Today’s Notable Young Professional is software engineer Arefe Dalvandi, who was inspired to pursue this particular career path because it constantly keeps her smart and powerful. Here’s why she loves her work with big data and what advice she would offer other young professionals…
Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
I develop web applications that help businesses make smarter decisions utilizing all of their data.
Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
Computer applications are the brains of our modern society. Being able to understand them and create them is a fascinating job. It keeps me smart and powerful, and that is my biggest inspiration for choosing this career path. I chose to work for the D&B Cloud Innovation Center for several reasons, including the chance to work with the smartest and coolest people in my field, the opportunity to solve some true big data challenges, and to enjoy all the perks of working in the heart of downtown Vancouver.
What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
One of the best parts of my job is when I learn something new, especially when it is something that I’ve been struggling to learn or deeply understand for a long time. But of course the best of the best parts are the times when I get to socialize with my team, or make one of those geeky jokes that only software engineers would laugh at!
The most challenging part of my job is sitting down in the office for too long. I sometimes find myself wanting to get up and go out and walk by the water (which I can see from my office window), especially on sunny days.
What is one sign that you’ve seen over the years to suggest that your work/life balance is off?
Coming home and being welcomed by many parrot bites because I have not paid enough attention to my pet parrots for a while! Pets like to follow routines, so when I see them going out of their routine – like staying up too long just to spend more time with me – I realize that something is wrong.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself leading a larger team and mentoring others. I’ve already made headway with achieving this goal by mentoring at the recent HTML500 coding event in Vancouver.
What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?
Keeping my knowledge updated. With technology rapidly changing, we software developers have to learn new frameworks, standards, and programming languages all the time, and it can be a lot of work. I think I overcome it mostly by changing my mindset; embracing the work and accepting that it is just like any other part of life where we have to learn new things every day to survive. Getting to a point where I can just sit back and relax is an unrealistic expectation.
What does success look like to you? Does Money = Happiness?
Big picture: success looks like “freedom” to me. The freedom to see my family whenever I want to, the freedom to be whoever I want, and to go wherever I want to. It is having the power to make decisions based on what I believe is right rather than what society says. Ironically, part of that power is achieved by having the means to do things, but in my belief, money does not equal happiness – it only contributes to it.
What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
The day I realized that I was mentoring and leading a small team. It was in a previous job when our team leader left the company and I stepped up to take care of the team for a couple of months. That was when I realized I wasn’t very far from whom I want to be: a leader!
Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Take enough time to know yourself, and then embrace who you are, rather than trying to be someone else. You might have to try a few different things and careers before you find your real passion and talents, and that’s OK!
Based on my own experiences, my top three words of advice for other young professionals are:
1. If you don’t feel happy in your workplace, change it.
2. Respect yourself if you want to be respected by others at work.
3. Do not be afraid to do things your way. You could be the one others will follow.
Where is your favourite place to wine/ dine in your city and why?
I am more of a breakfast person, so I naturally tend to think about my favourite brunch places, such as the Zen Cafe, the Canadian Oakwood, or Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe. But for wining and dining, I generally prefer the Gastown area. Most of the places I have tried there, I have liked.
When you’re not working how do you love to spend your “Me” time?
I dance, sing, cook, swim, watch movies, spend a lot of time with friends, spend time with my birds, and look for a new hobby every once in a while. I recently tried rock climbing and cliff jumping! Another thing that I really enjoy is exploring new travel destinations such as BC’s natural hot springs, caves, or lakes. I like to make lists and plans about places I want to visit, and then imagine myself being there until I actually am.
Where is your favourite place to travel? Why?
That’s a difficult question. I have been to quite a few places and loved them all. Top of the list is my home country, Iran, because of the unconditional love and delicious food I can get there. After that, the natural islands around Vancouver, and also Alberta in the summer, have been amongst my favourite destinations.
If you had to choose a theme song, what would it be?
It is the theme music of a cartoon I watched as a kid on Iranian National TV called “The Alps Story – My Annette.”
If you weren’t doing what you’re doing, what would you be doing?
I would love to be doing some kind of work that involved more physical activity, and had some artistic aspects, like dancing. But practically, I think if I weren’t doing this I would probably be doing another type of engineering-related career because my brain is wired for logic, math, and detailed problem solving.
Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
Locally the BCSPCA because I LOVE animals. I also support a little charity in Iran that financially helps families in need.
What to you is notable?
My passions are notable to me, including the arts, independence, freedom, nature and my family.
Your favourite device? iPhone, Blackberry, Android or Other?
If I am completely honest, my favourite device is one of those old Nokia phones. Not because they offer anything more by way of technology, but because they take less time away from me. Although part of me is fascinated by the technology of smartphones, another part seeks the freedom to relax without them. Between the iPhone and Android, however, I prefer Android because as a user who can also program, I have more freedom with Android.
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