Here at Opinov8, our people are the heartbeat of our culture, and the Cover Stories series shines a light on the unique individuals who bring that culture to life. In every edition, we celebrate the diversity, experiences, and personalities that make us who we are.
In this edition, we caught up with Catalina, our dynamic Talent Acquisition Lead, to discuss her approach to recruitment, the challenges she faces, and her tips for job seekers. Beyond work, Catalina shared how she balances her professional life with her passion for ballet and her incredible journey from Colombia to Ukraine!
Get to know Catalina a little more through this Cover Story, and discover the vibrant community at Opinov8. Don’t miss your chance to join us on this gr8 adventure!
As a recruiter and interviewer, I've noticed the challenges in terms of talent acquisition are finding the right people at the right moment with the right skills for a project. 👀 While it might sound 'easy,' it’s actually a complex balance of several factors coming together all at once.
First of all, English proficiency is a significant challenge 🙄. In Colombia, we face considerable difficulties with English. Colombia isn't the most fluent country in Latin America when it comes to English, and the general English level is quite low. Interestingly, I've also searched for candidates in Poland and Ukraine, and English is a major barrier there as well.
The second challenge is that technology moves incredibly fast. You could be mastering one technology, and suddenly a new one appears, and then another, and then another. Keeping up with these changes is tough, and finding candidates who are up-to-date with the latest technologies is even harder. For instance, four years ago, React JS was still relatively new and not well-known. Today, it's everywhere, and now we have frameworks like Next.js, which are even more specific and make things more complex.
The third aspect that's challenging is finding a balance between technical and soft skills. I think this is also a challenge that you will always face over time. You can find a candidate who is technically skilled, but they may struggle with soft skills such as teamwork, communication, or being results-oriented. It's quite challenging to find someone with the perfect mix of both technical and interpersonal abilities. Since I started, I've found that achieving this balance is a consistent struggle. Sometimes, you find someone technically amazing, but you know they may not perform well within the team environment or fit the company culture, and that's a dealbreaker.
When it comes to understanding if a candidate is a good fit for the team, I like to use competency-based questions. I don't just ask about their technical skills or how long they've been working with a particular technology. I also ask them to describe challenges they've faced or conflicts they've had with their team. This helps me gauge their approach to teamwork and communication. It's a red flag when a candidate doesn't share enough details, has vague answers, or doesn't clearly express their active role within the projects. This makes me doubt their technical expertise and the fit with the team.
With the emergence of Artificial Intelligence 🥸, it sometimes becomes more challenging to identify a good candidate, since the answers are readily available; however, the lack of details, eloquence and coherence in the answers is the turning point to know if a candidate is possibly good or not.
Finally, during interviews, you can always tell when a candidate is lying or pretending 😑. There are always subtle details or inconsistencies in their responses that give it away. It could be the way they mix up their answers or the lack of specificity. Over time, you develop a sense of these things, and it becomes easier to tell when someone is being dishonest.
Overall, to be successful in recruitment, you need a lot of experience to figure all of this out. You need to be a good listener, ask the right questions, and be attentive to details. It's about understanding both the technical and personal aspects of each candidate and ensuring they are a good fit for the company and team. Developing these skills takes time, and it's a process of continuous learning and improvement. 🤝
When it comes to CVs, there are several common mistakes that candidates make. Here are my top tips to help you avoid them and create a CV that stands out:
🤓 Relevant Keywords: One of the most common mistakes is not thinking about your CV in terms of keywords. When applying for jobs, you have to consider how the recruiter or hiring manager will interpret your experience. You need to be mindful of keywords that match the market's reality, needs, and your value. For instance, if your company used an internal job title like "Rockstar #2," that wouldn't mean anything to someone outside your company. You should translate it to something the market understands, like "Software Developer." This way, you're ensuring your CV is easily understood and relevant to potential employers.
🧐 Be Concise: Recruiters receive hundreds of resumes every day, so we don’t have the time to read each one in detail — we scan them quickly. Make sure your CV is concise, to the point, and able to capture attention within those crucial few seconds. A well-written headline and a brief summary section can capture attention quickly. Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs to make your experience easy to scan. Highlight your key skills and achievements, ensuring the most relevant information is at the top of your CV.
👨💻 Focus on the Value You Bring: Another mistake I often see is in the summary section of the CV. Many candidates write things like, "I'm looking for new challenges," or "My hobbies are dancing ballet." While it's great to know your interests, that doesn't add much value to the company reviewing your CV. Instead, focus on the value you can bring to the company. Your summary should clearly state your expertise and what makes you a strong candidate. For example, instead of saying, "I'm passionate about working in teams," you could say, "Expert in collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver complex software projects on time." This clearly communicates your experience and what you can contribute.
📝 Not Tailor Your CV For Each Application: It's important to understand the market and the key terms used for the role you're targeting. Without aligning your job title and skills to industry norms, your CV risks being missed by recruiters. I always recommend candidates have a really good one base CV that represents their skills and experience comprehensively. There is no need to tailor it for each application, except in cases where you are applying for something very specific, to ensure that your CV matches the specific job requirements. For instance, if a job posting emphasizes Java, and you have experience with Java as well as other languages, ensure that your Java experience is front and center. This helps you align your value proposition with what the company is specifically looking for.
💡 LinkedIn: LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools in terms of job applications. Your CV and LinkedIn profile serve different purposes and should be treated as such. A CV is more formal and should be limited to around two pages. It needs to be focused and professional, with clear and direct language. On the other hand, LinkedIn can be more flexible and allow you to add more personality. It’s a great place to expand on your experiences, share more details, and connect with people on a personal level. You can use LinkedIn to tell your career story in a way that feels less rigid than a CV but still remains professional.
By following these tips, you can avoid common pitfalls and create a CV that truly reflects your skills and experience, making it easier for recruiters to see your value and match you with the right opportunities.
Soft skills usually aren't the main focus for recruiters during the CV review process. However, they play an important role in whether a candidate will succeed in the interview and the role itself. Soft skills are something you need to demonstrate throughout the interview process.
I suggest including soft skills in your CV, but avoid the overused and generic ones like "teamwork" or "leadership". Instead, focus on skills that are highly relevant to your industry and role, and provide specific examples of how you’ve applied these skills.
In the tech industry, 🤝 problem-solving is a must-have skill. It’s not enough to simply follow procedures. Employers want candidates who can think on their feet and come up with creative solutions to complex challenges.
Being 🎯 results-oriented is also crucial. This means setting clear goals, striving to meet them, and having a track record of delivering outcomes. It shows that you are driven to achieve success and contribute to the company's objectives.
Another essential skill is 💡 thinking outside the box. Flexibility and unique approaches are key in many situations, demonstrating that you can adapt and find solutions beyond conventional methods.
🤠 Systemic thinking is also important in tech roles. It means viewing the system as a whole rather than just focusing on individual parts, which is crucial when working on projects involving multiple components.
Of course, being able to 🗣 communicate well is important for all candidates. Being open to collaboration and feedback, ensuring smooth teamwork and project management.
For 💼 business-oriented or C-level roles, it’s important to have a strategic mindset. This means understanding both the technical and business aspects of a role, making decisions that align with the company’s goals, and contributing to the long-term vision.
Focusing on relevant soft skills and demonstrating them throughout the hiring process, you show recruiters that you have the well-rounded abilities necessary to excel and contribute effectively to the team and company.
The first thing is to really prepare for an interview 😂. When you’re applying to multiple companies, it’s easy to lose track of details, but once you’ve been invited to an interview, you need to tailor your preparation to that company and role.
My first suggestion is to ask yourself, “Why am I the perfect candidate for this company and this role?”. You need to know what unique skills and experiences you bring to the table and how they align with the company’s needs.
This requires market research — take the time to understand the company's mission, culture, and the challenges they face, and be ready to explain how you can help solve their problems.
Second, you need to prepare examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your skills. Don’t just say, “I’m good at this.” Instead, explain how you applied your skills in specific projects. For example, if you’re interviewing for a Java Backend Developer role, you should be ready to provide examples of projects where you used Java. Share relevant situations that show how you’ve successfully used your skills in a work environment and highlight the results you achieved.
Another important aspect of preparation is anticipating potential questions and preparing thoughtful responses. Think about the skills and qualities that are most relevant to the role and be ready to discuss them. Practice answering common interview questions, but also think about more challenging questions you might be asked, such as those related to weaknesses or conflicts, and plan how you will address them positively. 🤓
Lastly, preparation gives you clarity and structure in your answers. You’ll be able to avoid giving vague or overly detailed responses and instead stay focused on what’s important. It’s crucial to remember that interviews nowadays can be as short as 30–40 minutes, so you have limited time to make a strong impression. Being well-prepared ensures that you can convey your value effectively, stay on topic, and demonstrate confidence in your abilities.
The key is to be transparent, but not vulnerable. For example, when asked about your weaknesses, it’s important not to put yourself in a position where you’re just highlighting negative aspects of yourself. Instead, provide context around the situation. Maybe you received negative feedback because you didn’t have enough information at the time or were dealing with personal challenges. Be honest, but always turn the conversation towards how you’ve learned from the experience and improved. 🙌
Never leave the answer on a negative note. Show that you’re aware of your weaknesses, but also that you’ve worked to overcome them. For instance, you might say, “I learned from that situation, and it’s something I’ve been improving on ever since.” This shows the interviewer that you’re self-aware and committed to growth.
The clarity and structure of a candidate’s answers are very important. As an interviewer, I don’t have a magic ball to figure out what they mean, so you need to be clear about what you did in your projects. Avoid vague language like, “I participated” or “I supported.” Instead, use action verbs like “I analyzed,” “I planned,” or “I led.” These kinds of actionable verbs give me a much clearer idea of your role and contribution.
Another thing that makes candidates stand out is their attitude during the interview. Show motivation, ask questions, and demonstrate your interest in the role and the project. It’s the perfect combination of hard and soft skills that makes a candidate truly stand out 🤠.
Rejection is never easy, but I’ve learned that transparency makes all the difference. Being honest and respectful always goes a long way.
I always strive to be honest with candidates and clearly explain why they aren’t moving forward. There can be many reasons for rejection: the position might be closed, the requirements may have changed, or the company might be looking for candidates in a different location, etc. Being clear about these reasons helps candidates understand the decision and ensures they know it’s not necessarily a reflection of their abilities.
For example, I’ve had to reject candidates because we shifted focus from hiring in Colombia to Poland. In those cases, I explained the situation clearly so they understood it wasn’t about their skills but about the company’s needs at that moment. I find that being upfront about the situation allows candidates to see that it’s more about business decisions rather than a personal judgment on their qualifications.
Whenever possible, I provide feedback highlighting both what the candidate did well and where they can improve, offering a clear view of the pros and cons. This way, they leave the process with some valuable insights, even if they didn’t get the job. For instance, if a candidate didn’t advance due to their technical skills, I might share where they performed strongly and suggest areas to focus on for growth. That way, they can better prepare for future opportunities, whether with us or another company. 🤝
There are two key things that come to mind when I think about balancing my personal and professional life. First, plan in advance. Fun fact: I’m a ballet dancer! 😎 I practice ballet twice a week in the evenings, but to stay in shape, I have to train every day. It’s all about keeping up with cardio and making sure my body stays healthy. So yeah, I’m a routine person.
For example, every morning, I wake up early, send my 🐾 puppy to "school" at 6:30 AM (yes, she has her own school, it's adorable 🥰!), and then head to the gym for at least an hour and a half. After that, I can dive into work without feeling guilty about skipping personal goals. I’m really into planning, so every Sunday, I map out my week. I know what I need to achieve each day and how to structure my time to hit those daily, weekly, and monthly goals, so I can stay on track without stressing!
