| Name | Aleks Lubiejewski (www.linkedin.com/in/alekslubiejewski) |
|---|---|
| Role | VP Consulting & Security. My role here is two-fold. Firstly, I run the consulting business for Instaclustr, responsible for planning and delivering our consulting strategy, defining our processes, looking after the team and ensuring we hit our revenue targets. Secondly, I look after our internal security program, reviewing our implementation decisions from a security perspective and managing the resolution of any security issues that are found. |
| Location | Sunny Canberra, Australia |
How did you get started working in IT?
I’ve always had an affinity for computers. They are simple, they do exactly what you tell them. The catch is they don’t care if what you asked it to do isn’t what you mean. I started in security more or less by accident. A fresh eyed grad offered a position in IT security? I said, “Let’s do it!”
What sort of training or education do you have?
My formal education is a Bachelor of Information Systems from ANU. I’ve always been interested in the design level decisions in a project, I’m into why and what, not so much of the how. After that it was 16 years in the school of hard knocks, travelling and experiencing projects in the full spectrum from “going swimmingly” to “crashing and burning”. Being able to really spot the difference early is something you can only learn by doing.
How long ago did you join Instaclustr?
Just over a year ago.
Why did you join Instaclustr?
After the small company I worked for was acquired by a global behemoth, I stayed in the belly of the beast for 4 years. It was great, but after a while I missed the dynamic nature of our old business. Instaclustr is significantly more agile and a completely different proposition to my former role. I realised I could bring my consulting and security experience here and make a real difference.
What’s your favourite part about the company?
The people definitely. We have some amazingly clever people, and they are also fun to be around. I also love working in an area like big data and analytics. Seeing just what is possible right now, is mind-blowing and just a little scary.
What is a typical day like at your job?
My day starts like a lot of people with a decent caffeine hit. Then I’ll check on how our US team is going, look over any security reports, write a bid, review a document, and then make sure the AU team is on track with any work we need to complete.
What is your favourite thing about working in a company like Instaclustr?
I love the dynamic nature of an agile company. One day I’ll be looking at processes and revenue numbers, the next I’m on a support call assisting one of our customers upgrade their cluster, then next we’re all planning the next features. I also really love being able to talk to everyone in the business from our developers to the CEO, accounts to marketing, everyone is here focussed on delivering for our customers.
What skills or personal qualities are good for this job?
Aside from being technologically literate (which is a must), being able to talk to people on multiple levels helps immensely. Planning and time management is a must. Being adaptable and flexible also helps.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Getting to know people all over the world and understanding their business requirements. Essentially, helping our customers to get difficult things done.
What is your advice to someone interested in this field?
To work in the big data space, I’d recommend you start by doing free training available on lots of websites, including the Datastax Academy. Get your certification to demonstrate your base skills, and do some of your own testing with a free trial cluster from Instaclustr.
If you get the opportunity to work in a startup, jump in! It is a fun and rewarding environment.