Have you ever felt connected to a partner who is 840 miles away from your office? In my case, the answer is yes. At Making Sense, distances don’t matter. It’s the same wherever you are because we always find a way to stay closer.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gabriel – one of our software architects – in so many virtual meetings, and I can affirm he is a very friendly person who is always eager to lend a helping hand. So, this inspired me to interview him and to know more about what drives him.

When did everything start?

I’ve always been in touch with the software world because my father has a bachelor’s degree in Systems and I spent many years watching him work. I remember that at the age of 12 I asked him to teach me programming. It was not his particular strength but luckily for me, he accepted. So, thanks to my father I took my first step into this amazing world that caught my attention from the beginning.

What interests you the most?

Something that always struck me as fascinating was creating and building things. When I was a child, during my parents’ nap – where I’m from, taking a nap is mandatory for everyone – I stayed alone in the dining room playing with my Legos. I always find it exciting to have something in mind and then build it and see it materialize. And software is perfect for that. In this world, you don’t need too many resources to build something and this blew my mind.

I think this prompted me to study Systems once I got my high school degree. As I advanced in my career, I started to work freelance but later I joined a team for the first time.

What do you enjoy the most about working on a team?

My favorite thing is the feeling of collaboration, and helping others with my actions. I’m glad to support other people’s careers. In companies like Making Sense, I’m able to find a place to do that and this is very important for me. It’s what inspired me to be a better professional each day.

Is there a challenge you’d like to share?

I don’t know if it was a challenge, but it really was a turning point in my career. I remember I was working in a consolidated team. Their best character was that they were proactive. They had the habit of finishing their tasks before the deadline and spending the remaining time working on the development of features the client didn’t ask for, but which they thought were important for the project.

I adopted this habit for my own professional development, and people I have worked with realize and value it.

What is the best thing about working at Making Sense?

There are two things I really appreciate at Making Sense. The first one is the folks at Making Sense. It could be weird since I work remotely, and sometimes it is hard to be a part of a team. But I really enjoy working with everyone here and this compensates for the fact that I’m not sitting in the same room. I have had the pleasure of working with so many amazing people, that I then tried to figure out a way of connecting during out of the office hours.

The second one is about recognition. Here your work always will be recognized and appreciated. This is a place where all you do is reflected in gratitude and growing career opportunities. It’s a place where it’s all up to you, and this is simply amazing.

Could you describe Making Sense’s culture?

Of course, I can do it with just one word…excellence. At Making Sense we seek excellence in every aspect. In the services we provide, in the relationships with our partners. There is a sense of excellence I have never experienced before.

Any advice for those who are starting a career?

Don’t rush, the key is to do baby steps. Your first steps into this profession could be overwhelming. There are a lot of things you need to learn and it’s natural that you want to do it all in a short period of time. You will be sorry to hear it, but this is simply impossible. This career is a continuous learning process where each day you will learn something new. So, just stay calm and go step by step avoiding the temptation to get overwhelmed.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Gabriel much as I did. If you want to know more about him you can subscribe to his channel on YouTube and watch the “Explain Like I’m Five” series, where even a Marketing boy like me can understand the basis of TLS and HTTPS.