As Tel Aviv’s first former intern, Software Engineer Meital Gelbort outlines her journey to the Dropbox office, and why she wanted to stay

On the 44th floor of the tallest building in the city is Dropbox Tel Aviv, an office unlike any other. From the close-knit culture to the delicious Tuck Shop offerings and the lively yet cozy office setup, the group of roughly 60 Dropboxers who call it home do so with pride. Software Engineer Meital Gelbort explained to us why the Tel Aviv office is so special to her as she’s made her unique journey there.

Can you tell us a little about your education and journey to Dropbox?

Before I came to Dropbox, I spent five years in the Israeli Defense Force as an officer and team leader. I started as a developer, and then became a team leader of analysts and developers. This was my first encounter in the industry. When I finished my five years in the army, I started pursuing a combination degree of computer science, psychology, and neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. Those three years were challenging, but eventually the effort paid off, when I finished my degree on the rector’s honor list.

In the first two years of working towards my degree, I worked at a different company and was a part time programmer there. At the end of the second year at the university, when I had one year left, I started a summer internship at Dropbox. It was actually the first internship in the Tel Aviv office! I worked three months full time here. The experience was very positive and I really liked it. Because I had already worked through my first and second year, I wanted to continue working in my third year, so Dropbox tried really hard to define a part-time role for students that finished the internship, and they succeeded. I was the first engineer they had ever had in a part time position. When I finished my last exams, I became a full time employee.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing is that it’s fun to come to work. It’s not taken for granted! The people here are great. It’s also a really small and cozy office and everyone knows everyone. The environment is really positive and friendly. Of course, from a technical perspective, I’ve learned a lot, and because it’s such a big company I have opportunities to learn from many different aspects, because every project deals with different challenges and platforms and infrastructures. But this is second to the people!

In your opinion, what makes Dropbox Tel Aviv unique?

The coziness. We’re too small to feel like a big corporate company with many floors and buildings and different areas. We have only half a floor, and one tiny place where we all eat together. There is no way that someone new comes to the company and you don’t know them. I got married a few months ago and many people from the office came. It was amazing to see and celebrate with all of them; it really felt like something beyond just coming to work.

How would you say Dropbox Tel Aviv impacts the local community?

There is a non-profit organization in Israel called QueenB, and Dropbox is one of its sponsors. It seeks to create a just society by helping young women achieve equal representation in the hi-tech field. We participated in and judged QueenB hackathons, mentored students and hosted office visits for young girls interested in joining the tech world. There aren’t a lot of women in the technology departments at the universities and in technical positions in the industry, so I thought it was a good opportunity to share my story with those young girls.

I also organized a “Do Good, Feel Good” week a few months ago that was a big event in which all offices in EMEA took part. It was one week with many volunteering events. We organized four activities and Dropboxers could choose what to participate in. The feedback from the organizations and the Dropboxers was very good. It really had an impact.

What is your favorite space in the office?

In the Tuck Shop, there is a green sofa in the corner where no one can see you or hear you, and this is the best place for private conversation over coffee with great view of Tel Aviv and the sea, which is the most beautiful beach in the world. This is my favorite place to have a chat or get a break during the day. But I’m not one of the people that take their laptop and work from other rooms or the sofa; I like my table, my organization, and all my things around me. I usually come in, get in the chair, and don’t move until I go home!

Want to learn more about our Tel Aviv location, and our other offices around the world? Check out our jobs page.