VOICES
Eli Poppele
on choosing CreativeX
VOICES
on choosing CreativeX
My name is Eli Poppele . I’ve been working at CreativeX for just over a year on the Engineering team. I’m currently focusing on data engineering within the team so I work a lot with the backend of our website and code base. I integrate APIs into our code and work on how we connect to pull in client data.
I loved Math in high school but didn't really know what I wanted to do. I decided to study physics because it seemed interesting but realized it was not my thing. There were some computer science classes that I started going to and that’s where I found the connections between programming and applied math. When I was getting ready to graduate, I wasn’t sure if grad school was the right next step so I began looking for jobs. That’s when I found CreativeX. This is my first job out of college.
The job listing. I thought at first it was fake because it sounded too good to be true. Other places seemed dull and talked about years of experience and I appreciated that we were open to different backgrounds and appreciated a love for math. When I interviewed, I enjoyed meeting everyone which helped me know this was where I wanted to be.
I worked on a project focused on expanding our creative quality tiers which allowed companies more control over how their data is shared and categorized. It was the first significant project I was really a part of here and the first project where I felt like a fully capable engineer. I got to work with Denise (a Senior Software Engineer) and I was able to work from a design that Obi (an Associate Product Designer) made. At the end it felt really great to see a full process from end to end. It was cool to build something that matched the vision that we had.
The people. Everyone is friendly and easy to work with. They are also really dedicated and focused but it’s a relaxed focus, it doesn't feel uptight here. We have Elevate Fridays and everyone still really pushes themselves.
I use it as a productive day off. I’ll catch up on work from the week or I’ll work on a course or a personal project I’ve been meaning to get to like chores at home or working on my art.
I feel like I got really lucky that CreativeX is my first job. When I look back I would not have enjoyed working at any of the other companies I was considering. I would say, be patient and don’t rush. It’s worth looking around and learning as much as you can about the company so you can find a place where you like the people, culture and the work you do.
Ask any company you are considering about their culture. Ask for the honest opinion of someone working in the company in a similar role. Factors like the team's programming languages or tech stack are important to know, but less important in my opinion than how the company functions as a whole.
