Want to get a head start and make the most of your career path? Our mentors are there to help you map out the road you want to take to help you get ready for this adventure. To help you get a wider picture of what our Junior Development Program looks like from our Mentors point of view, we had a chat with them about what makes this program stand out, why they decided to become mentors in the first place, what they are most proud of relating to this program and so much more.
Without further ado, let’s hear their story!
Why did you want to become a mentor in the first place?
Dino Rac, QA Delivery Lead: From my perspective, one of the greatest things that a person can achieve is to help others to achieve their goals and dreams.
Katarina Milenkovic, Java Software Engineer: Being a mentor is a new challenge for me. I can expand and re-evaluate my knowledge. I am glad that I can help because having a mentor means a lot to every beginner.
What are the key takeaways from your mentoring in this Junior Development Program?
Dusan Trtica, Java Software Engineer: During this program, I have learned a lot from my colleagues, mentors, and interns, which means I have gained invaluable experience. Young people are motivated to work, learn and overcome new obstacles. I like the burning enthusiasm they show every morning when they come to work. I also believe that this is a great opportunity for HTEC to encourage young minds to become experts in their field of expertise, develop and contribute to the company along the way.
Goran Pantic, Front-end Developer : I learned how different people could develop in different ways. Even with exactly the same mentorship, different people will express themselves differently and grow in different areas. I also reminded myself of the time when I was starting and how some things, which might seem simple now, were very hard back then.
Djordje Stanic, Software Engineer: The most important takeaway is that while we are helping them, they also help us. Yes, I am a mentor, but during the process, I learn a lot from them also, daily. My goal during this program is not only to show them how to achieve excellence in a technical sense and complete company tasks, but to have colleagues who I can work with, rely on, and have a great time with even after work.
How does this program stand out from other similar programs? What benefits does it offer? Why would you recommend someone to join this program?
Petar Kovac, Software Engineer: The concept of this internship is carefully planned and constructed in a way that everything matters, from how to write an email to a client to how to think before you code something. Participants have learned that building a relationship with a client is essential just as much as writing code and building features. Being a programmer or a tester is so much more than just writing code, testing features. There are so many different opportunities and options that one can choose from, and I’m sure that participants have felt that during the program.
Filip Kis, Software Engineer: This program stands out from other similar programs because the program project is closest to a “real” project as it can be. The benefits of the program include:
- Working in a medium-sized team.
- Interacting with the client daily.
- Taking ownership of the development and delivery of specific parts of the project.
I would recommend this program to anyone who wishes to kickstart their IT career as it provides a strong foundation for a number of different IT roles.
Uros Drakulic, Quality Assurance Engineer: The program’s main benefit is that it allows candidates to have a complete insight into how things inside the IT team are functioning. I would definitely recommend JDP to every new face in the industry — I think this is a great entry point and opportunity.
What advice would you give to the current participants of the program?
Marko Manic, QA Tech Lead & Project Manager: Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Don’t be afraid to ask if you are not sure about how something works.
- Make sure you present your hard work to the client and the team; otherwise, they might not be aware of your achievements.
- Try not to doubt yourself and your chances to achieve success.
- Be professional but relaxed at the same time.
- Always come prepared for a meeting.
- Suggest new ideas, let your creativity flow.
- Follow the program modules and try not to waste too much time on other things that might be interesting to you but are not part of the program.
- Work closely with your fellow JDP engineers, build a team spirit, and don’t look at them as competition.
Marija Barjaktarovic, Software Engineer:
Be a team player. If you are a part of a team, you have to get into the team player role completely! You should constantly communicate with your team to ensure that everyone is working toward the same goal. Team players always support each other. The team should share the knowledge, easily discuss all the challenges and problems, and even find the best solutions during their coffee break. It does happen, you know. 🙂
Be patient. Juniors usually want everything at once. But, sometimes, it takes time to achieve your goals — to “magically” work the code, to learn the tests, to find out the best approach. 🙂
Never give up. No one likes failures! But it is an integral part of this work. Failures, bugs, ambiguities…these happen to everyone. The most important thing is to learn that there is a solution to every problem! I will tell you my recipe for how to deal with these situations: Take a break, go outside, take some chocolate, chill out a little bit. Try to find the root cause of the problem and focus on that. 🙂
What are you most proud of relating to this program, your progress, and the participants’ progress?
Nemanja Janosev, Software Engineer: I’m most proud of the participants’ progress. They have managed to overcome different technical challenges, learn new technologies, practice communication with clients, and adopt business processes quickly.
Bojan Djakovic, Software Engineer: From my point of view, communication is the main thing you need to develop and improve as a QA, so based on that, I am most proud of the participants’ improvement of their communication and technical skills. As a mentor, I did learn more about my communication skills and how to improve my knowledge transfer, so other participants can adapt to working on real projects faster and better.
Is there anything else you’d like to highlight?
Miljana Petrovic, Quality Assurance Engineer: At HTEC Group, we nurture a knowledge-sharing culture. You can always learn new things formally through the JDP by asking a colleague, chatting in the hallway, emailing, or contacting any department (depending on what interests you). I think this might be the most interesting thing for any newcomers.
Ivan Cosic, Software Engineer: Do not be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone to learn something new. This program is an excellent opportunity for any newcomer in the IT industry, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to start their software development career.
Ready to make a change?
Have we sparked your curiosity? Do you want to work with a great team on a simulation of a challenging real-world project and gain an insight into HTEC’s culture, a diverse range of industries, and clients?
Explore our internship opportunities and join us by the 5th of October.
During a fantastic three-month-long journey, you will:
- be a part of a project team
- work on a simulation of client project
- learn from dedicated mentors
- get a monthly salary
- get a chance to continue your career at HTEC after the end of the program
To get all the details about our JDP, visit our site.
Want to know what it’s like to be a part of the JDP and what values it brings? We talked with our mentors about what makes this program stand out from the rest. So, stay tuned!!!