Employee Spotlight – Alejo

Meet Alejo!

We love to showcase the awesome people who work here at 729 Solutions because they are more than just great employees – they are creative and interesting people! Today we spoke with Alejo, a 729er who specializes in PHP, but works with Java, .NET, and more. Alejo is the primary developer for one of our awesome long-time clients, Psychiatric Alternatives.

Alejo is on our Professional Services team but has been doing some work for DevOps as well (which he really enjoys!).

Alejo lives in Uruguay with his girlfriend Camila and their three dogs – Lolo, Olivia, and Sombra.

Tell us more!

What do you like about working for 729?

I like the atmosphere here! Everyone is very friendly and knows how to work as a team. I also like the diversity of projects we work on – we are always learning new things and tackling new challenges.

What are your hobbies?

I think my most important hobby is traveling. My first trip was when I was 19 years old and I traveled every chance I got. Every year I plan where I will go next year. I enjoy the outdoors very much, so I always look for places that have beautiful landscapes and nature. I also like to play soccer, watch movies, host barbecues, and go out with friends.

What are you doing to entertain yourself during COVID-19 Stay at Home orders?

In Uruguay, fortunately, our lifestyle during COVID did not change much. The first month was when we had a stricter quarantine, but now life is almost back to normal. That first month, I watched a lot of movies and played several games online, which I hadn’t done for several years.

Now, we have to keep our distance, use a mask, and respect all the hygiene measures recommended by the government.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

In my home, there was always an emphasis on having empathy for people, “always put yourself in the other person’s shoes”. Empathy is important in trying to understand what people are feeling, their reactions, actions, etc. It is very easy to judge people without understanding them, that is why you should always try to understand their life stories, the moment they are living, and what made them what they are today.

What advice would you give a candidate who wants to join our team of superstars?

Don’t be nervous, everyone is friendly and always willing to help. Sometimes starting to work in a new place generates a little stress since you don’t know how the internal functions work. Here you don’t have to worry about any of that, you just have to be always open to receive help and don’t hesitate to ask others when you have doubts.

Cats or dogs?

Definitely dogs! I love them, we have 3, two are my girlfriend’s and the other one is mine. In my house, I have always had dogs since I was a child, so they have always been with me throughout my life.

What is your favorite word in the English Language?

My favorite word in the English language is “Euphoria” because I like the way it sounds and it’s meaning. We should all experience euphoria from time to time.

What is your favorite word in another language?

My favorite word in another language is “Wabi-sabi” (Japanese) because I find the concept very interesting. Is a term that refers to the beauty of imperfection, finding beauty in the simple, in chaos, in the ugly.

What’s the most inspiring part of your job?

I believe that there are new challenges to overcome every day. Finding solutions to problems is something that even though it often stresses me out, is still something I love to do.

If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?

If I had superpowers, I would like to have teleportation, so I wouldn’t waste time transporting myself and could travel anywhere in the world as many times as I want.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a paleontologist. I had great admiration and was obsessed with dinosaurs. Also, I always liked to investigate and try to understand all the events that occurred in the history of the Earth and the Universe.

If you were a pasta shape, what shape would you be and why?

It would be lasagna, it is the pasta that I like the most. I like the fact that it has many layers, making its taste very varied.

Is there anything else you’d like the world to know about you?

I consider myself an environmental activist. I studied for a degree in Environmental Management and am about to start working on my monograph and thesis project.