAT PROJECT OR INITIATIVE ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Last year I worked on a retail sales project with MediaMarkt. There were challenges in that project, but I enjoyed every bit of it. I worked together with a lot of different teams and got to know other people. We had a lot of whiteboard sessions, because everyone had their own view of things and a different culture, and that really helped in aligning everyone and coming to great solutions.
Currently I am working on an application that will improve the automation of communication we send to our customers. It is still in its early days, but I enjoy working on this project a lot. Last year I started learning TypeScript and I can use it in the project.
I am very happy that Essent provided me with the opportunity to learn TypeScript and that I can develop myself within this project.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CULTURE WITHIN YOUR TEAM OR DEPARTMENT?
I have a diverse and inclusive team, with people from different countries like India, Turkey, America. We really learn a lot from each other's perspective. Everyone is interested in each other's culture. Most of the time we bring snacks from our home country after a visit.
Before we make decisions, we always make sure that everyone is a part of the conversation, in sync and happy with the outcome. The fact everyone takes their colleagues into account is very important and nice to see.
WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU THINK ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS IN YOUR ROLE OR TEAM?
100% communication. You need to be transparent and willing to help and support other colleagues.
Everyone wants to grow, so if you can help them, why wouldn't you?
As a team, you need to adopt a collaborative mindset to achieve your goals as a team. Communicate with everyone about the workload and let your perspective of some things go.
WHAT ARE SOME KEY GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT/ROLE FOR THE COMING YEAR?
Some of my personal goals include learning more about TypeScript and becoming an expert at it. I now focus on backend development and later I also would like to learn frontend development, to become a full stack developer.
As a team, we are focusing on Essent's goal of becoming a one stop energy shop. We are eager to contribute to that.
HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE OR THE COMPANY EVOLVING IN THE FUTURE?
Quite bright actually! I think my role will vary with new tasks and I will have opportunities to develop as a person. Adaptability will be the key as the company will move towards AI integration, focusing on security and continues adopting practices that reduce the carbon footprint.
ARE THERE ANY HABITS OR ROUTINES YOU’VE ESTABLISHED THAT CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR EFFECTIVENESS?
Our team loves taking creative breaks to play table tennis. In just 15 minutes, we share plenty of laughter and fun, returning to work with fresh ideas and renewed energy.
Table tennis also helps with the bonding of our team, we can discuss whatever we want during that time.
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE THE DEMANDS OF YOUR JOB WITH YOUR PERSONAL LIFE?
Sports are the best activities to take my mind off work. It makes me fresh and energetic. I play a lot of sports: cricket, badminton, football and so on! I believe it's the best way to refresh my mind.
Once a year, mostly around October or November, I go to India for a monthly vacation to celebrate Divali with my friends and family. That also spikes up my energy.
ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE ASPIRING TO WORK IN YOUR FIELD OR IN A ROLE SIMILAR TO YOURS?
Take the first step in believing in yourself, see how it goes. I did the same thing and it worked out well for me 😊
We would like to thank Prince for the time he took to speak with us, and the insights he shares. If you have any lingering questions for him, don’t hesitate to drop a comment down below. We will ensure you are promptly connected.