If you want to code fast, do it alone, if you want to code bulletproof, do it in a team!

We continue our blog post series about people that shape IT Teams through their stories and their continuous drive to strive at being the best teammates and professionals in this vast industry of technology as we know it today. We take pride in our colleagues and, through these bits of content, we wish to shed some light on the meaning of the word “team” as we understand and practice it. 

Stefan grew up in Constanta and since his teenage years, he enjoyed creating and building things from scratch. Following his passion for the IT world, he graduated from college and completed his master’s degree in his hometown, before moving to Bucharest in search of a more vibrant social life and greater work opportunities. 

Now, a full-time member of IT Teams, Stefan combines his professional self with a series of personal activities: old hobbies, as well as newly acquired ones due to the isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He even ended up working in the same team as the man who hired him.

A proud parent of Misu, a stray cat that became a constant inhabitant of his home, a talented composer and guitar/keyboard player, an adventurous bike rider, and a passionate developer – let’s meet Stefan.

Ștefan, what’s your history with IT Teams? What captured your attention and made you stay here?

After my first job in a tech company, I decided it was time to search for something else. I felt that I couldn’t evolve anymore, so I joined a start-up where I was part of a bigger team. Working with interesting technologies was great, but I soon realized that some of my colleagues already decided to part ways with the company because of professional instability. These red flags alongside strong recommendations from ex-colleagues that joined IT Teams convinced me to apply and now here I am. 

From the start, I was really impressed by the onboarding process and the constant preoccupation and guidance provided by the team. I’m a man of structure and I like to approach issues in a constructive way by being involved not only in resolving tasks but also in the whole process. This need of deeply understanding things as well as my wish to have a work/personal life balance were also company values that suited me perfectly from day one.

What makes you happy both professionally and personally? 

There are several key factors that I think work best no matter the relationship you have with a team: the organizational aspects are always a plus, I work best when I can rely on a certain structure that dictates my activity. I also think that being dedicated beyond the day-by-day tasks is a sign of involvement and personal growth because, at the end of the day, writing lines of code is the easiest part. Also, respecting personal boundaries and being treated as an equal by those surrounding you is clearly proof that the human side of a workplace is of the utmost importance. 

How did you evolve and what were the main things learned here, at IT Teams?

Looking back, I realize now that half of my professional experience was gained here, at IT Teams, so clearly this is the place that contributed the most in my career. I studied several online courses and I’m proud to say that now I’m a full-stack developer. I had to switch from Java to C-Sharp which was definitely a challenge, but I’ve learned that these kinds of things should be seen as opportunities, not scary setbacks. 

Was there something that you really missed while working from home during a pandemic? 

I’ve never worked from home before, so this was a first. Being used to seeing my colleagues every day at the office and knowing that I can rely on their support and advice was really comforting. Besides, I know of no better way of becoming proficient in programming than constantly bouncing ideas and brainstorming with fellow workmates. It’s a great strategy to acquire new skills and become more creative. During this pandemic, I had to adjust and find new ways to accelerate the learning process via online meetings. At first, it was difficult to organize and respect the work schedule in the absence of office work, but now we managed to develop successful ways to communicate efficiently since my current team was 100% established during work from home.

How do you see the balance between soft skills and hard skills?

Communication-wise, owning and developing soft skills is essential both for your personal growth as well as for the relationship with your team. Being patient, understanding various aspects of the business and how to work best with your colleagues, not taking things personally – all these things make a difference in a work environment. Moreover, it’s really important to learn skills that will help you when it comes to the ability to mediate the needs between the client and the internal decisions related to the software architecture.

Both soft skills and hard skills can be learned along the way and are crucial in a developer’s life.

What are the real advantages of working in a tech company such as IT Teams?

Having the experience of working in several tech companies I can surely say that IT Teams is a work environment that fits me perfectly. Every team member is treated in a really healthy and professional manner, our managers trust us and they really take into consideration every input that we might have on a project. We enjoy a quiet and stable place with efficient processes, coherent decisions and well-organized communication flows. 

Now, I have reached a point where I could teach others something, not just the other way around, which is like looking back after forgetting about the road I have already traveled. Surely you know the descriptions of people arriving from space and they turn and see the earth and acquire that sense of inclusion and relevance of every action, accumulated from each person.

I had this moment here, at IT Teams.