Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a Data Engineer at GoHealth Slovakia looks like? In a world where data is king, the role of a Data Engineer is both essential and intricate. The day-to-day experience can be a whirlwind of challenges and rewards, and no one embodies this blend quite like our colleague Ivan. With his keen sense of humor and uplifting spirit, he navigates the complexities of data management while fostering a collaborative environment with his team. Today, we’ll take a closer look at Ivan’s daily routine, highlighting how his lighthearted approach not only makes the tough tasks manageable but also keeps his colleagues smiling. Let’s dive into Ivan’s world and see how a sprinkle of humor makes the workday a little brighter.
Morning Routine
I usually get up around 7 am, or whenever my 2-month-old son decides I should get up, make myself a bowl of cereal, and check out NHL results from last night. This is the most enjoyable time of the day, spirits are high, the day is brand new and you are thinking of how to utilize it most efficiently – the sky is the limit. Spirits are brought down almost immediately by checking out the status of my NHL fantasy team. I really should have been paying more attention during the draft. What was I thinking when I took Ovechkin and Crosby at their age? I don’t think I’m making the playoffs this year. Doesn’t matter, let’s get to work – that one place where I can actually control the results.
Starting the Workday
Since the COVID pandemic, GoHealth has adopted a flexible home office policy, so it’s up to everyone whether they choose to come to the office or work from home. I usually come to the office once or twice a week, as it gives me a chance to catch up with my colleagues and provides a better work environment.
When I open my laptop, the first thing I do is check my Teams messages and mentions. GoHealth is based in the USA, so a lot happens overnight. If it’s really important, our US colleagues will message you directly or tag you in a channel, so those are the things I check first, and they usually set the tone for the day.
As Data Engineers, we are responsible for the reliable delivery of reporting data to analytics dashboards, and any issue with this process can compromise the information conveyed by these dashboards and hinder managers’ ability to make sound decisions. Needless to say, if there is an issue, that’s our number one priority, and the day will be spent working on a solution.
If there are no issues, I go over email notifications and especially Jira mentions. These are usually related to specifying ticket requirements as part of the grooming process or reporting issues during the quality assurance process of recently deployed changes. I try to respond to these as soon as possible because unlike my wife when we try to leave the apartment, I can’t stand the thought of keeping someone waiting. 😄
I also like to check on the progress of our daily ETL jobs, mainly to monitor them and catch potential problems early, but also because, just as an artist gazes upon their completed masterpiece, I, as a Data Engineer, feel a deep sense of pride and accomplishment when I see the green indicator of a successful ETL job. And isn’t that — taking pride in your work — the most important thing?
Mid-Morning
Once I am done feeling good about myself, I will tackle some new features that need to be implemented. I will defer to the backlog of tickets in Jira and, based on set priority, pick the one I start working on. Tickets vary in complexity, and sometimes it can be as simple as adding a few new data points to existing structures; other times, it can require ingesting completely new data sources. It’s always a good practice that, before we start working on a ticket, we consult our immediate colleagues just to confirm that our understanding and intended implementation make sense.
Starting up a chat also gives us an opportunity to learn about Patrik’s latest progress on his house, Kamil’s new running shoes, and Marek’s experiences of having a few-month-old son, which are all essential pieces of information to share when your goal is to form a team, as opposed to just completing a ticket. And isn’t that the most important thing?
Lunch Break
When working at the office, lunch is always a social event. I usually go with my trusted desk-mates Stano, Dano, and Martin, plus whoever else is currently present on our side of the office and is willing to put up with us. Each of us being from a different team, it’s a great opportunity to discuss the different problems each team is facing and learn more about the company in doing so.
After lunch, we usually go for a round of foosball (table football). It’s a great activity to make you stop thinking about work and mentally reset. I like to play it in ’full-on chaos mode,’ which is a perfect strategy for anyone who doesn’t know how to play, hates winning, and doesn’t mind occasional eardrum ruptures. The strategy is to create as much chaos on the table as possible using any means necessary—hand waving, no-look shots, shouting—everything is allowed. The reasoning is that by leaving the chaos on the table, we can bring order to our code and data. And isn’t that the most important thing?
Afternoon
Once fully purged from all the chaos, I am ready to tackle all the complex problems. Going through the ticket requirements, drawing up diagrams, writing up definitions, analyzing source data, modeling target tables, and validating all of this with the stakeholders – all is on the menu. Usually, I need some quiet place to focus on this, so when in the office, I utilize our small meeting rooms. I always wanted to be one of those people who can put on a set of headphones, listen to their music, get into the “zone,” and perform their best work, but whenever I try it, I end up bobbing my head, singing along, and inevitably googling trivia facts about the artist and their discography. I am sticking with silence for now.
At this time, our US colleagues will start waking up, and since we have only a few hours of overlap in our workdays, and we dedicate the period from 3 to 5 PM to meetings. We have a few regular weekly meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays, where we align our priorities and discuss ongoing problems; otherwise, we connect independently in smaller huddles where we tackle specific issues. It’s a good practice to come prepared for these meetings with bullet points and very specific questions so this time can be utilized effectively, and all major points can be resolved. This will prevent situations where either side is stuck waiting for the other to wake up, hindering development and wasting company time and resources. And isn’t that the most important thing?
Evening Routine
Since our workday is mostly spent behind a computer, I like to dedicate evenings to some form of physical activity – beach volleyball on Tuesdays, badminton on Wednesdays, running or bike rides really at any time. Physical exercise not only keeps me in shape but also serves as a mental reset. I also like to socialize while exercising, so group activities usually take precedence. Sometimes these socializing activities slide out of “exercise” territory, and we just end up going out for a beer, watching a football match, and singing in a karaoke bar. Coincidentally, it works just as well as a mental reset.
In the past few months, however, I have dedicated my evenings mostly to my family. Our son was born very recently, and I try to spend as much time with him as possible, so in the name of efficiency, I try to include him in most of my activities. Now he has to endure my singing and guitar playing, watch me watching football and hockey, and tag along for a run in his stroller. I’m not sure if he enjoys it, but to me, that is the most important thing.
Challenges and Rewards
One of the biggest challenges of being a Data Engineer is handling failures on our ETL pipelines. Since we must provide timely reporting data to our dashboards, all these issues must be promptly addressed. However, resolutions sometimes aren’t so trivial, and they can often lead to stressful situations when you need to be working on a fix, assessing the impacts, estimating the time of resolution, and communicating it to Teams’ channels all at the same time.
In these instances, it’s always better to turn to your team, discuss the issue in a bigger forum, and divide the workload in a way that engineers working on a fix don’t have to deal with communication with stakeholders but can fully focus on the issue at hand. These issues often stem from the fact that we consume a lot of different data from a lot of various sources, and it can often happen that a data source is unavailable, unexpected data is ingested, the format of the source changes, or there is a connection issue.
Maybe I’m just a romantic, but this is also the greatest thing about being a Data Engineer. Since we pull data from a vast number of applications and source systems, we get to work with the majority of other teams while also learning so much about the inner workings of our company. I love that we are not an island, but rather the roads and bridges that connect all of our work while producing something meaningful. And what else would you call that, if not beautiful?
Ivan’s day-to-day as a Data Engineer at GoHealth Slovakia proves that a little humor goes a long way in making work enjoyable. His lighthearted approach helps turn challenges into opportunities for teamwork and fun. We’re still expanding our team and looking for great people who want to join the adventure. If you’re excited about being part of a lively and supportive atmosphere where everyone contributes, we’re hiring so come and chat with us—we’d love to see what you can bring to the table!
