Marijana Zrncevic on how Dropbox Dublin stays charitable, sustainable, and fun
Surrounded by great food, incredible landscapes, and lively people, the Dropbox Dublin office is anything but boring. And for Solutions Architect Marijana Zrncevic, it’s been the perfect location for much more than that. She gave us the scoop on her experience as the only woman on her team, the office’s work in the community, and the people who keep things running smoothly.
Can you tell us a little about your education and journey to Dropbox?
I don’t actually have a technical background, which not a lot of people here know. I have a Masters in English and Russian, but since I’ve graduated, I’ve done a 180 in my career path and replaced languages with tech. I’ve been at Dropbox in my current role for almost 2 years now.
People always say, “But it’s so different! How did you end up in tech?” It’s not actually that different, because a lot of what we do is similar in that it requires attention to detail and a certain amount of translation skills. I used to translate languages, and now I’m translating requirements into solutions or complex concepts into simple stuff. I’ve always been drawn to tech, so the change made sense for me.
What is your favourite part of being a Solutions Architect? What makes you feel challenged in your role?
My favourite part is probably my team, which is a little bit of a cliche, I know. But we have a really great and super smart Solutions team. They make it easy to learn new things every day, and for someone without a computer science background, having brilliant tech people around me is extremely useful. And because they’re techies and they’re so smart, a lot of our humour is witty and intelligent, which is awesome. I think we all fit together really well.
There are two things that present a challenge. One is that I’m very much an introvert and I work in sales, and those two things can definitely conflict. In sales, you’re constantly talking to people, and sometimes an entire day of calls can be exhausting for me. Dropbox is great because it actually enables you to balance things in a way that works best for you.
The other thing is just being a woman in tech. I was the first female Solutions Architect in EMEA, and the only one up until a couple of weeks ago. The world is changing now and that’s great, but in a lot of cases that tendency to turn to men for tech stuff and to trust men more in tech topics is more subconscious than anything, and unfortunately that’s where the change really needs to happen. It can be a bit of an uphill battle, but I like to think of it as paving the way for future generations, and that gives me the motivation to keep going.
What advice would you give to a young woman like yourself hoping to go into tech?
Filter out the noise. A lot of people have opinions on how you should work, what you should do, how you should look, but a lot of it doesn’t really matter. People have told me that I need to smile more, because I’m quiet and I always look serious, and I’m like, “So what? Deal with it. I have to put up with people who think it’s ok to tell others to smile more and I do, so meet me halfway!”
It can be difficult when you’re constantly listening to stuff like that. It can weigh on you and cause you to feel like you’re not doing enough or you’re not enough or wonder what you’re doing here. People have a lot of opinions, but not everyone’s opinion is valid and important. I’m using a lot of my time now that we’re working from home to think, and it’s actually making me become more comfortable with myself instead of constantly trying to change for other people to be more comfortable with me.
In your opinion, what makes Dropbox Dublin unique?
It’s small enough to keep it human, but also big enough so it’s not too intense. In some of the smaller offices in Europe, there might be only about ten people and so you’re always together with the same people. We have about 200 here so it’s not at all like that. At the same time, the people in Dublin tend to be really generous and helpful and have big hearts — whether that’s asking a colleague for help with something, or doing Dropbox for Good volunteering or fundraising events and getting a bunch of people to sign up. One of our company is values is “Make Work Human” and Dropbox Dublin fully embraces that.
We also have an incredibly cool core team: the security, office and Tuck Shop teams. They keep us fed and safe, like we’re little ducklings. They are an efficient well oiled machine in how they work and what they do and it’s fascinating to watch. There is something unique in having a workplace where we can feel taken care of in that way. I feel really privileged and grateful for that.
How would you say Dropbox Dublin impacts the local community?
We are actually really good when it comes to giving back to the community. We have Dropbox for Good, which is basically a group of people taking some time out of their working days to help organise volunteering and fundraising events. In 2019, we organised over 60 events throughout the year — more than one a week! We logged over 1,000 volunteering hours and raised over 60,000 Euros. When you think about it, we only have 200 people, so this is actually awesome. It’s not our core job or anything, so getting people so involved and willing to do stuff is truly a massive accomplishment.
We also have Planet DBX that’s focused on sustainability, where among other things, we teach people how to separate their waste, organise activities like the Christmas sustainability market, and work with the office team to figure out ways to make the office more environmentally friendly. We also work with the Tuck Shop team — Chef Mark is very focused on sustainability, and they actually do a lot of stuff, like using only locally sourced fresh ingredients, that most of us don’t even know about, so being a voice for them can really help us to get people thinking about sustainability in their personal lives, as well as in the office.
What is your favourite part of the Dublin office?
There’s a tall desk at the Lego wall, close to the Dropstop, with a nice view of some of Dublin’s busiest streets. Some days I spend the whole day there. From there I can still see the team, so I’m not missing out on anything interesting and I’m close by if someone needs me, but I still get some quiet focus time. But my actual favourite part of the office is the ice cream freezer!
How are you making the most of working from home?
I make sure to take breaks away from my desk and to get in as many pet cuddles as I can during the day. I have two dogs and two cats, so there’s a lot of cuddles to be had! I also try to prioritise meetings with people I don’t normally work with. It’s easy to get stuck in your little team bubble when you’re away from everyone, so just a short 30min catch up with someone who’s not working on the exact same stuff as you are can do wonders for your motivation and mental health. Another thing I’m doing these days is rediscovering my creativity when it comes to cooking. If you want to make sure that you go to the store as little as possible, then trying to use up what you have at home can really get your creative juices flowing — also great for your mental health!
Want to learn more about our Dublin location, and our other offices around the world? Check out our jobs page.