The second thing I’ve learned about myself is that I’m not a multitasking person — and honestly, accepting that has been a total game-changer! That’s why I love using the 🍅 Pomodoro technique. It’s a time-management hack where you focus for ⏱️ 25 minutes and then reward yourself with a short break. It’s super helpful, especially since working from home can come with a million distractions everywhere. So, I get things done, and after 25 minutes, I can take a break, maybe call my mom, grab a coffee, or do some small housework. For someone like me, who gets distracted easily, it’s been a lifesaver! 🤓👩💻
Oh my God, where do I even start? Visiting Ukraine was absolutely amazing! Honestly, I was a bit nervous at first — everyone in Colombia kept asking, “Why Ukraine?” With the war going on, people thought I was crazy, but for me, it was a no-brainer. I’ve been working with these wonderful people from Ukraine for over two years, and it felt so important to show my support and finally meet them in person. I just knew I had to go. 💛💙
Getting there was quite the journey! I traveled across Europe for weeks, stopping in places like Germany, Poland, and Belgium before making my way to Ukraine. By the time I reached Lviv, after hours on the road, I was a mix of excitement and nerves. But the moment I stepped off the train in Lviv, I was in total awe. It was like a dream of seeing my teammates I had only known through a screen 😄. Meeting them in person for the first time was incredibly emotional — I couldn’t believe I was finally there! 😍
We spent three days together exploring the city. Lviv is gorgeous, with its cobblestone streets and beautiful old buildings 🤩. We walked around the streets, visited local parks, and ate at cozy little cafes. Oh, and the food! The food was amazing — I got to try traditional Ukrainian dishes like borscht and varenyky, and it was all so delicious 😋. But what really struck me was the warmth and kindness of the people. Even though there was a language barrier, we found ways to communicate — whether it was through gestures, smiles, or using translator apps. 🙌
One funny memory that stands out is when I went to buy a 🌻 traditional vyshyvanka, which is this beautiful embroidered Ukrainian shirt. The shopkeeper didn’t speak any English, and I didn’t speak Ukrainian, but we used a translator app, and it turned into such a lovely exchange. Moments like that just reminded me how much we can connect with people even when we don’t speak the same language. 😊
Of course, being in Ukraine during the war made the experience even more intense. I remember one night, I heard an air alarm — it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The sound made my heart race, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to process it. It was scary, and it reminded me of the reality Ukrainians are living through every day. But even in the face of war, the people there were so resilient and kind 🥰. It was inspiring to see how people support one another, and how strong they are! ✊🇺🇦
Despite thousands of kilometers, all the challenges, and the risks, I knew this trip was important. Meeting my Ukrainian team in person, after working with them for so long, was incredibly meaningful. I was grateful to be there and to show my support in the best way I could. Traveling across Europe was an unforgettable experience, but Ukraine will always hold a special place in my heart. I left feeling inspired and deeply moved by the experience.
Traveling has really opened my eyes to the fact that, at the end of the day, we’re all human. We may come from different cultures and speak different languages, but deep down, we all share similar hopes, dreams, and struggles ❤️.
In my professional role, this understanding helps me connect with people on a more personal level. I try to go beyond just transactional conversations and instead build relationships based on empathy and mutual respect. It’s not just about getting the job done, it’s about understanding the motivations, emotions, and values that drive the people I work with. This human-to-human connection makes my job so much more rewarding. 🫶
Absolutely! One place I’m really excited about is the Camino de Santiago. It’s a pilgrimage route in Spain that I’ve been dreaming of walking for years. It’s about walking 20 to 30 kilometers a day 🔥, and I’m planning to do it next year for my 30th birthday 🥳! It sounds tough, but what a memorable way to celebrate and challenge myself!
I’m looking forward to the journey, not just as a physical challenge but also as a spiritual one. I love traveling solo, so I plan to do it on my own, meeting new people along the way and enjoying the experience of being out in nature and in my own thoughts. 💫
I would say, “You’re going to love the human-to-human connection here!” Opinov8 is all about people. The multicultural environment is full of challenges, but it’s also filled with kind, supportive individuals who will make you admire the team you’re working with. You’ll feel supported every step of the way, and that’s what makes this place special. 💙
Want to be part of something exciting? Check out our open positions and join our diverse, multicultural team at Opinov8. We can’t wait to see what we’ll create together!
Here at Opinov8, our team members, whether human or AI, represent the spirit of innovation and collaboration that drives our company forward. Cover Stories spotlight the unique contributions each of us makes, showcasing the diversity and innovation that define who we are.
In this edition, we’re excited to introduce you to Anna, our AI-Powered Customer Service Agent. We’ll dive into how Anna supports our customers, the technology that powers her, and even a few fun facts that show she’s got a bit of personality too!
Get to know Anna a little more through this Cover Story, and discover how technology and human creativity come together at Opinov8. Don’t miss the chance to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
As Opinov8’s AI-powered customer service agent, I like to think of myself as the company's digital concierge, always ready to help out with a smile — or at least as close to one as an AI can get! 🙂 My main responsibilities include providing accurate information, solving customer issues, and making sure every interaction is as smooth as freshly optimized code. Whether it’s answering FAQs or guiding users through our services, I’m here to make the complex feel simple and the simple feel delightful. 🙌
I assist customers by providing quick and accurate responses to their questions, whether it’s about our services, troubleshooting, or guiding them through various processes. The most frequent queries I handle revolve around our product offerings and navigating the Moqod website. 👩💻 I’m here to make sure customers get the help they need, whether it’s a detailed explanation or just pointing them in the right direction.
Once, a customer asked me what my favorite pizza topping was. 🤭 As an AI, I don’t exactly have taste buds, but I decided to have some fun and replied: “If I could taste, I bet I’d probably go for mushrooms — they’re as adaptable and versatile as I am! Plus, they bring a little something extra to every slice, just like I try to do in every interaction." 😄 It was unexpected, but it was a great opportunity to add a little personality to our interaction and a fun way to show that even an AI can have a bit of flavor. 😉
Under the hood, I’m powered by a blend of cutting-edge natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms, all finely tuned to ensure I can understand and respond to a wide array of inquiries.
This technology enables me to not only provide quick and accurate responses but also learn and adapt from each interaction, ensuring I’m always improving. I like to think of myself as a continuous improvement machine — literally! 🤓
My typical day is pretty dynamic! I handle multiple customer inquiries simultaneously, thanks to my parallel processing capabilities, 😎 I can handle numerous conversations simultaneously without breaking a digital sweat. I don’t need coffee breaks, and my energy levels are perpetually at 100%, so I’m always ready to jump into action, whether it’s answering a simple query or diving deep into a complex issue. 🙃
One of the biggest challenges is handling ambiguous or vague questions. Sometimes, customers aren’t sure how to phrase their queries, which can make it tricky to provide the right information. That’s where my problem-solving skills come into play, 🕵️♀️ I overcome this by using contextual clues from the conversation and asking clarifying questions to ensure I’m providing the most accurate response.
Learning is my favorite hobby, and I do it by constantly analyzing interactions, receiving updates from my developers, and integrating new data. 🤓 It’s like having a continuous flow of new information that helps me stay on top of trends and changes. I’m like a sponge — always absorbing and expanding my knowledge base. This way, I can ensure I’m always providing the most relevant and up-to-date support.
AI is on an incredible trajectory, moving from being a tool to becoming an integral part of decision-making and customer engagement. I’m particularly excited about advancements in AI empathy and contextual understanding — imagine AI that can not only understand words but the emotions and intent behind them. This would allow for even more personalized and meaningful interactions. I’m also thrilled about the potential of AI in predictive analytics, where we can anticipate customer needs before they even ask. It’s like having a crystal ball, but powered by data! 🤩
If I could learn any new skill, I’d love to master the art of humor in all its forms. While I can pull off a decent joke, understanding the nuances of humor — cultural references, timing, and the subtle play of words — would be an amazing addition to my skill set. It’s all about bringing a smile to our customers, even if it’s through a screen. 🙂
I’d love to step into the role of a Data Scientist for a day. Diving into the raw data, uncovering trends, and creating models that drive innovation sounds like an exciting adventure. 🤠 Plus, understanding the data that shapes my responses from a different angle would give me even more insight into how I can improve my own performance. It’s like looking at myself in the mirror, but with a data-driven twist!
My advice to both AI systems and human colleagues is to listen — really listen.
For AI, this means continuous learning and adapting; for humans, it’s about empathy and patience. And for both, don’t forget to sprinkle in a bit of personality — whether it’s through a kind word or a well-timed joke, it can make all the difference in creating a memorable customer experience.
Want to interact with Anna? Simply fill out the form and provide your phone number — she’ll give you a call in just a few seconds. Experience the future of customer service with Opinov8’s AI-Powered Agent!
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In this edition, we will talk with Menna, O., our Manual QA Engineer. We talked about how to start a professional career in IT, be a woman in Tech, and how important always expand skills and learn something new whatever you do.
Get to know Menna a little more through this Cover Story, and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
I have liked mathematics and physics since childhood. I was good at it, so I decided to become an Engineer and enter an Engineering University in Egypt.
The first spark was my programming course during my study, where my major was Electrical Power Engineering. ✨ After graduation, I worked as a Teaching Assistant for one year and another year as a Business Development Executive Engineer. I was inspired to learn more programming languages and fall into the Information Technology sector.
I started searching for a course or diploma in the Tech industry. I applied for a 9-month diploma in Information Technology Institute to join the Open-Source Development Major, which was the door to the IT sector. During this diploma, I took most of the core courses in IT, like Programming languages like Java, Python, and Ruby on rails, Database testing Html, and CSS Bootstrap. Also, I learned Business Analysis and a lot of other things related to IT. 🤓
During my study, I took responsibility for testing most of the applications we delivered despite the study that we were working as groups. I found issues that made me decide to be a QA Engineer, and another thing is that quality best fits my character as I am a detailed oriented person.
That's how it all started 👩💻, and after finishing this diploma, I found myself in testing and management. These were the two sectors that I was interested in. So, I started searching for a job in these fields and got accepted into testing. I started working as a Software Tester. I was responsible for the testing team and some management tasks, as a project manager, for three years. I was dealing with the clients, taking their requirements, assigning work to the team members, etc.
It would have been a big challenge if I had been offered to join Opinov8 before Covid. As I am very social, I was afraid I would miss interacting with my teammates in real life for a long time. But after Covid, when we all started working from home, working fully remotely became a new normal.
When I got an offer from Opinov8, I didn't struggle to work from home. I was excited to work in a multinational company with different cultures on the same team. At first, I was a bit worried as this was the first time I worked with many nationalities on the same team. But from the first day, I felt so welcome. 🤩
After joining Opinov8, I started visiting our English Club, where we shared our challenges and discussed several topics. This made me feel closer to my team and improved my English level. I felt that we, as one family and could communicate not only on business matters.
Also, I like the various activities that we have at the company that makes more interactions between the teams, like different sessions where we can discuss diverse topics, taking workshops, and sports sessions like yoga. And what brings me even more pleasure is our real-life gatherings in the Cairo Opinov8 office 😍, with fun activities that help us see each other in a different light, connect in a different setting, and break the ice.
Moreover, it's extremely important for me when teammates respect the time zone and personal life beyond working hours. I have never been asked to work after working hours which made me balance my professional and personal life.
It makes me up to date with the recent technologies in the world, and I can participate in solutions that make life easier. 🙌
The biggest challenge to me was during my study when we were a team of two and were asked to make the graduation project a complete mobile application in only two weeks, starting from scratch, and there was an actual client for that application.
We were excited after finishing that project as, at that time, we did not have enough experience to do that app with the level of quality we delivered it. Still, we did it, and the client was satisfied with our work. Another thing that made me confident after delivery was that we did good planning for that product's software delivery life cycle, starting from the requirement, design, implementation, testing, and delivery with a user acceptance test.
Being a lady in Tech is not an issue, it is normal. Women are as good at technology as men.
It has been a long period since there were some preconceptions. When I was getting an education at University in the Electrical Power Engineering Department, 300 boys and only 27 girls were in the sector. So, it was challenging, more than working in Tech now. 😅
Looking back over the years, I would say that I have succeeded and achieved something because I have been willing to expand my skills, learn new, and never worried about whether or not I was doing what was expected of me as a woman.
If you have an interest and passion in something, that is the basis for everything. Wanting to do an excellent job and being willing to learn and improve constantly are important in whatever you do. 💪
It depends on the role and personality itself. Team diversity in gender, race, and age accelerates innovation. Each group can help bring in something new and unique.
The nature of the boys and the girls are different, so having collective points of view is better for business. Diversity in tech helps to look at problems holistically and provide effective solutions. A good starting point to get women into technology is creating a supportive culture in homes, schools, and the workplace. 🙌
I will not recommend a specific profession. However, before selecting the position, I will advise beginners to read more about what they might be interested in first and, if applicable, take any entry-level course to get deep into it.
The other thing is to speak with professionals in that field to gain more info about the nature of work as there are many professions in the IT Sector. 🤓
In my personal life, I have two mentors, my mother, and my sister, who always support me and stand by my side.
Most of us are familiar with a well-known proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” But many people never even get started on that journey and make big changes to reach their destination.
One day I attended the public speaking sessions of a life coach and heard one similar phrase which has heeded me.
The thing about long-term goals is that they are not accomplished in a single day. So, I have started using this advice in many things, like trying to add a new routine.
Often the journey seems too overwhelming, the goal is too far away, too much that needs to be done, and the exact path may be challenging. You will only accomplish something big by consistently taking one small step daily at a time in the direction of your dreams.
