Meet Ra’ed Omar, Judy’s father, avid traveller, Real Madrid fan and one of our brightest Team Leads’ at Aspire! Continue reading to find out more about his day-to-day.
Why did you choose IT?
At university, I decided to study Computer Information Systems. However, before making that decision, I actually wanted to study Architecture instead. I chose IT as I thought I could have better career opportunities and I definitely have made the right choice.
What are you particularly passionate about within your industry?
I am really passionate about developing processes and QA. I really like QA and continuously learning about how to improve products, processes and services with more quality.
Why Aspire?
Aspire was actually my first IT-related job. I didn’t know much about the company before joining, but I knew that they had an interesting Graduate Program, so I applied. I wanted to join a company where I could grow my career and luckily, I have been here for almost 8 years now.
What does your typical day look like?
I usually wake up early and play with my baby girl, Judy. Before the pandemic, sometimes I would arrive at the office a little bit late because she didn’t want me to leave. I start every morning by hearing her voice and playing with her. At work, I start my day by checking up on my emails and Slack. I then follow up with my team and check on what happened overnight, what our daily plan is, and what are our blockers. I follow up with the team throughout the day to check up on how the tasks are going. By 2 PM, I start preparing the results that need to be delivered to the client when they wake up as we work with a US client. By 5 PM, we start deployments and meetings for the rest of the afternoon. With the pandemic, my routine has stayed the same, even while working from home. In the evenings, I keep checking slack to stay connected with my team that works on staggered hours. I then have dinner with my family, watch TV or football matches. I am a big Real Madrid fan.
Ra’ed with his beautiful wife, and daughter Judy
What do you value the most about the company?
I value many things, but the most important thing is that I feel appreciated here, I always get verbal recognition which is important, and I have been promoted many times throughout these years.
Bernard handing Ra’ed his ‘Employee of the Month’ certificate
What is your favorite movie/series?
In movies, I like drama! Most people don’t, but I always like to watch and reflect. ‘The Life of David Gale’, is my favorite! Not many people know about this movie but I really enjoyed it (if you haven’t heard about it, you should add it to your list). I also prefer older movies, I just feel like the new ones aren’t as good.
What do you like to do in your free time?
For holidays, I always try to travel. Watch soccer matches, eat with my family, visit relatives and play card games with my friends (I am really good at Trex, which is a popular game in Jordan).
Ra’ed traveling in Rome
If you had to choose one programming language/technology to use for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I really enjoy Java and backend development. I love programming in Java.
What was the path to your current role at Aspire?
I can consider my growth process as really good. I started off as a Fresh Graduate and stayed as a Junior QA Resource for about 2 years. I then became a Senior QA and after 7 months I became a Supervisor. About a year later, I got promoted to Team Lead, which is still my current position.
What is something that will surprise your colleagues?
2 things really: first one is that I am not Jordanian, I am Palestinian, but I grew up in Jordan. Second one is that I spent a total of 6 months in Colombia for work back in 2017 and 2019, I learned a lot of Spanish too, which was nice.
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A black horse, I really like horses and I think they are powerful, intelligent, loyal and beautiful creatures.
What is one thing you want to do before it is too late?
Parachuting or skydiving. I am afraid of heights so I want to conquer my fears.
Does a particular time in your career stand out?
The first time, my Team Lead told me that he couldn’t travel to the US back in 2014, I was a Junior at the time and he gave me the opportunity to travel to the US for 2 months because he really trusted me. That really touched my heart. My visa got rejected the first time and the HR team tried again and I travelled.
What are your ambitions for Aspire?
I want Aspire to be the biggest IT Service Provider in the MENA region and we are definitely on our way there.
If a genie appeared and gave you three wishes, what would they be?
1 – Health for my family
2 – Travel to the South Pole
3 – To give everything that my daughter (Judy) wants
What’s your biggest personal achievement?
My marriage and building our family.
What’s your biggest professional accomplishment?
Getting promoted to Team Lead.
What superpower would you like to have?
To be super fast in everything, run as fast as a cheetah!
If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Mango! I love fruits and vegetables.
Ra’ed picking eggplants
What’s your life philosophy?
Treat others as you want to be treated.
Do you think the pandemic has changed the way we work? Will this be the “new norm”?
Yes, I do believe so, regardless of the way this pandemic will end I think the way we work has definitely changed forever, working online has come to stay! However, face-to-face communication will still be needed and irreplaceable, so I believe most companies will adapt to a hybrid model, part-time working from home and part-time in the office.
Any tips for new graduates?
First of all, work and work hard. You will need to work a lot in the beginning in order to gain experience and improve, so focus on yourself. Second, you need to be very passionate and ambitious in order to achieve your goals, so don’t just think about salary and appreciation. These things come with experience and time.
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If you want to work with inspiring and tech-savvy employees like Ra’ed, join the Aspire family today.
