Do you find satisfaction in your job? What is the secret of finding happiness in your work? David, one of our developers in the Compatibility Team, has discovered the secret. See if you can find out through his story.
David, it is so nice to have the opportunity to talk with you again. That was back in the autumn of 2016. A lot has happened since then. OTGS has grown and expanded and many new people have joined us. I’m sure we all want to learn more about you, David!
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Like most youngsters in the 80’s I wanted to become an astronaut. Either that or becoming a vet and dramatically saving sick and injured pets, but when I thought about it I became squeamish and gave up the idea!
What is the worst thing you did as a kid?
In school, I would put my hands around a bee and let it go in the classroom. The teacher didn’t know it was me!
What is your favorite childhood memory?
I nostalgically treasure spending long summers in England with my grandmother.
What did you always want to try and never did?
Developing games!
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Getting back to your career, before working at OTGS what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
Cooking pizzas, burgers & chips. I was 14 years old and this was my summer job for a couple of years. I saved up and bought my first computer.
What drew you to OTGS originally? And how has OTGS changed since?
OTGS was looking for someone and Caridad, my partner, asked if I was interested. OTGS had 16 employees back then and I was number 17. Over time new teams have been created – we introduced testing teams and compatibility. The whole process is much more solid and still constantly evolving.
How has OTGS helped you in your career development?
It helped me jump on the WordPress wagon that nowadays powers a third of the internet. I was already fluent with PHP but I had only used WordPress from the administration side.
Tell us about the teams you work closely with. We come from different backgrounds and speak diverse mother tongues. In your experience, could this create some difficulties? How do you handle such situations?
I work closely with most teams and I get along well with everybody. Of course, some things can get lost in translation, but generally, we are all very comfortable with English, our language of communication, so no major difficulties there.
I also have an unwritten rule: “Don’t make fun of religion or politics because you can easily offend someone without even knowing it.” Then again, I am a curious person so having colleagues from different cultures is the perfect chance to get to know more about different lifestyles.
What has been your favorite project?
Working on the wpml.org website was great. It was great because it’s not what I normally do and because the challenges are different when you work on a site that has to handle a lot of traffic. I learned a lot there from Abdallah.
What advice do you have for prospective candidates?
At the end of the day, all our time goes towards making customers happy. Whether you are developing, testing or supporting, it doesn’t matter, the end goal is the same. If you love making people happy you will have a great time here.
What is your proudest moment at OTGS?
One thing I’m really proud of is being awarded the employee of the month for the third time -especially because it comes from my colleagues. I must be doing something right!
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On a more personal note…
Do you recall any embarrassing moment at work?
I had an emergency video call with Srdjan and Amit and I didn’t have time to tidy up my hair or shave. Amit said I looked Biblical, very Abraham-eske :-) (Click on the arrow and drag it to the left to see the underlying picture.)
See the Pen Image Reveal Slider by David Garcia Watkins (@dgwatkins) on CodePen.light
If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
Renting hammocks on the beach must be great for one day.
What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your life thus far?
Building my house…
What is an ability you wish you had?
I would love to play the guitar properly. I can only strum along.
You’re happiest when?
… when everyone else is happy.
Did you discover David’s secret? He loves to give – he enjoys working with people from other cultures, learning new skills, and especially he enjoys making others happy.
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