Starting your first job can feel like stepping into the unknown, but for Claudiu, it was a leap worth taking. With no prior experience in the working field, he joined XWiki last year as part of the Support squad. Thanks to the warm welcome and guidance of his colleagues, Claudiu quickly became an integral part of the team.
Curious to learn how he navigated this exciting transition? Grab a coffee and dive into his story!
- Favorite artist: The Prodigy
- Best book ever read: De Ira (About anger) by Seneca
- Dream destination: The most remote island possible (Tahiti, Fiji)
- Quote you live by: "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."
- At the office or remote? I really like being at the office, but I am quite often away.
Tell me about yourself briefly
I am almost 24, and turned one at XWiki (I started walking and maybe started talking in XWiki years 
). I love hiking, cooking, doing sports (playing football and going to the gym mostly) and spending time with my friends. I also like going to festivals, but mostly in Romania.
Claudiu at Rockstadt Extreme Fest, the largest heavy metal festival in Romania & Eastern Europe
🌄 The journey to XWiki
What were you doing before XWiki? Did you change careers when joining our team?
I was at uni, doing normal student stuff. I studied Mathematics and Computer Sciences in Iași and most of the subjects actually helped (and some are still helping) with my work, including the math subjects, even though the general opinion tends to deny that the uni helps anymore.
What is it like to be working in the Support team at XWiki?
At first, it was quite challenging, since I had no experience in the working field at all. With time and a lot of help (both technical and non-technical) from not only the Support team but from others as well, I started doing my job better and better. However, I still have much to learn, and my colleagues are very open to teach me.
From our very first interactions, I appreciated his positive energy, curiosity, and problem-solving orientation, qualities that can make a real difference when engaging with clients. Although joining the XWiki Support team is his first official work experience, Claudiu has already demonstrated his analytical skills and has shown a strong ability to learn and improve. Thus, he quickly adapted to our support processes and integrated smoothly into the team. I value his openness to taking on new challenges and his enthusiasm when exploring unfamiliar issues, strengths I hope he continues to nurture over time. Overall I’m confident Claudiu will continue to grow and make a significant impact. Iulia Bălan, Customer Support Operations Manager
🔎 Open-source impressions
Was open source something you had an interest in prior to XWiki?
Not precisely, but it happened because I was looking for free software. Just before I started working at XWiki, I started searching actively for open-source software and discovered that I was using it a lot (Firefox, VLC, OpenOffice to name a few)
What's the open-source value you identify with most?
The sense of community, and more precise, the fact that everyone can contribute in some way.
⌛ Being an XWikier
Claudiu and a (small) part of the XWiki team during the 2024 seminar
How was the integration process at XWiki for you?
Pretty easy, everyone helped me with anything I needed (e.g. I had a lot of questions). Everyone being friendly also helped a lot, so I feel like I integrated quite easily.
What were the biggest ways in which XWiki changed during the time you've been around?
I feel like XWiki itself did not change that much, but there were lots of small changes (The teams are still growing for example.)
What would you say is the most valuable lesson you learned during your time at XWiki?
I learned how to communicate in a more efficient, straightforward way, not only with the colleagues, but also with the clients.
What has kept you at XWiki so far?
The collective, of course. One other thing would be the free, infinite coffee at the office. 
If you could describe XWiki's culture in one word, what would it be?
It really does feel like a community, I feel like I can help build this project by "repairing" it (With the help of clients reporting things of course.)
Favorite memory up until now at XWiki?
The seminar, because I had the chance to connect with the colleagues from other parts of the world. Also, the first days at XWiki were unforgettable, mostly because I was talking to Iulia every 5 minutes, and she did answer to pretty much every question I had.