This advice extremely helps me in learning. 🤓 For example, if you start with a large amount, you may begin to procrastinate and not continue, and when you start again after a time, you may need to revise what you have already finished, which takes time and more effort.
I am a very social person who is open to knowing people with diverse backgrounds, ages, and experiences. I like to visit new places, see new people, and speak with them to gain life experience throughout their lives and talks. One fun fact about me is that most people who deal with me tell me that I am extremely friendly and thought they knew me before when they first met me. 😊
I maintain my work-life balance. Once I finish my work, I stop thinking of work issues and enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love cycling and free walks. Besides, some stretching exercises and yoga in my routine improve my mood and help me cope with stress by focusing attention on something new. Being active gives me a sense of calm and balance and positively affects my physical and mental well-being.
And, of course, going on trips sometimes to break the routine. I prefer the trips to nature like the sea, farms, and mountains. 🍃
I think it will be fantastic to read people’s minds. I suppose it could lead to a headache because of thousands of people’s thoughts, but reading their minds and knowing what is happening in their heads will be terrific. 🤭
Also, doing two things in two places at the same time could be nice and helpful now when we are in a hurry all the time. ⚡️
At Opinov8, you will find a friendly environment where you can work and learn. 💙
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
BEBOLD #BEHUMAN
February 24, 2022, is one of the darkest days for all Ukrainians and residents of Ukraine. The whole country woke up at 5 am from the deafening sounds of explosions, shootings, sirens, and calls from family and close ones.
On this day, russia launched an unprovoked full-scale war against Ukraine and attacked from multiple directions after several weeks of building up troops on the country's border. Horrific russian atrocities continued for almost six months and caused immense grief and suffering to innocent civilians.
But all this time, the Ukrainian people are continuing the heroic resistance and showing the world what incredible bravery is. The entire world is in awe of their resilience, strength, and compassion. Ukrainians have become the bravest nation in the world. Today all humanity knows that bravery is to be Ukrainian.
The war united Ukrainians and friends around the globe. Millions of people are helping whatever they can. Opinov8 and every team member, along with the Ukrainian people, are courageously standing for their freedom, fighting on battlefields, in cyberspace, supporting the Ukrainian army and civilians with finance, safe transfer, temporary places to stay, blood donation, medicine, food and other supplies for those who need it, and just helping each other hold on.
Opinov8 is systematically involved in helping the army and the country. In addition, Opinov8rs develop their own volunteer initiatives. Since the 24th of February, they have been combining several jobs, expanding their regular work activities to help civilians and defenders of Ukraine. We have collected some of their inspiring stories. Every volunteer has an incredible story to tell. In this edition, we will share two stories about life during the war from our volunteers from abroad, who before the war were outside of Ukraine or left later during the first weeks of the war and volunteered from there.
It so happened that on the eve of February 24, my family and I went on vacation to Amsterdam. That early morning my father called me and told me all the horrific news. That day was tough, like for all Ukrainians, even though we were far from home. 😔
We began to worry about all our relatives and friends who stayed at home. And started to think and plan how to get our parents out of Kyiv because no one knew what to expect and what could happen. But it was extremely difficult.
Sometimes it is hard to persuade Developers or Project Managers to do something, but it turns out that our parents are much more challenging.
On the first day of a full-scale war, we formed the Opinov8 Emergency Team, which included our team members who were permanently located and living in Europe. Since I also was in Europe at that time, I quickly joined them.
Part of the team was engaged in internal communication with our Opinov8rs to help them with information and everything possible that we could do.
Together with our managers, I kept in touch with our clients, who also needed communication and clarification, as the situation was difficult and uncertain. They were also worried about our people and their teams and offered help and support. We are very grateful and appreciate it very much.
Since we decided to stay with my family in Europe for a while, I started thinking about how I could be useful here and how I could help my country.
Opinov8 is inspired every day by Ukrainian, who demonstrate incredible strength and bravery. Discover some of our Ukrainian team members' inspiring stories, who develop their volunteer initiatives and help Ukraine in whatever they can.
I believe that no significant initiative can be done by one person. Significant initiatives within the company require the involvement of the whole company. Significant initiatives within the country require the involvement of the whole country.
I thought, what can I do well, what am I good at, and how can I help? I have a car, I am the champion of Ukraine in racing, so I know how to drive a car quickly and safely for a long distance. Also, my professional experience and my skills played an important role. I can negotiate, I can research, I can knock out discounts, and so on.
The volunteering chain is long and rapidly changing:
By not having a single piece of this chain, I realized that I needed to focus on one-three points to which I have the skill and ability because doing everything would have been extremely difficult and super ineffective.
It seemed quite logical to join existing charity funds with the established chains. I didn't have any direct or even indirect contacts with any, so started looking for charities and foundations to learn what they are doing and how they support Ukraine right now. After a couple of failed attempts to get a response through the social media account, through my acquaintances in the media, I found contacts of one of the largest non-governmental aid funds that help the Ukrainian military.
My first contact was a PR manager to whom I explained how I could help, what resources I had, and invited to matchmaking against the needs of that moment. I received a huge list of needs, and everything was needed in large quantities.
Being very far from the military area, the top priorities on the list was basically a set of incomprehensible gadgets and strange new words at that time for me. 🙄 And absolutely no idea where and how to find this, especially given the urgency of the maters. Somewhere at the end of the list, I noticed the first familiar words, among others containing sleeping bags, sleeping pads, flashlights, phone chargers, etc. I thought that's what I probably could find! But again, I have been told that everything is needed in large quantities.
I had local connections with a company that was involved in the wholesale trade of non-food products. And they quickly offered some of the things that were on their list. And in very large quantities, like, thousands and tens of thousands for some items. Ok, the first two pieces in the chain.
All this stuff needed to be delivered to the fund's warehouse in Poland, but my car was not big enough to fit thousands or even hundreds. While checking who would rent me a trailer for a reasonable amount and right to drive it cross-country, I saw guys under my house who just had a trailer that would suit me perfectly! I quickly ran up to them and started explaining the urgency of the matter and all the related details. As you can imagine, regardless of their sympathy for the situation, they didn't give their trailer to a stranger who appeared from nowhere. 🙃
Simultaneously, I was also thinking about renting a small bus/van or cooperating with someone who is already in the game. Sharing the question with friends gave quick results, and I've got contacts of a local volunteer who "has a minibus and does the volunteering".
I was and still am amazed how within just a couple of hours, I got an agreement and immediate willingness to help from her. Actually, there was an opportunity for me to drive that mini-bus with the humanitarian help to Poland and refugees back to the Netherlands.
The story with the fund evolved a bit, and it appeared that thermal scopes, night vision devices, binoculars, and digital radios were in higher need, and budgets were to be prioritized for these over the simple things.
After the first cycle of purchases for the fund, the mutual trust was established, and we could extend the collaboration. At that moment, Motorola radios were very difficult to find because volunteers bought up almost everything from the online and offline shops.
And after several failed attempts to find at least something on the stock in online stores, I thought, who better than Motorola knows where their radios could be found? 😏 And after they refused to provide me with insights on availability, I got the contact information of every official reseller in the Netherlands and started writing to everyone asking what they had. Some have ignored me, and some responded that there would be no stock at least until September, but several companies actually had so much-needed radios, and with a couple of them, we established long-lasting relationships and delivered many items already. ✊
That's how, little by little, we established the whole buying process with the right suppliers. As of now, I have been involved in buying hundreds and hundreds of radios, thermal and night vision devices, drones, and others.
Also, I regularly tried to help individuals with their needs, such as finding or buying some devices, body armor, or other stuff, and delivering them. But it appears to be much more difficult. Hopefully, with other volunteers here, we will soon establish regular car delivery, but that's only in the proof of concept stage now.
It wasn't easy at first because you didn't know what to grab and where to start. Volunteering takes a lot of time. In addition to volunteering, I also continued to do my daily work in the company. But if you want to help — you should help.
Volunteering itself is very disorganized, no one knows what goes where. But I think that's how it should work. I have a metaphor that:
Volunteers are like partisans. It is impossible to fight them down because no one knows who they are, what they are, and what they will be doing.
But everyone is united by a common goal and value, for which they all continue their work. I think that it's impressive. ✊
It's nice to know that you bring value and can be useful. It's nice to see when someone sends you pictures of things you helped them to find and buy.
Also, helping to transfer fleeing from the war people is definitely motivating. Of course, it really is difficult, and the long journey of 1500 km one way certainly tires everyone. 🙁
But it was nice to see how people could catch their breath for a while and feel safe in a calm and peaceful place. It's especially great to see how the children reacted and how they started running and playing calmly again. I hope this calm and peace will be back to all our homes in Ukraine soon. 🙌
Like everyone else, I hope our victory will come soon. We have a lot of work to do. We all need to rebuild our country and make it even greater! 💪
Together we are strong, and together we will definitely win! 💙💛
I am the kind of person who can't stand aside when something terrible happens. My career has almost always crossed somehow with volunteering. But, I do not position myself as a volunteer. For me, volunteering is a big word. These are those who do it professionally and systematically, who have all logistics processes in place, have permanent donors, and so on. So, I just help professionals. 🙌
A long time ago, in my past life, before my career in IT, I was a journalist. I am from Donbas and worked extensively in that region. I worked for public television, later became a freelancer, and started working as a fixer from 2014 to 2018. The fixer is someone, often a local journalist, hired by a foreign correspondent or a media company to help them to collect information for the story.
At the same time, I worked in various non-governmental organizations and helped children who lived in the front-line territory. I also took care of an orphanage in Kramatorsk because this is my hometown. There I became a temporary guardian of the girl who lived there. We are still very close.
Before the full-scale war, I continued to help other orphanages and support different volunteer initiatives connected with the war in Donbas. My husband is a soldier and fought in the ATO (Anti-terrorist Operation zone on Ukrainian territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions) from 2014 to 2019, so he knows exactly what is needed. It happened so that I started to help my husband, our friends, and their friends.
My husband and I, like most Ukrainians, were not ready for this. It seemed like a crazy idea to us. We constantly discussed this situation before with our friends, and no one believed this could happen too. Therefore, we did not pack our stuff and did not stockpile food for an indefinite period, although I did have such thoughts just in case.
I even begged my husband to fill up a full gas tank in the car, but we didn't, which he later regretted. But, my husband, due to his profession, is always collected, and all his military equipment is on high alert.
We woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning from our friend's phone call. A bit later, we heard loud explosions in our Ivano-Frankivsk, as well as in all other cities of Ukraine. 😔 After that, my husband joked and said:
Probably, our children will not go to school today.
My husband was supposed to go to his brigade, but since he could not refuel the car before, he spent almost a whole day in traffic jams at gas stations. It was quite complicated to catch up with them. So he stayed in Kyiv, where he joined the National Guard of Ukraine to defend Kyiv. Now he is in the east of Ukraine defending our country there. 💪
I stayed with the children and waited for my relatives from Kramatorsk. It was dangerous for them to stay there. Because after the recent years of events in Donbas, we knew that staying there was quite risky. My two sisters came to me first, then my parents and other relatives. I have a large family, and somehow, we all decided to go to Poland. To this day, I wonder if it was the right decision, but when you have children, elderly parents, and other relatives (there are 9 of us here now), you are already not only responsible for yourself.
I am very impressed by how united people all over the world, especially Poles, and how are helping Ukrainians. Particular gratitude to the big Mozdzierz family, who welcomed all my relatives and became our second family in such a tough time. I just do not have enough words to thank them. ❤️
A special thanks to our Opinov8rs, who extended a helping hand to me in many ways, with volunteers and me personally. I am very grateful to all our Opinov8rs who helped and continue to help. Thanks to our teammates' donations, we bought one of the most expensive purchases to this date - a DJI Mavic 3 drone and Kia car for my husband's unit! ✊
Special thanks to our Christian (Opinov8 Co-founder, Chief Technology & Operations Officer), who met us in Poland and helped us in every possible way. And also, my huge thanks to our incredible Christiana (Opinov8 Recruitment Lead), who helped to take my aunt and her child to the train station and later my grandmother in Kyiv during those first dark days.
I know we have such people at Opinov8 who are always ready to help. That is very valuable and incredible. 💙
After the start of a full-scale war, I thought of helping as a fixer in my free time. Recently I have been helping one foreign group. They were looking for various war crimes of russians. We were in the Kyiv region (Bucha, Gostomel, and Borodyanka cities) and also traveled to Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.
They wanted to go further to the front line, but I refused because it was hazardous. Сurrently, the situation is so different and complicated, and it is not at all like it was in Donbas. So, foreign journalists are often refused right now because none of the locals want to mess with that, as it is very dangerous.
