Our next story is about perseverance, drive, and unwillingness to surrender to failure. It’s a story about experiencing a unique bond with a company right from the beginning and maintaining that bond no matter what path life leads you on. This is the story of Liran Blum, Solutions Architect at AllCloud, who has been a valuable team member for the past 4 years.
She began her career as a Help Desk technician, first for the Police Department and then for the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel. Since then, she has held positions as an IT Manager at several technology companies. She joined AllCloud as DevOps Engineer, and is presently a Solutions Architect.
While working at a previous company, Liran discovered cloud technology and realized she knew little about it. This sparked her curiosity, and she began searching for opportunities to learn and grow in this field. Shortly after, she came across AllCloud, which caught her attention because of its reputation as the leading hands-on “cloud school.”
“…exactly what I was looking for!”
Liran had applied for a Customer Success position at AllCloud, but the role was canceled. The recruiter she was working with suggested considering a DevOps opportunity instead. Liran, who enjoys a good challenge, accepted without hesitation. The interview took place at AllCloud’s office in Israel:
“I recall arriving for my interview on a Thursday at 1:00 PM. As I waited, I noticed many potential colleagues gathered for lunch. The atmosphere was lively, and people seemed to have a strong connection with each other. I observed their interactions from a distance and felt drawn to be a part of that positive energy.”
Unfortunately, she didn’t get the job. The hiring manager, Nathaniel (Nati) Assis, Director, Engage Managed Services at AllCloud, felt Liran had a few gaps to fill. However, by the time she was rejected, she had already fallen in love with AllCloud, which made Liran act out of character, and in her own words, “do something crazy” — she sent an email to Nati without knowing if she had his correct email address.
“I just took a guess that the email follows the typical format: name.surname@company name.”
In that email, Liran expressed her understanding of the rejection and acknowledged that while she may not be fully qualified for the job, she was not intimidated and was determined to take on the challenge, become the best she could be, and excel in this field.
This bold move earned her a second interview during which she emphasized her passion and eagerness for the job. Impressed by her enthusiasm, Nati couldn’t help but give her a chance, and that’s how Liran became a Junior DevOps Engineer!
“During my first year, I struggled to keep up. Everyone around me seemed to have more knowledge and experience, and my background in Computer Science, while helpful, was mostly theoretical. I had a lot to learn, especially when it came to hands-on experience. Despite this, I worked hard and little by little, I was able to work on a variety of unique projects and gain valuable experience. My goal was to exceed expectations and not let down those who had given me a chance.”
Liran dining with her AllCloud colleagues
If this story has impressed you, you’ll be even more amazed to learn that Liran was able to achieve all of this while raising her two children at the time (now three).
“After I got hired, I woke up at 5 AM to work out because it’s an essential part of my daily routine. Then I spent a few hours studying before my children woke up, and my work day began. Despite a challenging year, things got better as time went on.”
Within a few years, Liran advanced in her career and became a Senior DevOps Engineer. Then, a chance to transition to a Solutions Architect role presented itself, which she felt was the perfect next step. It was a new personal challenge she was eager to take on.
“During that period, AllCloud Engage Managed Services did not have any Solutions Architects, so I stepped in and collaborated with Nati to enhance our solutions by automating and redesigning multiple processes. As a result, the quality of our work significantly improved.”
In 2023, Liran’s husband, Senior Consultant – Cloud Infrastructure Architect at Amazon, received a relocation offer to bring his skills to the United States. As a family, they decided to accept the opportunity, even though Liran was satisfied with her current work and growth at AllCloud.
Liran’s family
Luckily, AllCloud is a global company that also operates within the United States. Liran’s abilities aligned with an available position that AllCloud had in the USA at that time. She interviewed and secured the job. However, it required her to travel every other week, which was a deal-breaker for her as a mother of three. Liran did not want to commit to something she couldn’t guarantee she could perform to the best of her ability. She bid farewell to AllCloud and pursued new opportunities in the US, thinking that her time with the company was behind her. Little did she know that in just three months, Nati would contact her about a new job opening as a Solutions Architect in the USA, which did not require as much travel.
“Of course, we started negotiating again, and here I am telling you this story!”
She is thrilled to be back. Her only regret is that AllCloud replaced her old computer with a new one. She had already developed a connection with the old one and would have liked to keep it. 🙂
As a reader, we hope you will be inspired by Liran’s story to pursue your dreams and never settle for less than what truly makes you happy.
*Liran insisted on giving credit to Nati Assis, the hiring manager who initially rejected but then took a chance on her. Although he was not always her direct manager, he was always there, supporting Liran throughout her journey to becoming the experienced Solutions Architect she is today. She is very grateful for his leadership:
“I feel Nati truly listens and knows when to push me beyond my limits or hold me back from getting lost in the constant learning process and the need to know more, which can sometimes become overwhelming.”
Liran with Nati Assis
