At Intel, we believe that creating innovative technologies should go hand in hand with expanding employees’ skill sets. Jarosław Gumowski, a cloud software engineering manager at Intel Poland, recently spoke with us about the company’s development opportunities and what lead Intel to create the GIG initiative. Find out more about the possibilities Intel offers and why they can change your life.
Jarek, tell us about your role at Intel. When did you join the company?
I joined Intel seven years ago as a software developer. I recently accepted a manager’s position and I’m a product owner, with about 20 people on the team. I take care of releases and timelines, so that the project goes as planned.
What are the differences you see between Intel and smaller companies?
I must admit that the differences are gigantic. Previously, I worked at a smaller company than Intel, which had only 100 employees. At the time, I thought that 100 employees were a lot, but when I joined Intel, my perspective changed. In a small company, almost everyone knows each other, and it was very easy access to knowledge. From top-level architecture to hardware documentation, and wiring diagrams to the people who created them, they were all accessible. The downside was no optimization of value for the customer. I could work on something, but it turned out that we didn’t use it at all in the target product. However, at Intel, we put a lot of emphasis on delivering a working solution that it is thought-out, well-designed and provides value to the customer.
What are the career possibilities at Intel?
Ever since I joined Intel, I’ve seen how many development opportunities there are here. Being a developer was something that I’ve always liked. However, I knew that I wanted to do something more, not stop with the role of a developer. Here, I discovered all sorts of possibilities. We have a lot of training available, and we work with many different technologies, which I hadn’t been able to work on before. Plus, we have a mentoring program, where we can learn from much more experienced people. The ramp-up of everyone who joins Intel can be very fast and very efficient. There are all sorts of processes that help us deliver high-quality products, a lot of automation. Everything I saw here was new and interesting for me, and I liked it from the very beginning. Seeing so many different career opportunities was a very big motivation to move forward, to search for a place for myself and not stand still.
How did you start at Intel? What did your career path look like?
Practically from the very beginning I managed two roles. Apart from being a developer, I was also a scrum master for several years. My role was to optimize the team's work, various types of processes and ensure that everything worked as optimally as possible. I was also a team leader until I got the role of cloud software engineering manager. Ever since I started working at Intel, I wanted to work as a manager—to influence people and their development and lead a project. Although I achieved this goal, I am still looking for new tasks and new challenges, such as the GIG initiative related to career paths.
Tell us more about this project that you’re leading. What exactly is GIG Intel?
GIG is an initiative that grants employees the possibility of short-term development assignments across Intel, enabling them to expand their skill sets, business acumen and network. Not every employee is aware of the different career development opportunities at Intel Poland. Employees who left Intel had exit interviews, where it turned out that one of the main reasons for leaving was the lack of awareness of development opportunities. That is why we created GIG. To highlight to employees what the possibilities are and to show various types of career paths at Intel, like development, validation, management or administration. There is a lot to choose from.
What does GIG mean to you, personally?
It was an opportunity to develop and gain many skills, while working with people who have a lot of experience. I had a mentor, Mieszko, who has enormous knowledge. The amount of advice I got from him during that time, I haven't gotten from anyone else yet. I really learned a lot. I think that all the skills I’ve acquired will be useful in my daily work and further development. I also got to know various types of organizations and how they’re built. It was also a change from what I was doing on a regular basis. Of course, I’m always connected with technology and projects, but it was something different and more focused on people development and helping others.
It's great that there are such opportunities at Intel. What do you value most in your work?
The fact that we have these development opportunities. Plus, the belief that if I am doing something, delivering a product or managing a project, I know that it actually brings value. Either to the project or to people. There’s not a possibility that I will consider this time as wasted; I always know that I am delivering value to Intel’s customers.
What else motivates you at work?
When I joined Intel, I got to know myself better. Challenges and setting big goals motivate me the most. I am also very motivated by the fact that if I work on something and someone is satisfied with my work, they will come and say that I did well. It’s a simple mechanism, yet a motivating one.
Tell us how working at Intel influenced your personal life?
This is interesting, because I didn’t expect it to have such a strong impact on my life outside of work. What has changed is my perception of setting goals and achieving them. At some point, I realized that I could achieve anything I come up with or dream about. It’s enough to want it and follow the designated direction. I can give you an example from my life, which is swimming. Throughout my adult life, it bothered me that I had never learned to swim. With my new outlook, I found I could just get to it. After a few months, I learned to swim, and I am genuinely proud of that. It has brought me a lot of joy.
Why would you encourage someone to apply for a job at Intel?
As mentioned, I really value the fact that Intel has an enormous amount of development opportunities. Both training opportunities and practical ones, like taking on a given role or changing responsibilities. We work on countless projects and technological innovations. Most importantly, what we deliver is used by the customers and has value for them. The icing on the cake are benefits such as employee interest groups, of which there are also a lot.
Are you looking for development opportunities? Explore current openings at Intel Poland.
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