Meet Anthony Magalhaes, a DevOps Engineer in Coconut Creek
In this week's #LifeatSB piece, we'll talk to Anthony Magalhaes, a DevOps Engineer in our Coconut Creek office. Did you know he spent 3 years studying music technology before switching to IT? Let's dive into our interview with Anthony and find out more!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at SmartBear.
I am a Brazilian-American. I have a passion for travel as well as music, a field I actually started in before transitioning to technology. I'm also a DevOps Engineer for SmartBear. I mostly work on the on-premise version of SwaggerHub, though I am often working on the SaaS version as well. Some big responsibilities of mine are the building of the release pipeline for the product, maintaining uptime, monitoring security, and automating repetitive tasks.
Who is your role model, and why?
My dad. He taught us to want to explore the world. When I was 13, he accepted a job in Japan where we lived for three years and argued through our tantrums that “the best way to understand the rest of the world is to immerse yourself in it.”
How long have you worked here and what makes it special to you?
I have been at SmartBear for two years. What makes it largely special to me is, with a large suite of products, the opportunity to work with people from all over the world. They make this such a great place to work as I can always look forward to a good environment whether I am entering the office or entering a video call.
Anthony and team participating in the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Challenge in Fort Lauderdale.
What’s the best risk you’ve taken, and why?
I was three years into my undergraduate degree pursuing a degree in Music Technology. I was experiencing quite a bit of apathy toward it by then as it ended up being not quite what I had in mind. I followed a colleague and switched to IT, well aware that I would be losing the time I had already spent. It ended up being well worth it as those years feel like a blip now compared to everything I’ve learned along the way and the opportunities that have come.
How has your experience here impacted you?
Working at SmartBear has been a big step in my career. Although I was previously working in this industry, it was SmartBear that put me on the systems-related track that I was desiring to be a part of. I have been thus been able to grow and learn more than I could have imagined.
How would you describe the company culture?
The culture is probably one of the best parts of working here. There is a big element of trust between my team and our superiors. Management understands that they do not need to micro-manage us for efficiency. This also gives a real sense of accomplishment when large milestones are reached, as each of us know we had a big part in that progress that came from our own efforts.
What is the best advice you’ve received?
Travel to places of all levels of development will do more for your life than just about anything else.
Anthony makes Cuban cafecitos for the team!
What is your proudest achievement?
Back in my music student days, I passed an audition to play in a jazz group for a week in Luxembourg where we put on a concert at the end. It was an awesome experience.
What would you say to someone thinking about working at SmartBear?
SmartBear is a wonderful company to work for. We have a lot of opportunities created by management who actually take an interest in our ambitions. Your inputs matter here. More than once I have made a suggestion or shared an idea which was considered or applied by the team.
Be sure to check out Anthony's Instagram Takeover and our career opportunities at our offices around the globe!