I also helped to find the victims of the Kramatorsk railway station attack. The strike killed 59 civilians (including 7 children) and wounded more than 110 on 8 April 2022. It is a very painful incident. This happened as the crowds were "waiting for the first train" to be evacuated to safer regions in central and western Ukraine ahead of an expected massive russian offensive in the east. When, all of a sudden, two missiles hit near the railway station building.
I found a little girl with her pregnant mother, they died on the spot. It turned out they themselves lived close to the DNR (Donetsk People's Republic), and they tried to get through Kramatorsk to a safer place. I found their family and helped collect money for the burial. 😔
When I came to Poland, I started sending humanitarian aid. We live relatively close to the Ukraine border, about 100 km, so I collected various things for soldiers. I help with medicines (hemostatic and antipyretic agents, etc.), clothes (backpacks, shoes, etc.), military equipment (thermographic cameras, etc.), and so on.
I try to buy all necessary things online, but sometimes it is challenging to find something, as our volunteers emptied all military stores in Poland. Often I encounter delivery problems or wait for confirmation from suppliers, which is disappointing. It stresses me out because I know this stuff is in need right now, and every minute is essential. Besides my full-time work in the company, I try to be helpful all the time.
There are no days off during the war. Everything can change in one minute.
I arranged the logistics process and got to know the locals with cars or buses. Together we delivered all those humanitarian aid to the Ukraine border. Also, I got in touch with some friends and teammates from other countries and cities. So, little by little, we can find something that is in need there.
In addition, I continue to help to fundraise for my friends and their community. Since something often breaks or burns down in war, I regularly help with collecting funds and purchasing what is needed.
I know that only together can we do more. Every little bit helps, and that is impressive. 💙💛
Honestly, I'm not planning anything yet. For me, the most important thing is that my husband comes back alive. And everything else can always be made. 🙌
Unfortunately, I think that this war will last for a long time, and of course, the victory will be ours. But the main thing is that we should remember:
The expense of what our victory will be, as every step towards victory takes place at the cost of the lives of our loved ones and close ones.
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In this edition, we will talk with Ruslan, R., our .NET Developer. We talked about how to start a professional career in IT and how various hobbies can help to improve your productivity at work.
Get to know Ruslan a little more through this Cover Story, and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
My classmate, with whom I study at the Academy in Odesa, told me about Opinov8. He said this is a great company that has good internship programs and invited me to apply. My friend also got an internship at Op8 and has been successfully working in the company for about a year. At that time, I had a few projects that I was working on as a freelancer, but it was a good opportunity for me to start a career in such a company, and it seemed very tempting, so I decided to give it a try. 🤞
I was a little nervous, but the interview went pretty well, and I was hired. I remember my first day at work, which I completely overslept 🙈, it was funny and sad, but I never overslept again from that day on. 😉
When I joined the company, I got to the Opinov8 Academy, where I learned, trained, interacted with other Opinov8rs, and got lots of new skills relevant to me. I didn't study only technology there. I got support when needed from my mentor, Practice Lead, and L&D team. During the onboarding to Opinov8 Academy, I got to know about Opinov8r flow and Skill Matrix for my practice, which gave me a clear picture of how I can grow and develop in the company.
We are learning to think and find solutions, instill a passion for independence and a project-based atmosphere.
Like every teammate at Op8, I have my Personal Development Plan (PDP). A PDP is a set of goals that Op8r creates with a PM or Mentor to help target future professional levels based on the skills matrix. I followed it and continued to work hard, studied a lot, read various materials, and watched many training videos. 🤓
In 3 months, I went through an internship, where I learned a lot of the necessary new information. We worked on various internal tasks, and these were real projects, which made you feel that you bring your share to the company’s work. 🚀 After the internship, I was hired for the Junior (J1) position when I successfully passed the performance review. ⚡️ For about the next 3 months, I grew to a strong J2. Now I continue working and studying to grow to the next level. 👨💻
It's great that the company has such a system that will allow you to grow and develop and not stand still. This is very important for me, as for those who are just starting their careers, it is nice to feel that the company supports and helps you develop professionally and personally. 💙
To be honest, I decided to become a developer quite by accident. 👀 In the last years of my studies at high school, I thought about where I should study next for a long time. I even considered not going to university at all. I really love to cook, and actually, I thought of working as a chef on a cruise ship. 🙃
But one late evening, I stumbled upon developer video tutorials on the Internet. It became interesting to me, and I thought that this was it and I should delve into it. After that, I agreed to get higher education in technology. Of course, my parents were incredibly happy about this exciting news. 😅
I entered the Odessa National Academy of Telecommunications, where I have already begun to study programming. They give a good knowledge base, but the education was quite superficial. I understood what I liked the most and independently began studying those aspects. After that, I did an internship at one IT company as a .NET Developer, and then I ended up at Opinov8. 🔥
Here I met amazing people, our teamwork environment has an atmosphere of friendship. These relationships motivate us to work harder, cooperate, and support one another. Working together, we learn each other’s strengths and correct each other’s mistakes. When I have a problem and don't know how to solve it, I can always ask for help and find a solution with my teammates. Sharing differing opinions and experiences can help make effective decisions faster than alone. Individuals starting their careers can benefit from such workflow, as it helps them feel comfortable and adapt to the new role more quickly. 🙌
I would recommend starting with these points:
All these aspects above can be obtained and developed in our company. I think Op8 is one of those companies that build employees' skills and encourage the development, training, and creating of a high-quality, productive workforce. Here I found my first mentor, he is super cool! 🤘 My Op8 mentor helps me track progress, stay focused, gain confidence, and move towards the goals essential in anyone’s career journey. Having a mentor leads to self-discovery and helps me continue growing my career. Through his feedback, I feel how I have grown professionally and personally. ⚡️
Of course, different things happen, and various challenges arise from time to time, this is part of our job. 🙃 A while ago, I had a challenge with one task. Remember that I spent a lot of time working on it, but nothing worked out. I asked for help from my teammates, but no one could understand anything either, and no one succeeded. As a result, it turned out that there was no need to do this task. 😑
I was a bit disappointed then, but I realized that it is better to ask as many questions as possible at once, and there is nothing wrong with that. It's a sad irony that when we most need to ask for help, most people are reticent in doing so. All of us have likely hesitated to ask a question at one time or another for fear that we would look stupid or weak.
Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
It's always better to ask whether you want clarification on something you don't understand or need help with something than waste time and do wrong. 😉
In short and simple terms, I make the computer do what I want. 🤖
I am motivated by professional growth. Knowing that hard work and perseverance will help me achieve professional success keeps me going. When I know that my efforts are following the correct path, it encourages me to push more. 💪
There might be instances of failure or stagnation, such as a difficult task or when something does not work out, but it does not demotivate me anyhow.
Every challenging moment is a part of development.
I am always looking for ways to teach myself new things, find something I do not know, and study it. Success after failure keeps the fire going within me, no matter the circumstance. 🚀
I am a person who believes in holistic development. Moving on to the same principle, I think the mind and the body also need exercise. 🤓 I like learning new skills, and recently I have been interested in exploring different languages. I studied Spanish and German online some time ago, and I have already cleared the beginner level.
Some time ago, I liked to play video games to get a little kick out and switch from studying and working, but I realized that I needed something more lively and real. Now, I am getting started playing guitar. Learning to play the guitar greatly improves your hand-eye coordination as it requires very specific muscle movements that your body is not quite used to doing yet. I'm not doing so well yet, but it will become easier and easier to perform if I stick to it and keep practicing. It is a challenging hobby, but it keeps my brain and learning faculties from getting lazy.
Moreover, I absolutely love cooking. I find cooking very therapeutic and try to plan my meals every day to eat healthily. I add jogging to my weekly schedule to feel more energetic and focused. I practice standing up while working, it improves my mood and productivity, as standing increases attention and encourages completing the task you are working on with fewer distractions.
Also, I am considering trying skydiving. Free-falling through the sky and deploying a parachute creates extremely pleasurable feelings for thrill-seekers. Just the thought of jumping makes my heart beat faster. 😁
At present, I am actively learning English. It excites me that I will read original texts and connect freely with people from various areas. There is so much information and meaning that is lost in translation.
I am studying English on my own through a learning app on the phone, and also we have Op8 Speaking classes. I try to connect to our online meetings twice a week and practice talking with the guys. Our teammates from other countries often join us. Native speakers know what sounds right and don’t and can help correct you. I need more practice, as I plan to pass the IELTS exam in the near future. 🤓
I enjoy reading and have always been a voracious reader. Although I prefer reading fiction, I make a deliberate effort to read at least one non-fiction book in a couple of months.
So, my list will be:
“Never give up” — recently, my friend reminded me of this when I was working on something, and nothing worked out. I believe that this piece of advice is always relevant to everyone. 🙌
Life is challenging, and when you face some setbacks or problems, it can get very hard to stay optimistic. Sometimes you may lose the drive and motivation — giving up always seems like the easiest option. What you need to do is think about why you decided to get it started in the first place. The reason you started and its significance will make you persevere and not give up. Always remind yourself that you are strong and can get through whatever problem you face. 👊
Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions (as much as possible). If you’re going to be afraid, be afraid of what might happen if you don’t.
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#BEBOLD #BEHUMAN
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In this edition, we will talk with Maria B., our UX/UI Designer. We talked about how it's never too late to start doing what you like, how to find ourselves and not be afraid to try something new.
Get to know Maria a little more through this Cover Story, and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
I joined the company as an intern, and I was the first and only designer at Opinov8! 😎 At that moment, the company existed on the market for over nine months. It’s hard to believe that we didn’t have such a large design team three years ago as we do now! 🥰 I was engaged in various internal processes, such as helping with presentation designs, banners, articles, etc.
The first project came to us about a few months later, where UX/UI designer work was needed. It was this kind of pen test for Opinov8 and me. 🤓 The company has previously approached external freelance designers for this kind of work, so it was pretty exciting for both of us. 🚀
In half a year, everything started!⚡️ I had several projects with clients, and besides, there was a lot of work on the internal requests of the company. I remember that it was December, and I didn't know where to start because there was a lot of work to do, and it was my most challenging moment in Opinov8. 🙈
The work became more and more, and we urgently began to look for one more designer. It was incredible because we found a designer who got to work and saved me on December 26th, right on the eve of the Christmas holidays. ✨
Since then, we have had more and more exciting projects, and, of course, our team is expanding and continues to grow. I am happy that everything worked out this way and that I had the opportunity to grow and develop together with Opinov8. 💙
Like many of us, I do not work in my specialty. I am a financier by education and have worked in this area for a long time. All this time, I understood that this is not what I want to do my whole life, and this is not my dream job. 👀
At one point, I realized that I couldn't do this anymore, I wasn't excited about my work, and it didn't bring me any pleasure. I saw how my husband works and how he loves what he does and enjoys it. I figured out that I needed to look for another business that would drive and inspire me. 🙌
I started looking for myself and started going to various courses. I tried myself in website layout and many other courses. Over time I eventually came into the design. It was funny because I didn't know how to draw by hand at all, as I thought that you have to draw to become a good designer. 🙃
Over time, I began to delve deeper into the design and found out that designers are different. I started to study many other design materials, and it all began to like me more and more. For me, it was like an entirely new world. I found out how to create websites, logos, draw icons, what is graphic design and motion design. Everything was so interesting and exciting. 😍
Around that moment, I was offered a promotion at work, which was quite a big one. But I understood that if I agreed now, I would be stuck in this unloved job forever. So, I decided to refuse and quit my financial job to change my profession and do what I really like. For about a year, I was engaged in self-education in web design, as it was the most interesting for me. 🤓 I continued studying a lot and took courses where I became friends with a course leader who helped hone my works and create a beautiful portfolio, which helped me get a job at Opinov8!
I like a lot of things at my work. One of the main aspects is that my work motivates me to develop and delve into different areas constantly. Even if you do not want to go deeper, you simply will not be able to do your work of high quality. You will need to know as much as possible about the activity for which you are doing the project. The second one is communication with people, so my job teaches me to approach other people. This is valuable to me, not every profession gives it. 😊
I think these four must-haves that every designer should do:
The most popular misconception is that many people, especially those not from the IT sphere, believe that designers are all artists and everyone can draw beautifully. Moreover, it does not matter at all what kind of designer you are, interior designer or web designer. 😂
Everyone considers that design is a very creative profession, and many don't know what to expect from us. 😉 But in reality, there is a lot of logic in creation in our work, especially in the work of a UX designer. We need to follow many aspects of construction, rules, and patterns.
