“The working environment and the company culture, how it was very comfortable and friendly. At Aspire, we are like a family and this is hard to find out there. I started and I loved it, he was right and I have been with the company for 7 years now.”
Othman Badwan
Meet Othman Badwan, Senior QA Analyst, truck fanatic and calligraphy artist.
Why did you choose IT?
Funny story, I actually graduated in Language Studies, specializing in English translation, however, I was always good in IT, in general. When I came to Aspire for an interview, the recruitment team thought I was technical and that was the beginning for me. I started off as a Data Analyst and from the beginning, I always did a lot to improve my technical knowledge and now I really enjoy being in this industry.
Why Aspire?
I had a friend who was working at Aspire. I had just graduated and I was looking for a job. He always spoke about the working environment and the company culture, how it was very comfortable and friendly. At Aspire, we are like a family and this is hard to find out there. I started and I loved it, he was right and I have been with the company for 7 years now.
What does your typical day look like?
I stay up late because I work the night shift. I usually wake up around 11 am. I can’t do anything without having breakfast first, after eating, I go to the gym which is near my house, then I go home, take a shower and get ready to come to work. Everyday, I have to make sure that my truck is clean, I am very passionate about my truck. After making sure everything is good to go, I drive to work and I start my working day by checking my inbox and following up with the tickets assigned to me the night before. Right after, I grab coffee and start working on my assigned tickets. During the day, I have a lot of meetings because I just started a new project, so I am still in the learning requirements phase. I typically have dinner at the office, so I either bring food from home or order. I am a big fan of healthy food, so I try to bring my own food as much as I can. After work, I always hang out with my friends and we usually just talk, chill and watch movies (mainly comedy and action).
What is your favorite movie?
That’s a hard question, but I would have to say Interstellar, I love sci-fi. I also really liked The Avengers, I am a big Marvel fan and I love movies with graphics and special effects.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My weekends are on Saturday and Sunday as I work with a US customer. On weekends, I usually meet my Truck Squad team (everyone has to have a truck to be in the squad – Dodge Ram club Jordan), we go to the desert to Wadi Rum and drive off-road, it’s a lot of fun. I like travelling as well, I was bitten by the wanderlust bug. I also love doing graffiti and calligraphy drawings on walls (in allowed spaces of course).
A calligraphy painting Othman did on his wall
Othman and his Truck Squad, The Dodge Ram Club Jordan
Any tips for new graduates?
I highly recommend people to come to Aspire, it’s a great place to start your career, to have a structured career path and to grow. I started off as a Data Analyst, then I moved to the QA team and now I am a Senior QA Analyst.
What is something that will surprise your colleagues?
Well, this may be awkward and now everyone will know, but I really love tattoos and I have a couple as well.
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
I would be a lion, because my star sign is Leo and I can really identify with the elements.
You have 10 seconds to impress someone. What do you tell them?
I would say: ‘I love you’, they will for sure be impressed or freaked out, maybe both, hahahaha.
What’s your favorite song?
My taste is quite eclectic, in general I am an R&B fan and I also really like to listen to gothic/doom metal, however, my favorite song is Still Loving You by the Scorpions.
What is one thing you want to do before it is too late?
Travel as much as I can and to places very far from here so that I can get exposed to different cultures.
If a genie appeared and gave you three wishes, what would they be?
- To have a lot of money.
- To be able to teletransport whenever I want and wherever I want.
- To have the ability of eating whatever I want and never get fat.
What’s your biggest personal achievement?
I travel a lot, so I feel very lucky. I have been to 8 countries so far and multiple cities. My favorite city, that I have visited so far is New York, and country would have to be Turkey (I have been there at least 5 times).
Othman in NYC
What’s your biggest professional accomplishment?
To be able to stay in the same company for 7 years. I didn’t plan on it, I am a millennial, and we “tend to move around a lot”, jump from company to company. I found it funny that people stayed for 15 years or more in the same company, I never imagined I would turn out to be one of those people, but I have learned so much here and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Hamburgers, for sure!
What’s your life philosophy?
Don’t get attached easily in life, especially to people. Everything comes and goes, life is a cycle.
Posted by: Camila Luz
