Personal Growth is Professional Growth: Rhythm Walia Talks Klara Engineering
Complex problems and teammates to learn from: that’s what excites Rhythm Walia, a Junior Software Engineer at Klara, about her work on the Engineering team. Since she started coding, Rhythm has been motivated by a desire to improve herself through her work. We chatted about exactly how the culture at Klara gives her that fulfillment each and every day.
Q: What is your full name and your role at Klara? Where are you from and which office are you based out of?
A: My name is Rhythm Walia and I’m a Software Engineer at Klara. I’m originally from Delhi, India. I’m based out of the Berlin office — I’ve been living here for two years.
Q: How long have you been writing code? What made you decide to become an engineer?
A: I’ve been writing code for almost two years now. I first decided to become an engineer because I had a deep interest in solving complex problems. It motivates me. A lot of my friends are engineers, and so is my husband. The more I learned about the work, the more I realized this would be the right field for me to put my skills to good use.
Q: How long have you been at Klara? What made you decide to join?
A: I’ve been with Klara for one and a half years now. There are a lot of reasons why I joined the Klara team, but most importantly the product is just nice. It’s sleek, simple, well-designed. We’re also in an interesting and fast-growing field. Healthcare is only going to continue to become more complex — technology providers are the ones who will ultimately solve the problems of the healthcare industry in the years ahead. We have to put patients first. As a Software Engineer at Klara, I get to be at the forefront of that. The interview process was exciting as well! Meeting with future team members and learning about Klara’s vision all sold me on starting a career here.
Q: Can you describe a recent challenging technical problem you solved at Klara?
A: We recently deployed a pretty big foundational update that changed the underlying data model of how our users’ patient data is stored within Klara. It was a huge endeavor, but it wasn’t just another problem to solve, it was a full team process. Now, I’m part of the team that’s working on EHR integration, which has been an important initiative for us. Even though I’m on the Klara engineering team, I get a direct sense for how much my work impacts the success of our business. We’re always working on something new.
Q: What do you like most about the Klara product?
A: It’s very simple to use and well-designed.
Q: How does Klara support your growth as an engineer and keep you motivated?
A: Personal growth is a big part of the culture at Klara. All the Senior Engineers help us by sharing their knowledge and providing us with mentoring. Engineers also have a study budget that we’re given each year to use to invest in ourselves, in developing our skills through classes or conferences, and then bringing what we’ve learned back to the whole team. We share in the knowledge and we’re always getting better together.
Q: What technologies do you work with?
A: Javascript and React, mostly.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of the current engineering culture at Klara?
A: It’s just a great team to work with here. That’s not something you can easily recreate elsewhere; we’re all in this together at Klara and it really drives us. And the work is interesting — we’re constantly faced with challenges and problems and it’s fun to work on creative solutions with your teammates!
Q: What do you look for in a good teammate?
A: I think candidates looking to join the Engineering team at Klara need to be communicative. Being successful on the Klara team is all about being honest and receptive. Everything here is collaborative, so you have to be open and easy-going. I think it’s important to be able to ask for help when you need it, and then give that help back in return when your teammates need you. Understanding that challenges might come up should motivate you to find a good solution — and again, help out your teammates if they need you.
Q: What are your hobbies (or passions) outside of work?
A: I love to sing, mostly Bollywood music and Hindi songs. But I’m also really into classic rock! Queen is my favorite band. When I’m not at the office, you’ll find me out with friends dancing at clubs, or cycling.
Q: Describe Klara Engineering in three words.
A: Challenging. Interesting. Problem-solving.
At Klara, we’re transforming healthcare, so all patients can receive great care. Our HIPAA-compliant messaging platform makes it fast and easy for patients and providers to communicate.
