Hello, my name is Priow, a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Sertis. I’ve been working with Sertis for three years. Choosing to start my career at Sertis was the right decision because I've had the opportunity to work with a diverse team in terms of nationality, perspectives, and skills. This diversity has greatly enhanced my learning and personal development.

What Priow, our Senior MLE, learns from Scuba Diving and Marine Life

One major benefit is the company’s "Learning Support'', which provides me with the opportunity to continually learn and develop my skills. Additionally, the generous vacation leaves offered each year enable me to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I utilize this time to engage in my passion for scuba diving, whether for a day trip or a liveaboard trip.

Tell us about your journey with scuba diving and marine life

Initially, my interest in scuba diving was merely an endeavor to try something new while I waited for my master’s semester to commence. But after my first dive, I discovered it was truly amazing. Being underwater, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s peaceful, not chaotic at all. It’s akin to the tranquil feeling one gets from meditation, though I find meditating on land challenging. My fascination for marine life deepened to the point of addiction, and it’s worth it!

What have you learned from scuba diving that benefits your work?

First, being scared or afraid of something doesn't mean you are weak. Rather, it can make you more cautious in every step you take. Second, it’s desirable to reuse what other people have already developed. This holds true in both scuba diving and software development. For instance, in scuba diving, you can dive without a dive computer and rely on your own calculations. However, with today’s technology, it's safer and easier with a dive computer. Similarly, in Machine Learning, you can develop a model from scratch on your own, but there are so many existing frameworks or open-source packages out there that are used and tested by millions of people. Reusing these resources and making them reusable is the best approach. Last but not least, slowing down and staying calm can help you stay focused.

How do you manage a work-life balance as a Sertizen?

I typically plan my trips well in advance, spreading my annual leaves throughout the year to ensure full utilization, even though Sertis offers a cash-out option for any unused annual leaves. I personally believe that taking time off is crucial for maintaining a balance between work, leisure, travel, and, of course, diving.

Sertis provides support for learning and training that isn't limited to work-related courses or skills, and I have taken advantage of this by enrolling in various scuba diving courses such as Ecological Monitoring, Sea Slug, Nitrox, Rescue, etc. This allows me to gain more knowledge from my hobby and, in my own nerdy way, makes diving even more enjoyable.