Ankita joined as the first Cloud Engineer at Founda in May 2021. She is curious, doesn’t shy away from a challenge, and clicked with the Founda culture immediately.
We sat down for a chat with Ankita about what she values in a workplace and her experience at Founda. Without further ado, let’s meet Ankita!
“Honestly, it was not up to me to pick up a role of Cloud Engineer when I started my career. I was assigned to a project that dealt with Infrastructure. But as I grew into this role, I have been really happy and proud to be a Cloud/Infrastructure Engineer. It has been an adventurous journey so far. I get to learn many new things everyday. There is this huge horizon of things to be worked upon being a Cloud Engineer and it is very exciting. I enjoy it a lot.”
“I have seen it, yes! But in order to mitigate this, I would not want a company to hire people based on their gender but on their skills. I also believe if a woman wants to be a developer, then she can be. Nothing can really stop you from being what you want to be.
And things are definitely better these days. Many companies have great policies, like long maternity leaves, anti-harassment policies etc.. In one of my previous companies they had a kids’ playroom, so parents could bring their children to work if needed. Companies are increasingly aware of the importance of policies like this and there are government measures being developed to put things in place. I really appreciate them and they can be a driving force for women to work more in tech. Personally, I never faced any extra challenges just from being a woman and working in tech. All in all, we are all humans, and companies that value their employees’ wellbeing should strive to take care of our needs in the workplace, that includes everyone.”
“On a personal level, a strongly installed hierarchy is what I don't prefer. It usually comes with impersonal communication and interaction between people, and it doesn’t encourage new ideas. It’s not really a motivating work environment.
Apart from that, I also don’t like repetitive work. On the contrary, I would like to work in a place where I can always learn new things - a company that has a good research and development system where the scope of growth and challenges is immense, and this way the work will never become repetitive.
Another important factor for me when looking at jobs is how much companies value employees’ wellness. For example, I really like Founda’s announcement that we have a minimum of 25 holidays. This makes the employees feel free to take holidays instead of pushing off and exhausting themselves just to save a few more days for vacations. I think policies like this really show that a company is truly interested in its employees’ wellbeing, and it treats the employees as real people. Other than that, I would also like a job that creates an environment where people are open and trust each other.”
“Yes. I’ve always wanted to join a startup. They usually have very interesting products and are open to new things in the market, allowing me to research and try out new tools and technologies – at Founda we are in the process of moving to Kubernetes, for example. I’ve been learning a lot during the whole migration process.
Besides, compared to a bigger company, in startups your decisions really matter a lot. We think of the bigger picture of how our decisions affect everyone and the organisation. Especially because I’m the first Cloud Engineer, the responsibility is huge. When I’m working I often think about the what-ifs, and I’d like my decisions to be future-proof. This really gives the feeling that you matter.”
"I knew I’d be the first Cloud Engineer here, so there would be quite some challenges. I found it super exciting. We are in a greenfield so the scope of learning and growing is beyond imagination. It is quite surprising to learn that the problem of interoperability in healthcare hasn’t been solved, but I’m really happy that with Founda, we can be a part of the change.
I also like the culture at Founda. In the interview rounds, I felt Founda has a very open culture. You could go to anyone and discuss ideas. And it was proven to be like that after I started working here. People are very involved with each other. We always want to know more about each other, and are all very happy to listen to new ideas and feedback."
"It was exactly what I expected. Before joining I was a bit lazy, but now I feel the thrill is back. Of course my work comes with many responsibilities, so at the end of the day I’d feel exhausted, but in a very good way. It is fun to work here and there is a great work-life balance."
"I’m a very curious person, and I always want to try as many new things as I can. I used to play table tennis on a regular basis. After that, I picked up a new and very exciting hobby of skydiving. Since graduating the AFF(Accelerated Free Fall) course, I can proudly claim I am a solo jumper now. Next up, I want to try horse riding and surfing, but the wish list will keep growing, I am sure!"
"Adrenaline! And also the confidence that it gives me after overcoming the fear. I remember the first solo jump that I did after my graduation. To know that I am all 'alone' in the sky was a wonderful feeling. It can become very addictive.
We also have a very welcoming skydiving community. Everyone is encouraged to try and learn. In fact, it’s so welcoming that I’m bringing a 9-people crew from Founda to try it!"
At Founda Health, we want to be pioneers who bring changes in healthcare. We are eager to learn, grow, and we trust and encourage each other to make our own decisions. Like Ankita’s story and want to join the team as well? Check out our open positions!
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