In this week’s employee spotlight, we sat down with Jibril Mohamed, a Data Engineer Consultant at Dufrain, to talk about his journey into data, what his day-to-day looks like, and what keeps him motivated both in and outside of work.
Tell us a little bit about what you do?
I’m a Data Engineer Consultant at Dufrain. At the moment, I’m working with a specialist lender within a banking group, helping them work through obligations around customer redress.
A big part of that is identifying which customers are affected and building out the processes to support that. It’s about making sense of the data and helping guide that journey.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
For me, it’s the moments where you get together as a team.
Whether that’s being in the office, sitting around a whiteboard, or being on-site with a client and having those conversations face-to-face, that’s when you really feel like you’re part of something.
Even when projects are delivered remotely, those in-person moments make a big difference.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My day usually starts quite early. I try to get up before work, grab a coffee, maybe read a bit, and sometimes head to the gym, we’re lucky to have one in the office building, so I try to make the most of that.
I’ll usually aim to get into the office two or three times a week as well. It just helps to get that change of environment, and you end up having more conversations with people.
Work-wise, the day starts with a 9am stand-up. That’s where we go through what we did the day before, what we’re focusing on today, and what’s coming up next in the sprint.
After that, it’s mainly development work. A lot of my day is focused on coding, working through tickets, and progressing whatever tasks I’ve been assigned. I don’t tend to have loads of calls, so I do get quite a bit of time to focus and get into that flow.
If there are gaps between tickets or we’re in between sprints, I’ll sometimes pick up internal work as well, helping out on internal projects or working through some of our own data challenges.
Which of our company values resonate with you the most?
I’d say Pioneers at Heart.
A big part of what we do is solving complex problems that clients have often been dealing with for a long time. They come to us for a new way forward, whether that’s building something new, shaping a different approach, or helping them achieve better outcomes.
You must be innovative in how you think and always keep the client front of mind.
What would you say has been your most significant achievement at Dufrain?
When I first joined, I didn’t have a particularly strong data background.
So, for me, becoming an established data professional, and reaching the milestone of becoming a consultant, is probably what I’m most proud of.
Starting as an analyst, learning on the job, working across different projects, and developing those technical and consulting skills over time, that journey is what stands out.
Who inspires you the most in and outside of Dufrain?
There are quite a few people internally who’ve had an impact on me.
Early on, Mahathevan (Sutha Mahathevan) Suthakaran was someone who really helped integrate me into the business and supported me across projects. Whenever I’ve had doubts about my own skills, he’s been someone I could turn to.
More broadly, what stands out is how approachable everyone is. You often hear “my door is always open” in companies, but here, that genuinely feels true. You can go to senior people with questions, even small ones, and they’ll always take the time to help.
Which work benefit or perk is your favourite and why?
One of the biggest things is the access to senior people.
You’re able to have real conversations with senior leaders, not just about work, but about their experiences, their advice, and how to grow professionally.
It’s not something you get everywhere, and it makes a big difference when you’re developing your career.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who wants to work for us?
Be personable, be positive, and be willing to learn.
Consulting means you’ll work across different clients, tools, and technologies, so you have to be open to picking things up quickly. You won’t always have used the tech before, and that’s okay.
What helps is the people around you. There’s always someone you can turn to who has experience with what you’re working on. That support makes a big difference.
What skill do you think everyone should learn?
It’s less about hard skills, and more about soft skills.
Being personable, having a positive mindset, and how you approach situations, that goes a long way. Technical skills are important, but the way you work with people is just as important, if not more.
What are some of your favourite things to do outside of work?
I like to stay active. I play a lot of football, training during the week and matches on the weekend, so that takes up a big part of my time.
Outside of that, I enjoy going to the gym, reading, spending time with friends and family, just keeping busy and social.
What is your favourite movie and why?
I’d say The Truman Show.
It stuck with me because of the idea that you’re not confined to the life you think you have. You can break out of it and change your circumstances. It’s quite a simple concept, but when you think about it, it’s pretty powerful.
Check out Jibril’s LinkedIn, here. Want to learn more about working with Dufrain?
Visit our career page or to learn more about the company visit here.