Interview ‘Jóvenes con Futuro USA’: “Working in Silicon Valley is the most ambitious goal that a developer can aspire to”
Banco Sabadell Foundation collaborates with the ‘Jóvenes con Futuro’ together with Stepone, with the objective of ensuring that recently graduated Spanish engineers have the opportunity of showcasing their talent in first-rate technology companies in the United States. Thanks to this programme, these young graduates can carry out 6-month internships. The selection process for the next edition will open on the 15th March.
We have spoken to two of the Jóvenes con Futuro who are carrying out internships at Entytle, a company that is developing a platform to help companies to boost their revenues from post-sales services. Entytle’s offices are located between Palo Alto and Mountain View, in Silicon Valley. We have spoken to Esaú Suárez, aged 25, from the Canary Islands. Esaú is an engineer from the La Laguna University in Tenerife. We have also spoken to Andrés Monge, aged 26, from Cadiz, who graduated from the University of Seville.
Esaú Suárez (esquerra) i Andrés Monge (dreta) en el hall de les oficines de Entytle en Palo Alto, CA
You have only been here for a few months and you have already worked in different departments of the company. How do you think your colleagues and the rest of the company view your performance?
Andrés: From day 1 we have felt completely integrated with all of the teams, not just the engineering teams. Everybody has been really helpful, in terms of the job as well in personal matters. They also take our opinion into account and I truly feel highly valued by this team.
Esaú: here, we feel that, even though we are interns, our opinions are always taken into account. We have spent some time with the team now, and I am now starting to feel that we are quite an important part of the engineering team.
The company is located right in the heart of Silicon Valley, right where we can find the largest technology companies in the world, such as Google or LinkedIn, as well as start-ups, investors and accelerators who are recognised on a global scale. How are you finding this experience of being completely immersed in a unique ecosystem in a world that is very different to what you were used to in Seville and Tenerife?
Andrés: in the short time that we have been here I believe that I have learnt a lot-such as new technologies like React, I did not know much about it before I came here, and next week I am going to a hackathon. This ecosystem offers a wide range of opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow as an engineer.
Esáu: we are very lucky to be where we are, and to make the connections that we are making. We have to know people who come from the largest companies in the world, which allows us to get to know new corporate cultures and how people work at these companies. In addition to meeting interesting people, there are also a lot of technology events or meetups, both in the Valley as well as in San Francisco, and this makes it easy to get to know a lot of people in this sector. Here, networking is very important.
What would you say is the best part of this experience? What would you say to other young engineers, like yourselves, who dream of going to the famous “Silicon Valley”?
Andrés: It’s very hard to leave everything behind and travel to the other side of the world to work, but at the same time it’s an incredible experience. You learn an incredible amount about life, and if you know how to grasp the opportunities that it offers you, you really can make the most out of this experience. I would tell them not to be afraid of everything that is said about this ecosystem. It’s incredible and also astounding how companies are continuously looking for engineers. If you are able to adapt quickly to a new environment, you have a lot of possibilities of working in any startup here. Engineers are very highly valued and companies know that engineers are essential. If you are good at what you do, and passionate about it, then you should at least try!
Esaú: “Working in Silicon Valley is the most ambitious goal that a developer can aspire to” Just being able to work here is gratifying enough. This opportunity means I can learn a lot and boost my career in a very short space of time.