An introverted engineer reflects on his decision to join Dwarves, appreciating the company's focus on personal development, recognition of individual contributions, and a culture where team members challenge themselves with new technologies.
I was surprised since Thanh Pham, our Engineering Manager, had referred me for an interview in "Life at Dwarves" series. Honestly, I am a very introverted person; besides work, I do not participate in any team activities like dinners or hangouts. The company doesn't require us to if it's not really our scene.
After leaving my prior job, my buddy Tuan Dao, a BE engineer at Dwarves, convinced me to work there. I used Java at the interview, assuming I would fail because Dwarves's supreme stack is Golang. Yet I passed. This team, I think, places more weight on a candidate's potential, talents, and work ethic than on their actual skill set alone. Then I got two job offers at once, but I chose Dwarves even though the other company offered a slightly higher salary. I appreciate adjusting to new technologies and working in a dynamic, inventive workplace with talented people. After more than two years, I never regretted joining Dwarves.
Here, Dwarves emphasizes personal development while acknowledging the value of each individual. For example, I often have one-on-one conversations with Thanh. He always listens to what I want and sets up projects that match my goals and help me grow. While working here, I feel oriented, progressed, and—most importantly—recognized. My supervisor, Huy Nguyen, encourages me for my efforts each time I complete a task, which encourages me to keep going.
Most of Dwarves I work with have an uncommon trait: they willingly put in extra time even when no one forces them to do so, just because they enjoy new challenges. Each project here is like a playground for us to trial new technologies, tools, or features that each person challenges themselves with.
For instance, Nhut Huynh, my team's tech lead, is my closest model. In my years of work, I have never seen a QA become a tech lead. Nhut spends his weekends learning about technology, learning a lot and putting in a lot of effort to contribute to his projects. So I understand that being a tech lead who also has management abilities and specific expertise takes a lot of effort. I therefore have a lot of respect for everyone in the company. How can I let myself become a loser when I work in an environment where everyone is moving forward and trying their hardest?