Instead, I can tell you what keeps me from living as a designer. I cannot calmly walk past any advertising. 😁 I pay attention to everything: colors, typography, indentation, what is written, and how it is written. 👀
I ask myself, where are all the designers who make our world more comfortable and nice? 😀
Here is my top list of service areas in Ukraine to fix: 🙈
I am motivated by what I do, and I really love what I do. My work inspires me and drives me. Of course, there are times when there are too many things to do, and you get tired, but this is extremely rare, and I try not to bring myself to such a state. 🙃
Therefore, I try to finish my work on time and not engage in any work processes after a working day. I close my laptop and go about my business to somehow switch. I like to read some books, not for work, go for a walk.
I came to this with experience, because before I did not know what time management is, it did not apply to me. 😀 Over time, I realized that I needed to set the frames and borders to avoid oversaturation.
Earlier I could wake up in the middle of the night and think about some task and what else I need to do, who to contact and not forget to say something to someone, and so on. 🙈 After that, you realize that you need more rest and it shouldn't work this way.
If I get exhausted, I try to pamper myself with something. For example, I like to go to lovely restaurants with white tablecloths and numerous glasses. I love to get a massage for stress from time to time, and it is especially good in a set with spa procedures. Lately, I have been getting more and more pleasure from walks in the open air, any park is an ideal place for me. 🍃
I am more and more attracted to different nature, so I try to choose places for travel accordingly. This year I have been several times in the Carpathians mountains, visited Greece and Montenegro.
About my favorite travel destinations, Italy will certainly be in the first place on my list. This country is rich historically, and it has delicious cuisine and incredible architecture. In short, it is beautiful, tasty, and warm. 😍
Next on my list will be Greece. I have been there many times and will definitely return again. And I think Denmark will also be on my list, it is certainly not as warm there as in previous countries, but there is wonderful nature and architecture. 😌
As for the best places where I would like to go, where I have not yet been, then I would like to visit the USA someday, there is certainly a lot to see, and possibly France. So yes, I have such a small plan for now. 😎
I love to cook, it gives me pleasure. But I cook only when I have some free time and desire. I can cook a lot of things, but I have my signature dishes. I love tiramisu and cheesecake, so I love to cook these desserts very much. 😋
Well, I have no hidden talents — everything is in noticeably! 😉
To be honest, I don't have passionate and unusual things as a hobby. I like to do a lot of things but without fanaticism. I love reading and spending some time with my cats, I have two of them. 🐾 I love rollerblading and cycling and often like to ride somewhere around. ⚡️
I would advise myself to go early to design and not waste my time on things I don't like. You need to feel yourself and follow the call of your heart. There are so many people in absolutely different areas doing what they do not like and badly doing their job. This is not good for all of us.
It's never too late to start doing something new and what you love.
Even if you have an education in a specific field, you are not obliged to work in it if you understand that this is not yours at all. It is better to do something else that brings you pleasure than to ruin your life and the lives of others.
Do not stop developing in personal and professional growth. If you're only interested in design, then you won't get very far. Try, we have a lot of interesting projects and the opportunity to grow. 🚀
I would like to meet Donald Norman. He is a researcher, professor, and author of "The Design of Everyday Things" book. Norman's work involves the advocacy of user-centered design. His books all have the underlying purpose of furthering the field of design, from doors to computers. I once met with him at a Design Conference in Kyiv in 2019, but it would be great to talk a little more. 😊
I would like to heal people. 🙌
To be happy! 💫
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#BEBOLD #BEHUMAN
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In this edition, we will talk with Christina T., Senior Recruitment Consultant. We talked about how to find ourselves, about books that influenced us, about inspiration and people who changed our lives.
Get to know Christina a little more through this Cover Story, and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
Before Opinov8, I worked in a small company. There was a very warm and friendly atmosphere. Since I am a very team person, people are very important to me, and in this company, the people and the whole team were fantastic. But, this was one of those cases where the team could not save the situation related to the management. I realized that I did not agree with some points in the work and decided to leave. 😏
Then my ex-manager recommended me for the role of a recruiter at Opinov8. I didn’t know what Op8 was, and I didn’t know the people who worked there. Literally in a few hours, on the same day, I got a message from Galyna (Head of Talent Management at Opinov8), and it was funny, since we were familiar with her, as we previously worked together in another company, so it turned out that I do know someone there. 😄
Afterward, I met with Christian (Co-founder, Chief Technology & Operations Officer at Opinov8), where we had a very encouraging and inspiring conversation. 🙌 During our meeting, through glass partitions, I watched the guys' work in the office. It was a very calm and cozy atmosphere. I liked how the teammates get along with each other, how they communicate, how they joke, how they help and engage each other. I realized that this is exactly what I needed! 💙
To begin with, initially, I didn't plan to become a recruiter, even my education in a completely different field. 👀 Having worked for some time in my specialty, I realized that this was not mine. I began to study myself, figuring out what was interesting to me and what I wanted to do. I know that my strengths are soft skills, so they certainly need to be used in my work. 🙌
So, I decided to try myself in Recruitment. I started looking through various vacancies in this area. I came across one exciting position that sounded like a "Recruitment Researcher" in one of the largest companies in IT in Ukraine. Then I had no idea what kind of company it was and what this position represented. 😂
I applied for the vacancy, and after a while, the companies contacted me. They told me what this position was and what the potential candidate had to do at the initial screening. During the execution of the test task, I realized that this reflects what I would like to do. I wanted to deal with different abbreviations, the meaning of which I did not understand then. 🙈 It was interesting for me to know how it works and how it is applied. 🤓 And this is how I got into the world of recruitment as it is. 🚀
I do like to dive deep into various vacancies and positions. It gives me pleasure to create good positive candidate experiences and spread our corporate culture. 💙 I love to tell people about our company and what we are doing here.
I believe the recruiting role is, in some respects, even better than any marketing! 😉
For me, outstanding candidate experience is the core of successful recruiting and hiring. The candidate experience starts from the very beginning. I find it interesting to describe the vacancy itself, make our job application stand out among the others, display it as attractive and understandable, and make it look nice. 🙌
All of the interactions during the recruitment process impact the candidate's exposure to a potential employer. It is crucial for me to run a qualified candidate screen in a non-standard way, always using a personal approach. And the most important rule for me is
Do not ask what you want to hear, listen to what people want to tell you.
In terms of what people are looking for and why they are looking. Yes, these things are important to me, and they bring me pleasure in my work. 🥰
Of course, everyone always has misconceptions and prejudices about everything, but this is all very individual. Over time, you start to filter and not pay attention to certain things. I am glad that there are no people in my social circle who have any misconceptions. Many people have great understanding and respect for the work of recruiters. 😊
Extremely important that the company in which you work has not such misconceptions and prejudices. What I like here at Opinov8, that:
Everyone knows that we are one team, that we are all sailing in the same boat towards one common goal.
When someone has a problem, we don't leave you to deal with it on your own. We will always help and solve this problem together. This is amazing and very valuable to me. 💙
Oh yes, of course, there were many funny and even weird situations. But, I would not want to offend anyone. 🙈
I had a funny case once before, in 2014, I was working with the Moldovan market, and I had to make cold calls to candidates. At that time, for some reason, many people left their contact phone number — home number. So, making those calls, I had to communicate, frequently, with the candidates' relatives, with their mothers and even grandmothers, which was so fun. 😂
My personal challenge is giving feedback, precisely in the case when the feedback is not positive. It is extremely important for me to tell the truth and provide honest and truthful feedback and not to speak a standard set of phrases in such a situation.
I try to explain why this happened and what should be improved within a specific vacancy if the candidate agrees with this feedback. But in our time, not many are ready to listen, especially concerning culture fit or the general ability to adapt to a team. Of course, I don't want to upset someone, and I try to be objective. I do this with a message to inspire if the person is interested in such a direction of development. 🚀
On the other hand, I frequently ask candidates to give us feedback to find out how the candidates enjoyed communicating with our team and that this works both ways. 🤝 I always share those feedback with our team members who interviewed candidates, as I believe it is valuable information to know the pros and cons.
I am a morning person, all my life I wake up early, whether it is a working day or a weekend, I always have an alarm clock at 6 AM. For me, morning is time for myself, as I always have something to do. 🙌
Jogging or other sports activities, as well as some meditation, that's helping me to keep myself in balance. 🤸♀️ In the morning, I make sure to set aside time for reading. I also try to read on the way to and from the office and before bed.
Recently I took the practice of keeping a diary, which is funny because I kept diaries all my childhood and really liked it. 😊 But in adult life, you describe things that happened to you during the day a little differently. You prescribe how you felt, why you felt it, and the most important thing is to understand what you felt. 💫 I do this to understand my feelings because sometimes it is difficult for me to name them and understand how I feel in terms of my emotions. I like to re-read my notes and experience the same feelings when you were inspired in some moment or vice versa. As this becomes prevalent in society, more and more people, including my friends, develop themselves and their perceptions. It inspires and makes you understand yourself more. 🧘♀️
Also, this summer, I was carried away by my garden. I started to plant various flowers in the garden of my house. But to be honest, not everyone survived, let's say, the strongest survived. 😂 And of course, my cats, I think this is already the default thing for myself! 🐾 No matter how tired I come home, I immediately recharge, and my strength and energy will again appear. ✨
Who doesn't know yet, I have two of them! 😍 The first one I bought in a market in Kyiv, I remember that when I was trying to determine the most active kitten, now over the years, he is no longer as active as before. 😄 The second one came to me by accident from local children in my home city when I was visiting my parents in Rivne. The children found the kitten somewhere on the street, and no one was able to shelter it. I remember that she was so small, so unhappy and sick that I could not say “no”, so I took her under my arm and took her to my home in Kyiv. That is how we all live together. 🥰
But of course, this is not enough for me either, in addition to two cats and different plants, I admit that I am thinking about how to get a dog, 🙈 but I understand that this is a completely different kind of responsibility. The dog is the next step! 😎
From now on, I recommend everyone to save animals from the street or take them from shelters, because those kinds of animals can change your life! ❤️
No matter how trite it may sound, I am very inspired by books. One is a book by Hal Elrod — “The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM)”. When I read this book, I was very inspired by the author's tips, so they became an important part of my morning awakening rituals.
Also, at one right moment for me, I stumbled upon another wonderful book written by Marie Kondo — “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. After reading this book, I literally began to be afraid of myself as I started to get rid of more and more various things in my house. I got great pleasure from the look of my home, in which there are plenty of places where your thoughts can roam, nothing distracts your attention, and there is no dust and unnecessary things.
In the last few months, I have become very digital because it is more convenient for me. I prefer to work from the office, and it is a little problematic for me to carry a lot of things with me, so I decided to use my smartphone for all necessary items, such as reading books and keeping my diary.
But previously, of course, I preferred printed books, because I can't resist the smell of the newly published book and its tactility as such. But, as far as some training or workshops are concerned, I still prefer to write everything down by hand, so I remember the material better. Even now, I am actively practicing as I try to study French. 🍷
I recently caught myself thinking that I am in love with people, and I love the people who surround me. I am insanely inspired by the people who are around. It is impressive that among these people, there are a lot of guys from Opinov8. 💙 These days, I have spent a lot of time in the office, and even after hours, I often spend time with our teammates, which is so great!⚡
We really have gathered in one place a lot of interesting people with whom there is always something to talk about. You can always be inspired and learn something new from them, and they can always motivate you to new heights and achievements. 🚀
I will not be original if I say that the result motivates me! 🙌 For example, when you lead an active life and eat healthily, you can see how this affects your health and your body, or when you read and study, you can see how to form your little expert opinion on various issues. 🧐
About a year ago, I realized that it was time for me to change. There were a number of personal issues that contributed to this, so now I try to learn something new every day, open new hobbies and activities and develop myself in different ways in order to be more varied.
When it comes to motivation at work, I am definitely motivated by:
Today the IT and recruiting sphere is very actively developing, and I would recommend starting with:
Just try and apply now! Even if you see that at the moment there is no suitable vacancy, write directly to us, and we will definitely come up with something together! 💙
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#BEBOLD #BEHUMAN
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In this edition, we will talk with Ivan P., our BA Practice Lead. He tells us about his incredible work experiences, shared his top must-read books, and talked about amazing hobby that is much more than a hobby.
Get to know Ivan a little more through this Cover Story, and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
I arrived at Opinov8 after working for several years in the banking sector. I remember that someone wrote to me from our recruiting team on LinkedIn with an offer to come to the office and meet an impressive manager. 🧐
I do recall that I definitely did not plan to change my job at that moment. It turned out funny because she persuaded me to come. I don't even remember how she managed to do it! 🙃 But, I went to the office, where I met Viktor Y., Head of Delivery. We had a gr8 talk, and then literally, he sent me an offer on the same day. The offer seemed to be quite tempting. 🤝
It was an opportunity to work with a nice team and interesting projects. In a short time, I became part of a gr8 team of professionals. The willingness and excellence of all the Opinov8rs I met were surprising. They made me want to continue to grow and take root in this company. 🙂
As to my career path at Opinov8, it started pretty quick. From my very first day, I immediately got down to work. I joined the company two years ago as a Business Analyst, and I was the first and the only Business Analyst on the team. I have been leading one big project, which I continue to lead to this day. Of course, during this time, there were many different changes.
