Gardening with Kit
Hello Readers,
I am Omar from Akamai’s Talent Acquisition team in APJ.
As the workforce (on a global scale) is shifting from working at an office daily to remote work, Akamai is leading the way with empowering our employees with a FlexBase benefit. Akamai grants the flexibility to its employees to work from home. Every person has a different set up, approach, and lifestyle that they have incorporated into their work life balance. I had the pleasure of getting to know the style of one of our engineers, Kit.
Introducing Kit
Kit joined Akamai in Q3 of 2023 as a Senior Enterprise Cloud Consultant, a specialist in our Akamai Connected Cloud product. Akamai Connected Cloud is our enterprise-level cloud solution that keeps applications and the experience close to our users.
As a technology specialist/consultant in our Enterprise Cloud Customer Success Team, Kit’s primary responsibility and duties are to engage with clients and partners to understand their cloud strategies and provide recommendations to accelerate cloud adoption and migration to Akamai Cloud. Kit also leads technical workshops and pilots to evangelize Akamai Cloud use cases, explore Akamai Cloud technical possibilities and ensure alignment with best practices and architectural guidance. All his efforts aim to drive long-term customer success through the continuous consumption of Akamai Cloud platform.
To stay current and offer top-notch services, Kit usually attends 1 or 2 internal team meetings each week. During busier times, this can increase to as many as 5 meetings a week. I was surprised by this and asked Kit if it consumed much of his time. Kit assured me that it doesn't because these impactful team meetings are essential for effective strategizing.
Another noteworthy point is that Kit is part of a global team. While he reports to the US, team members from across the globe participate in these meetings. Kit's team spans APJ, North America, Europe, India and so on. I was genuinely impressed by the geographic diversity of his team.
“I typically have my meetings in the evenings or sometimes at night”, is how Kit describes his usual evenings. Nevertheless, he has flexibility in his schedule and is able to take time in lieu. “I balance work and life. If I have a late meeting, I may start later the next day. I just have to balance to get my work done.”
Embracing Flexibility: Kit's Remote Work Journey with Akamai's FlexBase
Kit is a great example of how Akamai's FlexBase benefit can transform an employee's work-life balance. FlexBase allows employees to choose between working from home, the office, or a hybrid model, based on their needs. Kit has chosen to work fully remote, and he relishes the flexibility it provides.
Curious about his experience, I asked Kit what he enjoys most about working from home. His answer left a lasting impression on me. "One privilege I have about working remotely is being able to take my kid to school," he said.
The use of the word "privilege" struck a chord with me. Kit genuinely finds joy in spending a 15-minute car ride with his child, uninterrupted. He also cherishes the opportunity to pick up his child from school during his lunch break. "If I had to commute to the office, it would take about 45 minutes to 1 hour each way. So I would miss the chance to take my child to school," Kit explained.
Kit's experience is a powerful reminder of how the flexibility to work remotely can enrich our lives, allowing us to be present for the moments that matter most.
Embracing Hobbies at Home: Kit's Journey into Gardening with Akamai's FlexBase
As our conversation about Akamai's FlexBase benefit continued, I was curious to know if Kit had picked up any new hobbies thanks to working from home. With a smile, he shared how his wife initially started planting a few seeds on their balcony, which eventually blossomed into a personal garden.
Kit explained, "At first, it was just my wife planting a few seeds. But soon, I started helping her. We made some mistakes along the way and accidentally lost some plants, but with practice, we've gotten better."
Their balcony garden now thrives with various vegetables and herbs. Kit's involvement grew beyond just helping with the planting; he also took on the task of tidying up their space and doing some DIY pantry work to create a better environment for their gardening efforts.
"We started with tomatoes, some herbs, and a variety of plants. Despite being novices and losing a few along the way, we're getting better," Kit said. Their little balcony garden now provides them with fresh vegetables for their meals, a testament to how working from home has allowed them to cultivate new skills and hobbies together.
I was intrigued to know more about Kit’s reasons for getting into gardening. Here’s a snippet of our conversation.
Omar: Why did you start gardening?
Kit: My wife enjoys cooking, so we wanted to challenge and grow the things we eat. It is more satisfying.
Omar: What types of plants do you grow?
Kit: We grow a variety of plants but mainly vegetables. We grow tomatoes, celery, curry leaves, and so on.
Omar: Why did you start gardening?
Kit: My wife enjoys cooking, so we wanted to challenge and grow the food we eat. It is more satisfying.
Omar: Wow! It is also very organic as well!
Kit: Yes! We especially use the curry leaves often. Since I am Malaysian, I love eating spicy food.
Kit's experience highlights the unexpected joys and opportunities that come with the flexibility of working from home, transforming a simple balcony into a productive and enjoyable garden space.
While working from home allows the flexibility to garden, spend time with family, and participate in geo-diverse meetings, it also may come with some difficulties.
Overcoming the Challenges of Working from Home: Kit’s Journey Challenging Part of Working from Home?
Rather than a challenge, Kit explained a difference he has noticed about working from home. Kit explained, there is often a delay in responses from colleagues after direct messaging. In an office setting, you can simply tap someone on the shoulder and get an immediate answer. Online, however, people might be occupied with other tasks and may take time to respond. You will have to be patient and wait for your colleague to come back.
I agreed with Kit, as I often see this personally as well. I then asked him if he had overcome this difference/challenge?
Kit has found a solution to this common remote work problem. Initially, he would send a greeting like “Hi” and wait for a response before continuing the conversation. Now, he immediately follows his greeting with his question, then waits. This way, when his colleagues see the chat, they know exactly what he needs and can respond promptly when they’re available. “The worst thing,” Kit notes, “is to say hi, wait for an hour for a response, then ask your question and wait again. It wastes a lot of time.” But by asking right away, you can get a response when your colleague is ready.
Balancing Time and Self-Development
Another way Kit has overcome any difficulty of working from home is learning how to manage time efficiently. This has impacted a significant part of Kit’s remote work experience. Once he mastered time management, he could then focus on personal development. “Since I don’t have to commute, I can take time during my day to learn,” Kit says. Another example was “without the casual office chit-chat”, he utilizes this extra time to study and grow. Currently, he’s studying Language Models (LM) and Generative AI (GenAI), using open-source LM to deploy in specific frameworks. He genuinely enjoys using this time for self-improvement.
Focusing on Wellness
Kit also prioritizes wellness in his work-from-home routine. He uses a standing desk and stands for most of the day. His eating habits have improved as well. At home, he enjoys healthier meals prepared by his wife, who loves cooking. “At the office, I usually eat out, but at home, my wife’s cooking is not only delicious but also healthier,” he shares. Additionally, their home garden provides them with organic vegetables, enhancing their healthy lifestyle.
Kit's experience highlights the adaptability and opportunities that come with remote work. By finding ways to overcome challenges, collaborating with a global team, managing time efficiently, focusing on self-development, and prioritizing wellness, Kit has turned remote work into a fulfilling and productive experience, transforming his simple balcony into a productive and enjoyable garden space.
If you're interested in joining us, check out the careers page!