New Joiners Series: Welcome Carlos

Welcome to Giant Swarm's New Joiners Series where we get to know some of the newest members of the Swarm. This week, we meet Carlos Arilla. 👋

Role: Tech Product Marketing 

Most used Slack emoji:

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Current location: Zaragoza, Spain

About me    

My first computer was a ZX Spectrum 48K when I was four (it was actually my brother’s computer) and it amazed me so much that I still can remember the hundreds of hours passed in front of it. Some years later, I disassembled it to its last piece to see how it was done. Curiosity and discovery have been the main driving force for me since then, and computers have been part of my life in a meaningful way: video games, programming, text processing… until I made them my profession.

I have done a little bit of everything in the tech industry: programming, sysadmin, management, hardware and others. But the thing I still enjoy the most, and as it happens I seem to be good at, is talking to people: understanding and explaining complex things and helping them. I’m used to being the glue. I still enjoy tinkering with things, understanding how they work, how they can be improved and how I can create with them. Computers, microcontrollers, robotics, 3D printing and basically anything with enough technology to be interesting are my hobbies.

In the meantime, I have created a family with my wife: three children and a lot of work to do. They are the main reason I started to look for a position with the best work-life balance possible and Giant Swarm came my way.

My candidate journey and why it matters

It was almost love at first sight. I had seen the position before but I wasn’t prepared to leave my former job at that moment. Some months passed and when someone from Giant Swarm contacted me, something clicked and I felt it was a perfect match. I had a stressful job, with long working hours and a culture of rewarding heroes instead of efficient workers. I was looking for just the opposite: a healthy work environment, family friendly and balanced.

It was also the case that the requirements for the position were difficult to match — technical knowledge, communication skills, and marketing experience. I guess I was a perfect match for Giant Swarm too, as the process was really easy and friendly.

I had the best job interviews I can remember. Everyone was really friendly, supportive and willing to help. All the questions were very reasonable and friendly — no gotchas, no tricks. Just very smart people being honest. All my questions were answered with really helpful and honest answers. It was just talking to people like me. They assigned me a technical challenge, but not the usual complicated abstract thing. Honestly, I found it really easy and didn’t require a great effort. This was more of a formality, so you could present in front of most of the company and everyone could get a sense of who you are. They want you to shine. I didn’t even need to think when I received the offer. They offered everything I needed and I feel I have a lot to give to the company. The answer was clear for me well before receiving the offer. Even though I haven’t been here long enough to have all the knowledge, I still have a strong feeling of belonging. 

The biggest challenge I've faced so far 

Every company is different and you have to learn the customs and traditions of the company. It is difficult to achieve a sense of openness and over communication despite being used to remote work. Being able to communicate when you are available or busy, having access to everything, being able to decide what task will have the most impact... I still need to adjust but I will get there.

My greatest source of happiness when it comes to work 

The most important thing for me is working with a team and the feeling that I belong. Having the trust of your teammates and making them your friends is rewarding. Up to now, I have been entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of my team as a team facilitator and that makes me happy. Working with very smart people and learning from them makes me really happy too. If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong place.