How Scalefocus Academy upgraded his theory with practical skills
Hey, Graduate! Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Damian Hristov and I am a Java Software Engineer at Scalefocus. Before that I was a university student with various part-time jobs. Outside of work I like playing football, volleyball and going out with friends.
How did you decide to pursue a career in IT?
When I was a young boy, I played a lot of video games. I would spend more than 6 hours a day in front of my computer (...if not more). That was a bit of a problem, I would forget every task that my parents have left me to do and often they would come home and find that there was something that I didn’t do. They would ground me for a day without video games, but one day it struck me - if my work consists of staying in front of the computer, my parents can’t ground me like this anymore! After that I was certain that I wanted to become a software engineer.
What inspired you to apply for the Academy?
When I applied for jobs in the IT field there was always something that I didn’t quite understand - my theory knowledge was great but I was lacking practice. Then I saw an ad about the Academy, and to be honest – I was a bit sceptic about it but I applied anyway. That the best decision I have ever made.
Was it hard to balance between the Academy and your everyday life?
I am not gonna lie, it’s not easy. The first two weeks in the Academy were very hard for me, but that was just what I needed - to see where my weak points were, to know what I was lacking, to learn how to overcome the challenges.
That feeling that you get after completing some super hard task and finally seeing it work properly just the way you want it to - that feeling is irreplaceable. Don’t you ever give up, don’t think that you can’t make it, you can always think yourself out of hard situations and remember you are not alone, there are always your friends from the academy, your mentor that will tell you what to focus on and the academy teacher that will do anything to help you!
Did you manage to bond with the others from the Academy (students, mentor and tutors)?
That was the best part of the academy, all the friendships that are made, we are a big family that can always count on each other, even though we are all now spending time on our projects, we are still in touch.
Highlight the top 3 most valuable lessons you’ve learned during the Academy.
TAKE BREAKS! That was the most important lesson, sometimes a one-hour break can save you a lot of time spent on trying to find a solution!
The academy values you, no one will deny helping you, no matter how busy they are!
Don’t be shy, show your approach and ask if that’s the correct way.
Describe the 90-day journey with 1 word
Enlightening!