Lukasz is a Software Development Manager, based in Gdansk. He joined AWS in September 2020.
HereAtAWS: Tell us about your career journey. What brought you to your current role at AWS?
Lukasz: I spent the last ten years in the aviation industry building a software engineering center in Warsaw. In 2020, due to the corona virus pandemic - the aviation industry was in a huge crisis. Because of that, the company was forced to close locations and significantly reduce their workforce. This forced me into having to look for a new position, but fortuitously, at the same time, I became aware of the opportunity at AWS. I was an AWS customer and big fan for many years before, so I didn’t have to think twice. For me AWS is an iconic company that I have always wanted to work for, and here I am.
HereAtAWS: Can you explain in simple terms: your role, who your customers are, and how you help them?
Lukasz: We are building new AWS offering called DMA (Database Migration Accelerator) and our purpose is to migrate enterprises to the cloud at a high speed and a fixed price. We are migrating our customers from legacy technology and infrastructure into new open source, cloud-based technology. We are helping our customers to reduce costs at the same time as scaling their enterprises.
HereAtAWS: What technical and/or soft skills do you need to succeed in your role?
Lukasz: Out team is basically a start-up, so you have to get out from your comfort zone and do everything that is required at particular moments, even if wasn’t necessarily on your job description! I would say that systems design expertise together with sales skills are the most important combination today.
HereAtAWS: What’s the most exciting part of your job?
Lukasz: The ability to create, build and innovate. You can build products that help customers, as well as building and shaping your team.
HereAtAWS: What advice would you give people joining AWS?
Lukasz: In AWS you really own your team and solution. You have to be creative as you have such a high level of autonomy and trust.
HereAtAWS: What three words would you use to describe workdays at AWS?
Lukasz: Intense, exciting, challenging.
HereAtAWS: Is there anything else you would like to add about your personal journey?
Lukasz: I had spent quite a long time in one company, and it was hard for me to imagine that I could be in a different place. Yet moving to AWS was a very good decision because I love the team and culture here and I am still learning new things every day. My biggest learning would be that we should never be afraid of a change in our professional life.