Young, talented and driven, Ryan is one of the first software engineers who joined our Manila office in late 2016. In this interview, he shares some of the best things about working at Gengo, what he’s learned so far, and his goals and aspirations for the future.

Nationality: Filipino
Hometown: Caloocan City, Philippines
Languages: Filipino (Tagalog) and English
Education: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, STI College Fairview

Where have you lived before, and what were your previous roles?

I was born in Saudi Arabia and my family moved back to the Philippines when I was six. Before Gengo, I worked as a software engineer at Global Pinoy Remittance & Services, YiLinker, and Agila Pera Padala.

How long have you worked at Gengo and what drew you to the company?

I joined Gengo in November 2016. I was drawn to the company’s diversity and I was interested in working with and learning from people from different nationalities.

What do you most enjoy about your role?

Everything is new for me and when I joined, I realized that there’s still so much more to learn. I enjoy learning new concepts, best practices, and approaches from senior engineers, Nino, Toshipon, and Andrea. I also learned how to manage my time wisely to meet deadlines. Recently, I had to interview candidates and many of them were older and more experienced than me. It was an interesting experience.

A typical day for Ryan in the Manila office

What have been some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on at Gengo, and why?

We recently built and launched an integration with Payoneer that our translators can use to send the money they make on our platform to their bank account. That was the first project I worked on from scratch at Gengo. It was challenging because it was my first time using the Python language to build microservices. But it was also very fulfilling for me because I learned a new coding language and I knew the integration would make Gengo a better platform for our translators.

What are your personal goals at Gengo?

I’d like to learn how to communicate more confidently and become a great speaker especially in front of big groups. I’m also hoping to be a great team leader. If there’s an opportunity, I’d like to experience working overseas, too.

Relaxing at Balinmanok beach in Pangasinan, Philippines

What do you think makes Gengo a great place to work?

Everyone’s open to collaboration. I like that there’s no seniority in the team and they treat me as an equal. I also enjoy “Beer and read”, where we share knowledge over beer every other Friday. I really appreciate that there’s a budget for hackathons, team building activities and team lunches. The company makes us feel valued and appreciated.

What do you do in your spare time?

I travel four to five times a year to unwind. I love exploring beaches and islands in the Philippines. My favorites are Sumilon in Cebu, Cagbalete in Quezon, and Kalanggaman Island in Leyte. I also enjoy hiking and I love Mt. Ulap in Baguio. This year, I’m planning to go to Isla Gigantes in Iloilo.

Ryan at the peak of Mt. Batulao in Batangas, Philippines

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