In this edition of our pacesetter story, we feature Calvin Musyoka, who joined Cellulant 3 years ago as an IT Helpdesk engineer and later transitioned to an Associate Engineer under the Release Engineering department.
Calvin Musyoka shares interesting facts about himself, his cellulant story, how he joined the company, and how his previous department leader influenced his career transition.
Tell us about yourself.
I am Calvin Musyoka, a firstborn of 3 kids and, interestingly, a firstborn of firstborns. I am talkative and a problem-solver. My favorite artist is an Amapiano South African Dj and producer Kabelo Motha, also known as Kabza De Small, because he makes timeless and good music. My favorite national dish is Ugali and Nyama Choma.
I studied BSC in Information technology at Zetech University. To wrap it up, I spend my spare time as a mechanic using the skills and knowledge I got from my father, a full-time mechanic.
When and how did you join Cellulant?
Huh! A back short story on how I joined Cellulant was after one of my relatives recommended Cellulant to me after they saw a job advert for the post I qualified for, which at the time was for IT Helpdesk Engineer. Funny enough, I was working freelance at the time, so I took a chance with Cellulant, and behold, I got the job, and that was in January 2020.
One interesting fact is that Cellulant was my first job as a full-time employee, technically my first proper job.
Why did you transition from IT Helpdesk Engineer to Associate Release Engineer?
Hmm, to seek a new challenge, to grow. It was an excellent opportunity to develop my skills as an employee while testing my ability to overcome the challenges presented.
How long have you been in your current role, and what’s the one problem you are solving for?
I have been in my current position under the Release engineering team for eight months after transitioning from IT Helpdesk Engineer; now, I handle the automation of application deployments through our pipeline to deliver our products to our customers quickly and reliably.
What would you say has been the most exciting part of the job?
Being at Cellulant and constantly learning through the challenges and opportunities for growth makes my work very exciting. If you are determined to grow and explore other avenues within the business, the leadership here allows you to take up the challenge and make it easy to excel.
Another aspect is the people and teams I work with because there is a balance between making friends and still excelling at getting the daily job done.
What has been the most rewarding Cellulant moment?
My smooth transition from IT Helpdesk to Release engineering, where I joined the team knowing just the basics of the job, but here eight months later, striving through the help of our Leader Festus
I also recently got recognized after facilitating successfully migrating our company source code onto the cloud. Knowing that someone sees and acknowledges my work has motivated me always to strive to be and do my best.
What has been the most significant challenge/learning opportunity about the job?
Getting up to speed with a new team from a different team with different dynamics, but I was able to blend into the team spirit and work thoroughly.
I got into an incident that was the biggest lesson I learned. The supportive leadership in the mitigation process was constructive and understanding; to this day, I appreciate their helping hand.
Who has been the most significant influence in your career & why?
1 Julius Odhiambo, my previous boss, because he is the one who pushed me not to get comfortable in my first role; he made me realize my potential and built on my I can do mentality
Festus Were for being the most significant pivot and support system and for believing in me and his work ethic of having a team that relates well and works in a well-thought-out team environment.
What do you love most about working at Cellulant?
The people: The atmosphere is chilled, and everyone here relates well. It has a homely atmosphere, and it is the first job I have been able to make friends who I also feel no matter where life takes us, the friendship will stay intact.
How do you want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as the guy who was always easy to approach, more like a people person.
In your own words, what does Cellulant wants to do in Africa, and why is that inspirational for you?
Cellulant focuses on creating an authentically African product, inspired by the belief that one can achieve world-changing outcomes by simply putting their mind to it and that no challenge is insurmountable.