Welcome to our podcast: Tech Career Talks. In this episode, our guest is Giovanni Messina, and he is a Network Development Engineer III at Amazon, with over a decade of experience in the tech industry as a Network & System Engineer.

In this conversation, Giovanni will share his professional journey focusing on the mindset that makes a Tech Engineer successful in this field.

The Agenda:

00:00 Start.
‍00:19 Guest Introduction.
‍00:39 Where does your passion for tech come from?
‍02:28 The start of the journey.
‍05:50 Why did you choose IT Operations over Software Development?
‍07:15 Master's degree vs Industry Certification.
‍09:35 Growth equals being a lifetime learner.
‍11:28 The formula to learning how to learn.
‍14:12 A typical day in a life of a Network Development Engineer at Amazon.
‍18:02 Strategies to staying productive.
‍20:45 Tools for time management.
‍23:30 What is the biggest challenge in your life, and how did you solve it?
‍27:30 The key to work/life balance.
‍31:40 Life principles that can help you grow in your career.
‍36:40 What is the difference between working for a small company vs working for a Big Tech?
‍39:50 What are the most important technologies to learn as a Network Development Engineer?
‍42:52 Is not only about learning but is about understanding.
‍44:30 Inspirations, mentors, and idols in the industry.
‍46:46 Book suggestions for growing a career as a tech engineer.
‍53:18 What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone aspiring to become a tech engineer?

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Giovanni's work experience:
• Network Development Engineer III at Amazon (Current)
• Network Development Engineer II at Amazon (3 yrs 7 mos)
• Networking Support Senior Analyst at Dell Technologies (1 yr 7 mos)
• System & Network Specialist at Bizmate s.r.l. (2 yrs 4 mos)
• System Integrator at Bizmate s.r.l. (1 yr 2 mos)
• System and Network Administrator at Bizmate s.r.l. (2 yrs 8 mos)
• IT Helpdesk at Bizmate s.r.l. (3 mos)

Giovanni's personal summary:
”I am an engineer by nature: my passion is to understand how the systems/processes work, what subprocesses are involved and if there is an opportunity to improve/automate them. My main interest is networking, the simple thought that a packet (an information!) can travel from one side of the earth to other in milliseconds is incredibly fascinating to me, btw, as the main reason, I love network because connects things, and most of all, the network connects people and their dreams: I'm here to help people communicating and following their passions. That's why I am currently working as Network Development Engineer III in Amazon, driving new solutions and improvements at hyper scale.

I strongly believe that life begins outside of my personal comfort zone, that's why I continuously try to improve and extend my limits. Beyond my personal growth, I love the process of learning: I put my effort to learn something new every day and when I feel satisfied, I start over with a new skill! I'm continuously studying, but more for the mere titles, I'm studying to pursue a true knowledge. At this stage, my main focus is on networking and network automation, with a parallel always on-going deep passion for personal development and on how to live an happier, more fulfilling and meaningful life.

I like to approach life with positivity and trying to get out the maximum from each situation: an "obstacle" can be seen just as an opportunity and each feedback is useful for growing.

I also like to follow my passions: nutrition, sport(huge motorbike fan), hiking, cooking, reading, coffee, playing, finance and being social and staying with people!"

References:

Books:
• The Success Principles by Jack Canfield (First chapter)
• The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt by Russ Harris
• Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
• A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

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