Two of our colleagues, Cornel and Ionut, have celebrated 10 years of being part of our team. Cornel took the time to tell us how he started working at Roweb and a bit of his story with us so far!
How did you start working at Roweb? What was your first experience here like?
Cornel: “Standard story: after college graduation I started searching for a company to work and evolve in. At that time the trend was for everyone to first reach for stronger cities because the companies seemed more reliable and powerful there. I was never a trendy person 🙂 .
I decided to walk the road starting from near home outwards, and I gave a chance to Pitești software companies. I found three job openings, gave three interviews and got accepted in all of them. I had the choice at that point, and my choice proved easy. I used the interviews not only for the companies to know me, but more so, as a way of understanding where I will be putting my trust, energy and future. Although I had university colleagues in the other companies, and those companies also tried to paint a fairy tale story of future days to come, that was not the criteria that was relevant to me. Even though I knew no one in Roweb, I chose this company (actually the people) that asked me the most relevant and interesting questions and also showed me that they already traveled the same road I was expecting for natural growth: work, time, fun, “sweat and tears”. There is no magic bullet 🙂 .
My choice was the good choice; as proof, the other companies disappeared in 2-3 years and I was glad to see many of my university colleagues choosing Roweb after my arrival.
I had heard of Roweb ever since University years, but at that moment, I was too certain I would have nothing of value to offer to a programming company and also I was already working in another domain during college. Although I do not regret the experience I have gained in sales, looking back, I think I should have been more confident in myself and try to reach Roweb sooner than after completing my studies. I now know it’s not all about the technologies you know but also about the attitude you have toward learning, toward making things happen.”
What did you think about the work environment when you first came here?Â
Cornel: “The team I just joined was joyful, the day to day activity was exciting and unconstricted, I had plenty of time for the learning curve period. I was expecting a hard beginning and I was willing to do whatever it took to grow. But I was definitely not ready to have days when I doubted myself so much that I had to consider that some boogie man HAD to be altering my code during the night. It was easier than to believe I had written such a “masterpiece” just days before. What I didn’t knew yet was that THIS was what it was needed for my growth. Each person has their own stimulus that triggers evolution, this was “whatever it took” in my case. I decided I will not let myself overrun by strange beasts in the code 🙂 .”
How did working at Roweb influence your development and where you are now in your career?
Like in a Scooby Doo episode, there were times when bugs acted “voodoo”, and funny legends were told about them, but time and experienced colleagues have helped me understand that all I needed to do was to pay more attention to what actually happened. Not long after, I actually started to enjoy and actively seek solving mysteries of software behavior.
This is how my journey started, and this road has led me now, 10 years of coding later, into a new section that combines past ingredients to reach future destinations.
Roweb continues to grow organically and it allows everyone to find their best area to contribute. This has allowed me to now direct my efforts into contributing to the quality of our products. The quality assurance team is also growing naturally day by day, with certified training courses and with each project at a time. This is the new riddle I dare myself to solve, a game to enjoy and a result in quality products for our customers to rely on. A win-win situation, right?
I am happy with my time at Roweb, contributing to local growth in my hometown and not in some other place in the world. Like 10 years ago, I still believe we have to contribute to the world starting near home. I like that the level of quality in the company’s people allows for quality conversations to happen about nice things in life. I am also proud to work in a company that is named by, and reflects, the spirit of my country. This is a special thing to me.”
We’re happy to celebrate the contribution that Cornel and Ionut have been bringing to Roweb’s growth and culture for the past decade, and to have the opportunity to share with you Cornel’s thoughts and memories about his journey at Roweb!Â
