To learn more about the daily lives of our Team8s working in different parts of the business, we created this blog series featuring some special guests. Today, we sat down with Hydie Sugabo, DevOps Engineer at 8x8, based out of Cebu.

8x8: Hydie, it’s great to talk to you, thanks for accepting the invitation. To get us started, would you mind sharing a few things about yourself with our readers?

Hydie Sugabo (HS): Of course! I am based in Cebu City, in the Philippines, and I’m a fur mom to three female canines, all of which are of small breed. Outside of work, I mostly unwind by watching movies and I’m into psychological thrillers. I also love sightseeing and being out in nature whenever I get a chance.

8x8: What about work, what do you do at 8x8?

HS: I work as a DevOps Engineer on 8x8’s CPaaS solution which is our cloud communications infrastructure. I joined 8x8 a few years back via the company’s acquisition of Wavecell. If I count my years at Wavecell, I’ve been working here for about eight years now.

8x8: Did you always know that you wanted to pursue a career in this field?

HS: Not really. Before joining Wavecell I was working as an Aviation Comms Specialist. My journey in tech started back in 2016, when I joined the team at Wavecell as a Technical Support Engineer. Then, roughly around the time that 8x8 acquired Wavecell, I was promoted to a Level 2 System Support Engineer, which came with the opportunity to also manage the Level 2 Support team.

While I had had a very good career progression on the Tech Operations side, I had always been fascinated with how technology works behind the scenes, so when the opportunity arose to join a small team of DevOps engineers, I was over the moon! I am very thankful for having been given the chance to join the DevOps ranks, and also for the support I’ve received from the team, which has helped me a lot with transitioning into this new role.

8x8: What do you most like about the work you do at 8x8?

HS: The people I work with—my managers (both past and current) to whom I’m truly thankful for their support, as well as my team members, and many other colleagues from across different departments.

I feel lucky to be part of a company that cultivates and supports career development and encourages people to step up their careers. I also very much appreciate that 8x8 supports a hybrid work setup—it makes work-life balance even more enjoyable.

8x8: What are your thoughts on hybrid work?

HS: Living in the Philippines, where commuting to the office is not as convenient as in other countries, I would say this hybrid work setup has been really helpful. These days we might go to the office two times per week, which has significantly reduced the hassle of traveling to and from the office five days per week. Plus, using our own products makes working from home very easy as well.

8x8: What methods or tools do you rely on to stay on top of your work?

HS: I am old-school this way, I mostly use stickies or just my hard-bound notes. I also make use of the Notes app on my laptop, so nothing very fancy. [laughs]

“Your journey here isn't just about reaching goals, it's about growing and learning.”

8x8: What is your morning routine for a good day?

HS: I always start my days with a cup of coffee. From grinding the beans to extracting the coffee from my espresso machine—it has become my morning ritual.

8x8: What about after work, how do you recharge?

HS: I enjoy listening to music to unwind. The music I love the most is from the 50's up until the 80's—I am an old soul like that. But I also like some of the more recent music, of course. I also love doing karaoke (it's a common Filipino thing) or just singing along while listening to music.

8x8: What’s something surprising that not many people know about you?

HS: I am into anime based on manga, and I love finishing off the story by reading the manga itself if the anime hasn't finished yet.

8x8: What would be one piece of advice that you would give to anyone interested in joining our team?

HS: At 8x8, we embrace a culture that values openness and learning. My advice would be to dive into new ideas and tech and stay curious as things evolve. Make the most of resources like mentorship and online courses. Your journey here isn't just about reaching goals, it's about growing and learning. So come with enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge!

8x8 is made up of a diverse bunch of more than 2,000 highly driven Team8s determined to shape how businesses communicate and work in today's rapidly changing world.

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Read more in 8x8’s A Day in the Life series: