Life at New Relic: Paving a Career Path From Peru to Portland

Today, we’re kicking off our new “Life at New Relic” blog series with an interview featuring one of our software engineers, Luces Huayhuaca. Luces recently immigrated from Peru and did not have much technical experience before joining New Relic in 2018 as a support engineer. An eager learner, Luces quickly gained engineering skills and moved up to her next role as a software engineer for the Support Tools team. While based out of our Portland office, she continues to thrive in her role. Find out more about Luces and her advice to those interested in joining New Relic.

New Relic: What does your role at New Relic look like? How do you approach your day?

Luces: Most of my day focuses on collaborating with my coworkers to solve technical problems, and learning the technologies used by my team, which include Golang and Ruby (the programming languages in which our services and products are written), as well as React and cloud services.

New Relic: What do you like most about working at New Relic?

Luces: I like being surrounded by incredibly talented and humble people. Everywhere I look, everyone has a special strength and background in a specific subject. That diversified knowledge and exchange of different ideas make us a very strong company.

New Relic: What are three key tips for being successful in your role?

Luces: The first is being passionate. I believe in the potential of the product that I am building. That gives me a lot of energy and excitement in my everyday role.

The second key tip is having empathy for my customers. I spend a good deal of time obsessing about how my customers are using my product and how I can shape the solutions that I'm building to be more effective.

Third, exchanging knowledge with my peers is essential for success. I used to be a very independent learner. I didn't bother anyone to help me with technical challenges, because I love learning and didn't mind spending hours researching a simple problem. However, I have learned that reaching out to others for their expertise is not a bad idea. Not only does it speed up your learning, but bouncing ideas back and forth with others is a great way to learn.

New Relic: How would you describe New Relic’s company culture?

Luces: It’s a culture of sharing. If I want to learn from more senior engineers, there are always plenty of Relics willing to offer their mentorship. When I see this kind of attitude, it makes me want to give back. Despite my limited experience, I also offer others the knowledge that I have to share. Relics are also great at throwing social events and sharing their interests outside of work. People regularly reach out with invitations to go climbing or play music and board games. It's easy to find commonalities with coworkers. And it's easy for New Relic to be not only part of your professional life but also your social life. My best friends are also my coworkers.

New Relic: What three tips would you give to someone interested in joining New Relic?

Luces: 1. Be authentic and find your strengths: New Relic appreciates what is unique about each of us and rewards those who are able to share the skills that make them special.

2. Be proactive and reach out: New Relic employees are very kind people, and if you want to learn more about one of them, invite them for a coffee. They'll be touched that you thought of them.

3. Be disciplined and study every day: I had to apply to New Relic a few times until I found something well suited for my skills. In the beginning, I didn't have much to offer as I was new in the business. However, after spending a good amount of time learning up-to-date technologies, I began to feel a bit more confident about my knowledge. I was able to reflect that in my interview process, and I got hired.

Are you ready to join the New Relic family? We are currently hiring. Learn more about our open roles.