Loading...What makes a good Java Technical Lead?
Is this the natural course every Java developer’s career should take? Is every programmer suited to be a competent leader?
A Java Technical Lead should master not just the hard skills it takes to navigate the ins and outs of the job, but consistently exercise sound soft skills and provide guidance to earn the trust of their team.
Receipt to success: hard work, self-training, and a strong will to achieve greatness.
Meet Tudor, Pentalog’s Java Technical Lead, who shared with us the tips and tricks that helped him land his dream job and develop a successful career in the IT field.
From Teacher to Java Developer – A Training Story
Almost 13 years ago, Tudor graduated from the Pedagogic University of Moldova with a degree in IT and started a job as a lecturer at the same university – teaching subjects such as Delphi programming, Introduction to C/C++ programming, and Numerical Methods.
It was at that point he realized that he wanted to pursue a career in the IT field.
The main problem in those years was the lack of opportunity for fresh graduates with no work experience. Nowadays, for example, Pentalog has an internship program for students who are still enrolled in a university, so they have the possibility to gain experience while studying. We did not have that back then, so it was difficult to start a career as a developer.
A man of endless ambition, he decided to leave the university and look for brand new opportunities. The growing popularity of Java technology caught his eye – so he delved into self-training.
With the help of online resources and other materials, Tudor acquired basic Java knowledge within a month. The breakthrough paid off soon after when he managed to land a job as a Java EE Developer at a US-based health insurance company. His main responsibility was to maintain their digital platform. Later, he started developing new products to incorporate into this platform.
Soon after that, Pentalog offered him a developer position he just could not refuse.
Becoming a Java Technical Lead, Step-by-Step
After 3 years of non-stop training and professional evolution, Tudor became a Java Technical Lead at Pentalog.
In this role, he coordinates, oversees and manages all functional & technical work implemented by his team.
He is also responsible for making code reviews and creating delivery artifacts. Because the team is managed in an agile way, they are free to make suggestions with regard to the project.
The main benefit of transparent communication between a Java Technical Lead like Tudor and his team is that they prioritize tasks together, so changes are made in consensus.
If you are not a team leader with experience, even having a technical background will never convince your team in some cases to trust you blindly. It is important to be able to answer not just in front of the client; you also have to be able to face facts with your colleagues.
Career Success – Tudor’s Takeaways
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Keep the client informed about any/all decisions you make and be able to back up your ideas with solid business arguments.
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Consistent internal and external communication is essential in Agile project development, to keep everybody on the same page.
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Stay up to date! Working on new, different projects and with modern technologies will prepare you for future challenges – and consistent career development.
Rise to the Challenge & Evolve as an IT professional!
Being able to work on projects from different industries with different business models is one of the biggest advantages at Pentalog for any IT professional.
Throughout his career, Tudor built websites, developed mobile applications (iOS and Android versions), maintained web applications using Java 6, Java 8, Spring, Hibernate and countless other technologies. Tudor and his team have deployed innovative and useful solutions for the following types of clients:
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A company offering a wide range of insurance & savings services covering the personal and professional areas
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An online concierge that puts users in contact with the consumers and traders in their region
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A digital service for planning, optimizing and tracking field interventions, taking specific business needs into account
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A global leader in the fragrance and flavors industry that produces solutions in the agro-food, perfumery sectors etc.
All these experiences always open the door of opportunity for him. In the role of an Agile Team Leader in Pentalog, Tudor is keen on optimizing the work process and helping his colleagues.
Applying Agile principles in leadership means finding a way to indirectly point to certain priorities and risks. In the end, all team members accepted the final decision and each one of us took responsibility for it. In general, I strive to achieve a self-organized team.
Learning is a continuous process, so online courses, books, and training come in handy – no matter how high you’ve climbed the professional ladder.
Tudor taught himself Scrum Management, Project Management, Risk Management, Coaching and Security. All these trainings only helped him become a better Java Technical Lead, lead a team and solve issues effectively. This is also how he keeps his skills up-to-date and consistently aware of emerging trends.
Other types of activities going on within Pentalog also help him develop his skills.
Do you know, for example, that sports are part of our organizational culture? At Pentalog, we love to engage in team building sports activities that are not only fun, but help us function better as teams.
When we play football, I am the one that organizes the team in the best possible way to win the game. This made me think about a career oriented to leadership.
Do you feel inspired and ready to grow professionally? Check out Pentalog’s Java development jobs and take advantage of this chance to join our amazing team!
