The Role of Data Engineers in an Evolving Media World: Jochen's Story
A career in IT was not exactly on Jochen's plan. He studied philosophy in Ghent and was working on a thesis proposing a theoretical knowledge model for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). But in the year 2000, when there was a high demand for IT professionals, Jochen saw a great opportunity to pursue an additional IT education and enter the sector. Over the years, his interest grew in data products, and in 2022, he joined DPG Media.
"As Data Engineers, we receive data from users of our apps and websites, which we then transform into usable products that meet the needs and use cases of DPG Media," says Jochen. The term "Data Engineer" has become an umbrella term in recent years, he explains. "The IT landscape is very fragmented, and depending on where you end up, the technological implementations can vary significantly. The positive aspect of this diversity is that in such a landscape, having in-depth knowledge is essential, allowing everyone to develop their own specialization."
From maintenance to new data flows
"We work in sprints. These are periods of 2 weeks during which we focus on a limited number of goals that we want to achieve during that period. This can range from maintaining something that already exists to upgrading or building a new data flow. Sometimes, we also conduct research to discover what we can build or rebuild. We then evaluate various options and create a comprehensive list of the pros and cons of each scenario." Of course, there is also a lot of coordination with colleagues. "We work closely with Product Owners and have regular contact with various stakeholders. They participate in our sprint reviews to see what we produced and provide valuable feedback."
Media evolves very quickly, and so do the questions and needs surrounding it, which makes it exciting!
"DPG Media stands out from other companies because of the speed of business-driven developments. Media evolves very quickly, and so do the questions and needs surrounding it, which makes it very exciting." DPG Media welcomes eager learners, and Jochen confirms, "I love learning, and I am highly encouraged to do so here at DPG. The fun team activities are a nice bonus, of course!"
If you want to work as a Data Engineer, you have to be great at communicating, says Jochen. "You can be technically brilliant, but if you can't effectively communicate your ideas in a constructive manner, it won't be enough."
Favorite IT word?
Event-driven. It's a way to process data. Event-driven is basically all the data coming in from users. When a user does something, it creates small messages about what the user is doing. We can collect that data and work with it.
You can be technically brilliant, but if you can't effectively communicate your ideas in a constructive manner, it won't be enough.
Jochen reminds us that deep knowledge and effective communication are crucial in the diverse and rapidly changing IT landscape. His dedication to growth and learning is truly inspiring!