Сareer lessons from N-iXers: What my first job taught me

We never forget our first jobs. It’s usually the time of rapid development and ridiculous fails. It’s the time when we learn the lessons that shape our future professional lives.

Looking back at their first job experiences, four N-iXers share the most valuable lessons which defined their career paths and helped them succeed.

Understand your client’s business and become a client’s partner

Yaroslav Mota, Senior. NET Engineer, Lviv

Early on in my career, I realized that I should think beyond software engineering tasks. I figured out how critical it is to understand the client’s business and take ownership of my work. Many see the work of developers as receiving requirements, building a solution, and delivering it to the customer. But if you want to grow, you need to challenge your assignments and work closely with the customer to solve their problem.

Working at N-iX for 3 years now, I can see clearly how clients appreciate people who are able to speak up and take on responsibility. When you are a problem solver, not just a programmer, the value you bring is much bigger.

Work closely with the customer and exceed their expectations

Oleksandr Shedin, Delivery Manager, Kyiv

I landed my first job in a software company that cooperated with the Ukrainian Postal Service (Ukrposhta) in 2002. Based on the handbook on the methodology of correspondence processing, my colleague and I created an MVP for automation of one of the key processes. The client was greatly surprised. Back in 2002, such an approach was completely new. Thus, it helped me realize the importance of giving to a client more than expected.

What I also learned is that involving a customer in the early stages of the project is vital. Not all the things were explained in the documentation and manuals. Moreover, the automation process significantly differs from a manual one. So we had to change and transform many things.

Having worked at N-iX for 2,5 years, I can state that these lessons still apply today. Customer orientation, innovation, and exceeding customer expectations are all valuable aspects of truly successful work.

Learn to analyze and set priorities

Yaroslav Kisylychka, Solution Group Lead, Lviv

I got my first job at a small Polish company that created games using J2ME. It gave me a ton of opportunities, and I was doing my best to seize them. I was excited to learn something new and accomplish new tasks. But, at this early stage, I lacked an understanding of how to prioritize them and how to figure out where to invest my best effort. There, I learned how important it is to analyze your experience, evaluate your impact, see what you are good at and what you should improve. The earlier you start analyzing your fails and gains, learning from your mistakes, the more often you’ll celebrate your accomplishments.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, you’ll learn from them

Nadiia Rak, Lead Travel Manager, Lviv

When I was a student, I had an internship as a notary’s assistant. It was the first real job for me, and everything was totally new. I was so inexperienced that I had this strong fear of doing something wrong. That’s why I tried to avoid the tasks I didn’t know how to do and focused on what I knew instead.

With time, I realized that a person can learn anything and that it is critical not to be afraid to make mistakes. It is better than doing nothing and learning nothing. At the following jobs, I learned how to approach different people, give constructive feedback, and I also developed my empathy skills.

Having worked at N-iX for 4,5 years, I grew with the company that has become more than 5 times bigger since the day I joined. Here, I have always felt the freedom to lead and take risks. Now, I am the one who encourages my team not to be afraid to step up and look for creative solutions.