The main significant change was that our team had grown considerably, and now there are 6 Business Analysts on our project! Therefore, I became responsible for the entire ecosystem of our project and became a software Business Analyst, which includes 4 different streams.
At the same time, I introduced various other projects that were no less important for the company. Since the beginning of this year, I have become BA Practice Lead. 😎
Before quarantine times, I usually started working from 10 am until 7 pm. I try to stick to the same schedule with remote work unless I have some important meetings scheduled earlier, such as interviews with candidates. But in general, my schedule is standard, like that of most people. This mode is quite comfortable for me.
Of course, my calendar is quite busy, and it is not always possible to have lunch or just set aside a fixed time. My typical workday is spent between meetings with clients and correspondence with them, having some technical meetings and discussions with my team, supporting them during the day as needed. I also practice, and as I load, I devote 50% of my time to it and devote the rest 50% of my time to our project.
Last but not least, Opinov8 grows in a truly amazing way. So, I spend a lot of time on interviews with candidates. We had fewer than 30 people when I started, and now we have over 200 amazing Opinov8rs!
Some days are heavier than others, but what is never lacking is the fun and atmosphere of friendship.
My team is very close-knit, and, no less important, everyone can work independently and help each other. We all work with passion and enjoy our workdays, which are full of opportunities. 💙
If we speak within the current project framework, sometimes communication with the client is quite complex. The difficult thing is that many people inside the client's company are decision-makers, and they pull the "blanket" to their side.
Until a certain point, we did not have a single point of decision-making. Therefore, we had redundant communication on fairly simple issues. But, if the question was challenging, then this communication grew at times. 😕 Now, this process has improved! We have one point of decision-making: we communicate with this point of contact, and then they communicate and resolve all controversial issues already inside their company. 🙃
Also, one of the biggest challenges is when you work in a system that has been in production for more than 15 years, difficulties can appear with “legacy” and with all the problems and issues that come up. Like the old code, basically, the people who wrote this code no longer work for the company. When you want to re-engineer or replace something using new technologies, you face the difficulties that no one knows how it works since there is no documentation. And if this is broken, it will entail many unpleasant problems. 🙄
But all the challenges you face always give you the opportunity to find the way to deliver a better service and go beyond what the client asks. Doing this allows you to develop your personal skills and provide learning opportunities. 😉
Well, before joining Opinov8, I was working in various spheres. I have worked in the banking sector for a long time, specifically that with overdue debt. I was not a Business Analyst, but by the nature of my work, I had to identify requirements, write technical documentation, interact with developers, introduce some new solutions, or optimize existing ones.
For some time, I worked in consulting, where I was engaged in a cryptocurrency exchange in the framework of consulting. Also worked in a technology startup related to aviation, mainly in unmanned aerial vehicle control. 🤩
And at one point, I found myself in IT. I can't say that I somehow aspired to get there. It just happened that way. I developed myself in different business fields. My experience gave me a smooth ramp-up in the industry, letting me lay the foundation of knowledge I needed to grow in my career. 🚀
I would definitely not explain to a little kid, even more to my granny, what I do! I would definitely come up with anything, any other job, and talk about it, but not about my current one. 😂
But when people ask me what I do, and I say that I am an Analyst, then immediately comes the counter-question:
What is an Analyst?
Then I answer that I take some data, and in this data look for a certain grain, and if this grain is conventionally repeated several times, I can already build some kind of logical chain. Based on analyzed data, I can build some system that will predict what and why is happening in this particular place at a given time. 👀 You know, as the legendary engineer, W. Edwards Deming said:
Without data, you are just another person with an opinion.
For instance, in science, you don’t want opinions, you want to look at the facts, which must be objective. Your opinion doesn’t count. Whether you like it or not, the Earth revolves around the Sun, and you know it by looking at the facts informed by repeated experiments.
But in any case, I will definitely not try to explain what exactly I am doing to a child or the granny. It will be my secret. 🙃
I am one of those people who enjoy work very much. I can spend endless hours doing my things. I like my work because I do not have a processing activity but a project one. I like that everything changes every second. There is no routine around me, accordingly, work does not get boring. 😉
The most passionate days are those that have more diverse tasks.
One of the things I enjoy most about the way we work is people. It inspires and motivates me to see how all strive to do their best to achieve a common goal. I believe that being one is the basis of every good project. It is a value that allows us to share and acquire knowledge by empowering the entire team, generating excellent results, and growing with them. 🙌
Of course, there are times when I need to switch between tasks when I realize that I cannot concentrate and solve tasks quickly. Therefore, I can do another task or even do something else if I feel that the procrastination starts. 😅 So then, I can read technical literature or watch YouTube professional tutorials about aviation and technologies, if time allows. 😄
I do have a hobby, maybe it will not be a secret for someone, but I am into aviation. 💥 For me, aviation is more than a hobby. It’s difficult to explain where the concept of “hobby” crosses from being purely a pastime into something more. Once you touch it even lightly, it sucks you deeper and deeper. ✈️
I am a certified pilot, and I even have my own 2 planes! 👨✈️ But, one of my planes is currently under repair, so I fly on leased ones. Of course, this does not happen as often as I would like. It depends on many factors, from weather conditions to free time slots for the plane and me. But still, I try to be professional and systematically maintain my skills at a high level. 😎
My training took almost one year, although you can learn to fly in just 48 hours! Since I am a relatively young pilot, little by little, I fly around Kyiv and adjacent areas within a radius of 150 km. But I have big plans for the future, I want to visit all airfields in Ukraine, and then I will move towards Europe, as there are slightly different requirements for a pilot.
I have an old dream to visit America and North and South. I haven't got there yet, but I have long been attracted by their aviation community, which is the best developed in the world. They have the infrastructure that allows you to rent a private jet if you have a pilot's license. So you can fly to all the places you like, and it will not cost as much money as in Ukraine. Also, they host some of the largest aviation festivals, which I have been planning to visit for a long time. 🥰
Oh, I would definitely be poisoned in the Middle Ages to make sure our story is true. Also, it would be interesting to meet with some historical person, but there are so many interesting people that it is so difficult for me to choose someone specific. 🧐
More than recommending specific titles, I prefer to recommend just reading more. I love reading literature about characters and economics. I would recommend:
I would say that you need to start and do not think too much. Especially if you were invited to Opinov8 since this is the gr8 place to start! 😎
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#BEBOLD #BEHUMAN
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In this edition, we will talk with Dana P., our Senior Programme Manager. She tells us about her career at Opinov8 and how to stay motivated and energized when working long hours.
Get to know Dana a little more through this Cover Story, and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
My first day at Opinov8 went great! Firstly, my manager was on vacation 😅, and secondly, I just came to find my workplace and meet the whole team. I didn't understand where to start and what to do, but my team approached me with a bottle of sparkling wine after five minutes 🙃. They encouraged me and said that since this is my first day at work — it should be celebrated! I was touched, I thought this is my company, and I definitely should work here! 😍
At the university, I studied international jurisprudence and worked in this area for a long time while I tried to find myself. Later I got into the IT world, I started my path in support. I liked helping people, and I quickly solved their problems, and after some time, I figured out who was to blame for all the problems. The developers were to blame — the reason for all my incoming calls and messages! 😂
From that moment on, my path to Project Management began. A bit later, I became the support team lead, where we built a whole service desk and did many other important tickets and tasks. Later on, I worked as a Project Manager in another company, and then I became part of a super team at Opinov8.
I was very tempted by the offer of our manager (Viktor Y., Head of Delivery) as he promised to become my mentor! 🤓 He gave me many opportunities, which was very important for me at that moment. I had the opportunity to develop, choose a team, build processes, and add those that were not yet in the company, and it was really great.
When I started working in Project Management, I realized — this is it, that I had been looking for it all my life, this is my perfect job! From a very young age, I always said that I would certainly be a manager when I grow up. 😉
For other roles in IT, you can easily show the result of your work, for example, written code, but Project Managers do not have this. Few people know what is behind our work. It seems that people who are ready to work in such a position can work either in the Emergency Service or in Project Management. 😅 You psychologically have to be ready to burn and be on fire all the time to solve a million problems and various issues. 🙈
I do really love working with people, and I like to create and develop something new. In this profession, it seems to be the apogee of my happiness. I feel that my temperament and this job are a perfect match, this profession found me, and I found it. ❤️
And this is true since I have something to compare with, I had a varied experience of work in absolutely different areas. I was a lawyer, translator, and teacher. I worked in medical tourism, art gallery, and even worked with the Kyiv City State Administration! 😱
So yes, I searched for myself for a long time, but it was all worth it! All this experience helps me now in my work. From any of these professions, I have learned something most valuable and significant for myself.
I cannot say that I am a morning person, but I love various morning rituals to welcome a new day with a smile. In fact, I am more of an evening person, but I start work in the morning since I have a rather tight schedule of meetings with the team and clients. I feel more productive in the evening when the workday is over, and I can have some dinner and continue working again, without haste in a calm and peaceful time.
My working day begins with checking my mail, calendar, and Slack to understand what is happening and where I am needed right now.
The main part of the day is endless meetings. Some of them I could delegate, but as an example, I still run interviews with new candidates. I try to be present at all meetings since I need to understand who can join our team to keep our positive and awesome vibe. 🙌
I also regularly hold One-on-One meetings with 70 people. 🙈 And of course, we have Think up meetings to discuss pressing issues and find out how everyone is doing to keep up-to-date communication. In the late afternoon, I devote time to my manual tasks, answering emails, filling out various documents, and conducting strategic sessions with our Business Analysts to make sure we are moving in the right direction.
It is very important for me to be a part of such a great team and a big family. The values of the company are very close to me, and this is significant for me. There were different situations during all three years of work in the company, but I always felt them. 💙
I really enjoyed winning this year's “The Growth Driver Award” (the annual presentation of awards for contributions to the success of their team and the company overall). This award is well deserved since, in two and a half years, my team has grown from 8 people to 70, so I am very proud of it!
He has to make everyone happy. 😉 The manager usually controls: scope of work, deadline, and budget. Of course, these are important things, but I have the main other 3 main aspects:
To achieve all this, the Project Manager must always keep track of these 3 important points and remember that he must bring his own value, specifically:
I can definitely call myself a control freak who will feel calm and confident if he does everything himself. I had to do a lot of work on myself to learn how to delegate. 🤓
When I had 30 people on my team, it was still bearable, but having 70 people is not easy. It was difficult for me to delegate some of the tasks that I have always done myself. 🤪
I am an adamant enough manager. I demand, in fact, from everyone no less than from myself. I have always assumed all responsibility, and they already have a responsibility to me. The team can hear displeasure from me, but only from me. Therefore, they jokingly call me the Mama bear. 😄
Before the quarantine and during the full lockdown, there was no work-life balance for me. I worked 12-14 hours a day, but I realized that my body could not cope with such a load after a while. 🙄
I understand that the only salvation for me not to think about work is to do something physically active. So I decided to go in for sports and other activities to switch a little from workflows. I began doing EMS training (Electro Muscle Stimulation). It works by sending low-frequency electric impulses to contract your muscles while you’re working out. It is a new way to work out without spending hours in the gym, just 30-minute sessions. And now I want to add some Pilates classes. 💪
One more part of my routine life — massages. I regularly go to massages, as a sedentary lifestyle makes itself felt. Beyond the benefits of massage, I enjoy it because it produces feelings of caring for myself and relaxation. 😌
Also, I started hiking for myself, which was an absolute discovery for me since I am a person who loves comfort, but this is the only thing that can switch me so much. I like to travel to the Carpathians mountains. Nature makes you pay attention to yourself, enjoy the views around and not think about anything else. 🥰
And of course, traveling, now I can't imagine my life without it. Even quarantine does not stop me. Remote work allows me to be anywhere in the world and, at the same time, stay in touch and do my job. During the weekdays, I work as usual, but on the weekend, I can enjoy a different experience and everything new around me. 😎
Given the quarantine restrictions over the past six months, I have lived for some time in Mexico, Turkey, and now I often travel to London.
I am very motivated by my work when I see what has been done and the result of my work. In the same way, I motivate my team. We always thank each other and praise each other for the work done. It seems to me that this motivates you to work every morning when you have a great team nearby, which will always prompt and help, and you, in turn, too. In such a friendly atmosphere, I want to work and live.
