We must not forget that we are in the cockpit of our own development

Introduce yourself in a few words..
A person driven by their curiosity to explore the world. For the past 6 years, I have been part of Telerik Academy, where I am responsible for building and developing our team and for career counseling in our IT career start programs.

How would you describe your career in a few words?
I follow what I love to do, and so far it has taken me to amazing places. At one point, I was part of a giant corporation, and then – in a startup where the entire team fit into 10 desks. I immersed myself in different industries in Bulgaria and the Netherlands. The diversity of the places gave me valuable perspectives, and the people in them – lessons and inspiration.

What was the most important choice that shaped your path?
The choice of how to choose – by following my interests, because for me that is the only way to feel happy and fulfilled professionally.

What would you have liked to know at the beginning of your career that no one told you?
That it would be useful for me to learn to refine things to the last detail, and then – to forget about it.

How can a person understand which profession is suitable for them?
By giving themselves permission to experiment. For me, a wonderful tool for this was internships. Even during my bachelor's degree, I identified several fields that excited me and tried each of them. Before starting my first permanent job, I already had 5 internships and 2 temporary positions in different roles and organizational cultures. So, when I chose what to continue with, I had a good idea of what was more suitable for me at that moment in terms of environment and responsibilities. Find your way to ensure a field for experimentation.

Which skills do you think will be key in the next 10 years?
The ability to put things in context, to think critically, and to make the best possible decisions in conditions of uncertainty. Also, the ability for self-reflection and empathy, to better understand ourselves and the world we live in as a whole.

How to build a network of useful contacts without appearing interested?
I think that appearing interested – and most importantly, being so – is actually the first condition for building a quality network of contacts. If we are not excited about the person opposite us, the interaction takes on a transactional character.

What is the biggest mistake you have made in your career, and what did you learn from it?
I remember how during one of my first internships my manager told me: “I want you to stir up the biggest mess you are capable of today.” I think he recognized in me the desire to avoid mistakes at all costs. It took me time to learn to accept and understand them. At a certain point in your career, you cannot be flawless because you deal with situations where there is simply no “right” and “wrong.” The ability to move forward without the fear of making mistakes or failing holding us back is a skill that develops. The sooner, the better.

How to recognize a toxic work environment and when is it time to leave?
When we feel a mismatch at the value level between us and the environment we are in. These are differences that are difficult to overcome. Conversely, if the team is guided by a shared ethical and moral compass, then potential conflicts and tensions are only on the surface, and they calm down more easily.

What would you do differently if you could start over?
I would give myself a little more free time between studying and working, which I would dedicate entirely to life experience. Such moments of self-exploration are invaluable, and what I learn from them is often transferable later in a professional context.

How to maintain our motivation in times of stagnation?
By looking within ourselves. It’s wonderful when our environment stimulates us, but we must not forget that we are in the cockpit when it comes to our own development. Use the quieter periods to enhance your skills. Take the initiative and join an organizational project with another team to utilize more of your talents. Reflect on the path you have traveled over the past months/years and acknowledge your successes to yourself.

How to achieve a balance between professional and personal life?
For me, it has always been easiest to view the two not as two sides of a scale, but as part of a whole – my life as a whole. This perspective invites us to see how one nourishes the other, rather than being in opposition to it. It helps a lot when a person enjoys the professional field they are developing in and can be themselves when they work. Here we are not talking about fixing our gaze solely on work and letting everything else lose importance. Work, family, personal interests - all of them can be part of a kaleidoscope and still maintain their outlines.

When is it time to change our career, not just our job?
When we feel that we have permanently changed the course of what interests us and we would do with satisfaction even without being paid. If we catch ourselves thinking “what if...” and feel that we are both excited and scared, perhaps that moment has come.

If you had to give only one piece of advice to people seeking success, what would it be?
Do not view success as an end in itself. I discovered for myself back in university that when I do not chase successes, but simply dedicate myself to what ignites me from within, everything else follows naturally and easily. This does not mean a person should not have dreams and goals, but to be driven by internal motivation and desire, rather than by accompanying external markers.

What is your definition of a “successful career”?
A career that makes you happy, complementing and nourishing the person you are. Thus, it grows with you, not at your expense.