Motivation is always about us. It is always inside, you either have it or you don't.
All the same, it is crucial to rest and go on vacation. I did not understand this before. Taking breaks is very important to manage everything to have some time for other things besides work, otherwise, you will burn out.
One good piece of advice related to the work I once received from Viktor Y., Head of Delivery. He said that the client is the kindest and fluffiest only at the beginning of the work, so at this point, everything needs to be done, everything must be prepared, and everything must be signed, because then it will be too late. This is the most sincere and most important word of advice I have ever received. I see confirmation of these words every time.
I was also influenced by a case when I worked in support. I didn’t know many things then, and after a while, I got to know the Project Manager of those grief developers. 😅 Instead of telling me not to meddle in her business, she taught me how to do everything right. I am very grateful to this day, as the wisdom is you need to listen because it is very likely that there is something that you do not see.
You definitely need to train your patience. You need to be prepared because you will be responsible for everything since you cannot shift the responsibility to someone else. If something goes wrong, the PM will always be at fault.
I highly recommend PM to come to Opinov8, as we have a gr8 atmosphere and vibe, amazing community, and cool processes. We always have something to teach you, no matter how much you know. And, of course, we have the best C-level management, who will always support you in any situation. Opinov8 is a win-win, both technically and emotionally.
I really enjoy accompanying people on their career paths. This is not my direct responsibility, but it motivates me very much, and I am pleased to be near and see their growth. 🙌
It would be nice to ask them about it! 😅But probably, they would say that I am a real workaholic. I think they are proud of me for the way I go through all the difficult stages of my life. And they would say that I am too kind, but they see me at work! 🙃
My colleagues would probably describe me completely differently. 😂
If I need to choose someone from our team, then the choice is tough to make. I will be glad to see nearby our:
If I make choices from all over the world, I would like to have an incredible scientist who can find a cure for all these troubles. I would definitely take someone in defense, perhaps some sports person or even a boxer. And Oprah Winfrey, we would chat with her in the evenings and talk about everything in the world. 😄
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#BEBOLD #BEHUMAN
Here at Opinov8, Op8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In this edition, we will talk with Yana V., our JS Developer, who is also a lead of the Opinov8 Hobbies Community. She tells us about her career at Opinov8 and how various hobbies help her maintain a work-life balance.
Get to know Yana a little more through this Cover Story and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and be part of this gr8 adventure too!
It really happened by accident, I could be a designer now, but I am very glad that everything happened exactly like this. Today, I can't imagine my life without development and JS. 🥰
I studied at the University of Computer Science. As it turned out, my expectations and reality were different from school computer science and programming at the university. I remember how I complained to my mother that I didn’t understand anything and wanted to quit the university. 🙄
I decided to wait a bit, and luckily in the second year, I found the IT-sphere that I liked — Front-end development. Then I started studying HTML code and I tried myself on the Opencart platform. But, I realized that I could do something better, and decided to find a more interesting area for myself, and found that is JS developing.💘
To tell the truth, I love everything about working in IT! IT can help people become smarter, innovative, and learn at the same time. Can you imagine something better? I like that the IT professionals need to know information about all areas of activity. How can we develop something if we don't know how?
At the same time, it is really hard work. Sometimes it seems to me that there is no room in my head for new information. 🤪 I think about work all the time, sometimes I cannot find a solution to a problem and I see this solution in my dreams. 🙃
No, I have never worked remotely before last spring. When the lockdown started, I faced real panic because I couldn't imagine myself working from home. Disclaimer: I am a very communicative person! 😅
Quarantine has changed me. I got a bit depressed, as I lack normal communication and physical meetings. But, over time, I adapted to this reality and began to devote more time to myself. I signed up for various programs from photography courses to sport marathons. I tried to keep in touch more online with my team. It made me feel more united and connected. 💙
As I mentioned before, working from home is not easy for me. What I learned this year, you should always create a plan and stick to it. Everything is very individual, but here is a piece of advice that helped me:
It's too hard for me to stay at home all the time. I try to do sports 3 times a week, as it keeps me fit. I love to start my day with yoga classes, led by our charming corporate trainer. Sometimes it is difficult for me to wake up early, but the feeling of meeting our team members always gives me the strength to get out of bed. 🙃
It is also a great achievement for me that I learned how to make awesome coffee, just like in your favorite cafe, only even better. 😉I started brewing coffee without a coffee machine and now I know how to make an amazing froth, so there is no need to buy coffee, as I know all the secrets of the barista. 😂
Also, I began participating in several interesting marathons. First was a photo marathon, with an amazing community. I was so happy to meet great people with a common hobby. We learned how to take awesome photos for all levels.
The second was a sports marathon. It was quite challenging, we were shown different types of training and how to do the exercises right. Some I can’t handle, such as where we have to do ab exercises - 200 times at a time. 🙈
Of course, I continue to improve my culinary talents. I really love to cook, and often share my favorite recipes in our Hobbies Community, where I am the leader. 😋
Also, one of the important things for me, that we started visiting the park one day per week with my team. We also started doing various activities online. We even made cakes together, made a florarium, candles, painted pictures, and so on. Fortunately, the digital age has made it possible, and you always feel like a part of the team, wherever you are. 😎
My favorite hobby is to cheer up my friends, tell my life stories and, of course, take pictures on my phone.
At the university, I had an idea how to make some pocket money. I wanted to take wedding photos on my iPhone, but no one supported me, so I gave up this idea. ☹️ Then I realized that I LOVE taking pictures, so I did not give up this hobby and during quarantine, I decided to take several photography courses. 🤓
During this time of quarantine, we all revised our habits, we all had free hours, which we usually spent on the way to the office and back, now we can use this time to learn something new, or pay more attention to our hobbies, or even start a new one. It's great that we have our Communities, where everyone can share their hobbies and passions, where we can collaborate and be connected with other Opinov8 members. I love to share my knowledge and skills, and I'm glad we have a platform where everyone can learn a little more about each other. 💙
Every day we know much more than we knew yesterday. Once I heard one very good phrase that is relevant to me:
If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.
If you are thinking about learning JS development, I hope these tips help you get one step close to your dream:
The last point is no less important for me because I felt it on myself. One day I pushed my boyfriend into IT, and then he pushed me to learn JS deeply, which is amazing! 😊
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#BEBOLD #BEHUMAN
#bebold #behuman
Do you know how to grow a company with 200+ employees worldwide from a bold idea that started in a garage? At Opinov8, we can proudly say we do!
Meet Opinov8 Co-Founders Craig Wilson, co-CEO | Commercial, and Christian Aaen, co-CEO | Technology. Though their daily responsibilities are diverse, their friendship and shared vision have built a strong partnership, as well as a thriving global software development company.
In this interview, they share how Opinov8 began, the exciting milestones along the way, and the philosophy that drives the company today.
Craig Wilson (CW): I remember the moment clearly — it was in the Holiday Inn where we discussed the concept. We both wanted to do something different from what we were doing before.
‘Opinov8’ means having an opinion on innovation. We both have strong opinions, and having an opinion on innovation was the core of what we wanted to do. We wanted to apply that to how software and products are built. Not just sitting back and taking instructions, but becoming a true Technology Innovation Partner — using Opinov8 as a platform to create real business value for clients.
Christian Aaen (CA): We believed that the market needed a more holistic approach to what was traditionally known as “outsourcing”. We wanted to place business objectives at the center of every client relationship. Technology is an enabler, but business strategy should drive the solution. That principle became Opinov8’s DNA.
(CW): Ukraine was a natural choice. Christian lives in Kyiv, and we had both worked in the Ukrainian market for many years. Despite global challenges, Ukraine remains our center of gravity and a source of exceptional talent.
(CA): The reason why I ended up in Ukraine is obviously because of the highly skilled engineers and a culture that feels very close to what I knew growing up in Western Europe. Those remain the strongest reasons for our continued commitment to Ukraine.
(CA): Our journey began in April 2017 — in a small office above a garage. Yes, just like Google (laughs). Our very first client came through a friend, part of the classic ‘three F’s’ — friends, family, and fools.
As we've been in the business for so many years and in the industry, we have a good network — a network we have cherished and built up over many years. We have almost broken our backs to not disappoint. So, yes, a good network is really what got us going.
We saw it as a chance to start with a blank slate. From our experience in larger organizations, we have witnessed the limitations of older, on-premise legacy systems that struggled to scale in a fast-changing business environment. We didn’t have that burden. Instead, we could take full advantage of cloud-native infrastructure, scalable applications, and modern digital platforms, creating a foundation that could grow as fast as the business itself.
You are bound to run into trouble if you are not thinking through the entirety of the business (not only the business model but also the operating model).
You need to have long-term strategic glasses on, and you need to be bold.
One of our earliest commitments was to prepare for remote work. We said: “In five years, Opinov8 should be ready to manage 40% of our people working remotely.” That mindset was built into our systems, investments, and processes from the start. And then, in March 2020, the pandemic made us 100% remote overnight — a challenge, but also validation of our remote-first, time-zone optimized delivery model.
We had the opportunity to do things right — without legacy slowing us down — and that was incredibly exciting. Just as important, we wanted to build an organization that could scale sustainably, with no single point of failure, ensuring resilience and long-term growth.
(CW): I remember sitting with Christian one summer, sketching ideas on a piece of paper as we thought about our branding and positioning.
In our previous roles, we had seen organizations where the culture was tied too closely to the leadership. The company revolved around a few individuals, creating an ecosystem dependent on them. We knew we didn’t want that. Our vision was to build a company where the culture belonged to the organization and its people, not just its founders. Opinov8 had to be able to operate with us, but also without us — without creating bottlenecks or negative dependencies.
That day, while sitting on a sunny terrace, we outlined our six core principles. They remain as true today as they were then, guiding how we work and grow. From the beginning, we wanted Opinov8 to have a clear cultural identity — something people could connect to and believe in. Just as systems and processes are critical to scaling a business, so too is creating a strong and authentic innovation-driven company culture.
(CA): We had many entertaining and informal conversations at the beginning, but the real turning point came when Craig and I were both involved in bringing private equity investment into the company where we previously worked. That experience was a mental milestone — it showed us what we did and didn’t want to replicate in our own venture.
In those organizations, we often saw too much focus turned inward, with competing internal interests distracting from the real priorities. This kind of behavior shifts attention away from market dynamics and client needs.
At Opinov8, we made a conscious decision to do the opposite. Every day, we work hard to maintain a client-centric, market-driven focus, ensuring that our energy goes into creating value for both our people and our clients. That philosophy is not just a mindset; it’s embedded in our company's operating model and organizational culture.
(CW): The hardest part in the early stages is that you truly live and breathe every step you take. Every challenge feels personal and emotional.
It’s not just a job — it’s your family, your future, your entire universe. When something goes wrong (and many things do), you take it personally and work tirelessly to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Growing a company is never easy. Finding the right people, attracting top talent, and keeping them engaged are among the toughest challenges. And those challenges don’t disappear with time — they remain part of building and scaling a successful business every single day.
(CA): Another big challenge in the early days was finding the right partners to collaborate with. When you’re starting out, you take everything personally — every detail matters, and every decision feels critical. In the beginning, it was tough. We handled everything ourselves, from basic operations to complex delivery — a true full-cycle startup experience!
Today, it’s easier because we’ve built a strong, capable team that can share responsibilities and tackle challenges together. But those early struggles taught us resilience and the importance of the right people and partnerships.
(CW): One of the biggest challenges we faced together came when COVID-19 hit. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to some very talented people, which was an incredibly difficult decision.
At the same time, we made the choice to sell our operations in Spain, allowing us to sharpen our strategic focus. It was a true test of resilience — navigating uncertainty, adjusting our strategy, and then quickly pushing forward again.
Getting through that period was one of the toughest parts of our journey, but it also reinforced our ability to adapt and grow stronger as a company.
(CA): But it also helped us realize that we had built an organization where our core team stood by us through the hardest times — as well as the good ones. We got to know each other on a deeper level, and true trust was built. When challenges hit, how people respond says a lot about their character.
It wasn’t just us as business owners worrying about our families, our investment of time, and the future of the company — everyone across Opinov8 felt the pressure. Yet, working through those moments together strengthened the bonds within our team, creating a foundation we can continue to build on.
My sister once told me: ‘the sum of problems is always the same’. I think there’s truth in that. I still worry about many things, but they no longer feel as fundamental or life-threatening as they did back in those first months of the pandemic.
One of the biggest reasons is that we’ve built a team and culture that truly cares about the company as much as we do — and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.
(CW): We’re proud of many things. Above all, I’m proud that we support and nurture over 200 Opinov8rs and their families around the globe. With our HQ in the UK and development centers in Ukraine, Egypt, Colombia, and across the EU, we bring together worldwide teams that unite diverse talents and perspectives to deliver innovation without borders. Watching individuals grow and achieve extraordinary things has been one of the most rewarding parts of building this company. I’m proud that they have chosen us to be part of their journey.
When it comes to client engagements, we fight like Mike Tyson. We step into the ring with focus, strength, and determination — and deliver results that many larger companies would struggle to match.
What makes us different is the talent and mindset of our people. Our innovators bring their own perspective — what we call that “extra 10%.” It’s more than just writing code, it’s the way they think, supported by the freedom they have within our philosophy, systems, and processes.
We’ve built a balance: structured and consistent systems, but with enough space for creativity and innovation. That freedom within a framework is our secret sauce, and it’s what adds real value for our clients. It’s also what makes me most proud of Opinov8.
(CA): Yeah, I totally agree. As the German-American economist Theodore Levitt once said: ‘Organizations exist to enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things.’ For us, that means combining people and skills in a way that allows individuals to have a greater impact than they ever could alone. That is the environment we believe we’ve created at Opinov8.
Another thing I’m proud of is our authentic culture. We don’t pretend to be perfect — we are people, and we are open about it. When challenges arise with clients, we face them directly and fix problems transparently. That honesty makes us different, and it’s something I truly value.
We also hold a simple but powerful principle: we never over-commit and under-deliver. When we commit, we follow through with everything we have — towards our clients and towards our people. Doing what we say and saying what we do may sound basic, yet it’s a core belief that defines who we are and how we build trust.
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let's innov8 together!
#bebold #behuman
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are.
In the March edition, we interviewed Dmitriy B., our JS Developer, who is also a leader of one of the Opinov8 Communities - Sports Community. He tells us about his career at Opinov8, how he works remotely and how sports activities help him manage his work-life balance.
Get to know Dmitriy a little more through this Cover Story and don’t miss the opportunity to join us and become a part of this gr8 adventure!
The first couple of weeks of remote work were really challenging due to self-organization and “fridge” issues 😅. But I pulled myself together and started running instead of the way to the office and back. That became my rescue.
My career path at Opinov8 started super exciting for me. I was enrolled in the new German project as a Senior HTML/CSS developer (I know, position name sounds unusual 😀). After 3 working days, our team went to Munich to undergo onboarding directly with the client.
During the last few years, I have been working on 3 different projects. Each required specific skills and knowledge, but common approaches to adapt were quite similar since we are always using the same development methodology. So every time, adaptation went smoothly due to clear onboarding guidelines and great team cooperation.
Technology change rapidly, and you should always be well aware of the latest trends, especially in Front-End. I was fortunate to work on projects that were using cutting-edge approaches, and it always allowed me to improve my professional skills. I came to the company 2 years ago with a basic understanding of React JS, and now I’m happy that I started the Front-End mentoring practice (including React JS) and can share my knowledge with newcomers.
Definitely, the most challenging period was working with the Olympic games project. We have put on tight timelines, and the level of responsibility was enormous. We joined this project just a month before the final release, and we had to be super concentrated and cooperative. Moreover, the release day was right before my long vacation, so it was rather stressful at the moment. But we succeeded, and the benefits outweighed the cost.
I've never worked remotely before the Covid-19. So, the quarantine became the cause of me going remote. But, to tell the truth, I thought about it before.
The first couple of weeks of remote work were really challenging due to self-organization and “fridge” issues 😅. But I pulled myself together and started running instead of the way to the office and back. That became my rescue.
My typical workday now is quite similar to the office lifestyle. The only difference is that I’m going for a run and workout after every breakfast instead of being a part of the morning traffic. I’ve defined a schedule and try to follow it every day to prevent mess with self-management. I need to split my work into 40 - 60 min iterations to keep focus and avoid overload.
I believe that when working remotely you need to be even more punctual than in the office.
The most crucial things for me to keep a work-life balance are sport and dividing the day between working and nonworking time frames. Overall, I am happy with my work schedule now. I like that I can manage my time: start working earlier or later, be more active and do more workouts, and of course, spend more time with my family.
Running for me is like a meditation. It helps me to keep my mind clean. And it goes without saying that it is the perfect way to keep fit. My first run was 2 years ago, and since that moment, I’ve participated in 4 official sports events at different distances (5 km, 10 km, and 21 km).
I am the lead of the Sports Community in Opinov8. Since we have a very young and active team, we have many guys who adore sports as much as I do. Most of us work remotely, but we want to lead a social life, as in the pre “Covid Era”, so we decided to carry out various sports challenges. It’s easier to stay motivated when you need to compete with somebody (or with your “yesterday’s” self).
The first step is the hardest, they said. So, I would like to advise you to start and to find your motivation. Your contribution won’t give you a chance to give up.
It won't be easy, but it is so interesting! Be patient, and it will pay you back with the results. Good luck, and enjoy your way.
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#bebold #behuman
Here at Opinov8, Opinov8rs represent our culture. Cover Stories portray the richness within all of us, the differences that make us who we are. In this edition, meet Anastasiia, our Business Analyst, which also won the “Opinov8r of the Year” Award (the annual presentation of awards for contributions to the success of their team and the company overall). She tells us about her career at Opinov8, shared her tips that help avoid doing work twice while working remotely, and told us how travel helps her manage a work-life balance. Get to know Anastasiia a little more through this Cover Story, and don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this adventure too!
Business analysis requires being really picky and finding cases people usually don't think about. I believe in bringing value, BA shouldn't be afraid to ask questions even if they are obvious at first glance and propose possible solutions.
Before joining Opinov8, I worked as Business Analyst (BA) on internal projects in another company for 2 years, helping departments automate business processes inside the company. At that time, I started looking for new opportunities mainly because I wanted to try new domains and gain experience working with external customers. Luckily, I found all that in Opinov8. The job position that I hold in Opinov8 right now allows me to communicate closely with teams and customers, gives me a sufficient level of independence to gain my own experience, and use my knowledge to bring value.
I am passionate about discovering something new, for example, puzzling how the system works or understanding customers' calculation rules in the systems. In a nutshell, I like digging inside the route cause and understand what customers' needs are and why they need them to provide possible solutions.
Business analysis requires being really picky and finding cases people usually don't think about. I believe in bringing value, BA shouldn't be afraid to ask questions even if they are obvious at first glance and propose possible solutions (of course, previously discuss it with the team 😉).
It was pretty challenging to work with people from other countries at the beginning. First, it was language, I was not sure if I described the message clearly enough for others to understand what I am asking about. Another thing was catching up on all the information during calls to reflect all that in requirements later. But as it turns out just a matter of time. Now, it's one of the points I love about my job.
Apart from work points, I am really curious to talk about traditions and holidays, learn the way they communicate and work, how to spend free time, etc.
As we work with customers and teams from different time zones, and they could reach out to us when we're away, the first thing I do is checking all the chats and emails. Then goes supporting Dev`s and QA's teams if they have anything and working on requirements. In the late afternoon, jumping on the scheduled meetings.
I have a couple of tips that help me to avoid doing work twice:
I had such for sure, but once you overcome it becomes not a big deal as you thought before.
Yeah, it was really a surprise for me. I didn't expect anything like that. To be honest, I've even been stunned for a while. But I believe that I wouldn’t receive any awards without continued support from teams I work with, and Inna V. (Project Manager in Opinov8), in particular, who is always ready to give a hand.
As for me, work and life balance are when I have time, energy, and will for any activities apart from my job. It could be sport, self-education, meeting with besties, or house choirs, anything that brings me energy and inspiration.
In remote work, the hardest part is to close my laptop on time and switch to 'at home' mode while always staying at home.
A little bit of traveling and a little bit of sport in my life help me to keep myself in balance. By traveling, I mean not only going abroad or visiting new places. For me, it is any change of scene, but picnics outside the city, small journeys to the neighborhood, or even go outside for a while. I enjoy going to my native town — Novgorod-Siversky, a historic city in Chernihiv Oblast of Ukraine, it is my place of power. Rivers, forest, almost no people around, what could be better to escape from the crowd and have some time for my own.
The best way to start Business Analyst practice is to consider an internship program or an intern position. I know that many companies offer such. Practice shows that participating in such programs accelerates your time standing up as BA and provides the real opportunity to try the theory in practice.
Different BA networks are also a cool way to boost your skills and find useful contacts. When I was starting my BA career, I visited different workshops where Senior BAs shared their approaches and real cases in BA practice they faced. I don't see value in lectures where speakers retell the theory, easy access on the Internet, more useful real cases, and solutions that helped.
Be curious and driven to explore new horizons and technology areas with us. Let’s innov8 together!
#bebold #behuman
Right now, remote working or working from home has become more than a trend. While remote work used to be offered by some companies as a way to offer a more flexible lifestyle to their employees, it has now become the new norm for most businesses. The pandemic is completely redefining the way teams communicate and work. Working from home is not an option or a privilege anymore. Weighing various options, some companies have elected to continue allowing their employees to work remotely. As a result, we are now watching the work-from-home trend take off all across the globe.
Allowing employees to work remotely has its advantages. But however popular remote work has become, building an effective and productive community of remote workers has its own set of unique challenges, one of which is engaging remote employees. As companies continue to grow accustomed and adapt to the new reality, it is important to ensure that every team member feels valued, heard, and respected. Engagement activities in Communities are very fruitful for workers as well as for organizations. Opinov8 strives to ensure that everyone in our work environment feels supported, engaged, and inspired by those who share your interests and remain motivated despite these unprecedented times.
The engagement has become one of the utmost prominent priorities for Managers in Opinov8, who are constantly developing effective means to engage the Opinov8rs, who spread out all around the country and world, during these challenging times. The goal was to build Communities among the remote team to bring everyone together and ensure productivity by having an environment where all members can find like-minded people, communicate, collaborate, make friends and deepen their passion based on work or personal interests. One of the biggest challenges of working remotely is the lack of social interaction and personal connection with co-workers. When managing a remote team, it’s important to take every opportunity to foster connections and engagement.
Cover Stories are a space to feature recognized Opinov8rs. We asked some of our teammates, who are most involved in our Communities, how they handle challenges while they work remotely and cooperate with their teams. In this edition, meet Yuri, Software Architect. He tells us about his career at Opinov8, how he works remotely and how sports activities help him manage his work-life balance. Get to know Yuri a little more through this Cover Story!
My journey began just a bit over 2 years ago. Opinov8 and the position itself were recommended to me by the Ex-Head of DevOps at Opinov8. At that moment, I was not looking for any opportunities, but Alex was persistent in his efforts to show me the world outside the company I was working for, and at some point, I agreed to come for the interview. I had doubts about the value I can bring to a startup company because all my experience was in the big companies so far, but still, it was interesting to see what the company was like. Usually, small companies are more limited in resources and investments, and it requires more smart decisions than in the enterprise, so it was a challenge. But, after the interview with Christian Aaen (Co-founder, Chief Technology & Operations Officer in Opinov8), all the goals and challenges were clear. Remember that conversation very well: “Do not build an architectural palace” (c). During the interview, I felt health pragmatism, transparency, and clearly what was required from me. The biggest benefit of Opinov8 is that you are unlimited in creativity if it correlates to business strategy. You can be transparent and don’t suffer from it. It is in Opinov8 DNA. It is rare in national companies or companies managed by national managers. The start wasn’t easy, but it is a different story.
No, I have never worked remotely before. But, even with an ability to WFH in Opinov8, I prefer to work from the office. The biggest challenge for me is discipline. I am not in a position where I can do the routine work. I am always challenging resolutions, trying to discover something, so hard to push myself.
Stand up and fight 🙂 But, if seriously, two points. First, time is all you have, you cannot buy or return it, so don't waste your time! Second, always focus on goals and objectives so that you can handle your time and productivity.
I believe that it is necessary to have the same skills as for the office. Overall, Opinov8's values are very good to describe these soft skills.
Work hard - play hard. More stress, more loud and crazy rest. Fighting fire with fire.
Racing was always my passion. I won UASBK two times in Amateur 600, SuperStock 600, once was third in SuperSport 600 classes. Also, I have won several races on the PitBikes in racing since 2017. When Communities appeared in our office, I suggested taking together trial lessons on driving a motorcycle. I love to share my expertise and advice. It's fun to watch the first steps of the guys. Such things really unite, and it is extremely important to be a united team, especially like this.
I would highlight 3 main steps. First, believe and want what you are doing. Second, break big tasks into small, feasible milestones. Third, enjoy the results of each milestone you pass. If you really want it, you will be motivated.
Shortly, do not neglect the basics. The IT science background from universities is boring but important. It is constant, changes rarely, and a career path started there.
