Imagine the Perfect Workplace. How would you describe it?
Five years ago the perfect workplace was beyond my imagination. This article is meant to be an introspection of why, and what has changed since then.
I started my career as a PHP developer in 2008 working at a small company with a team of 3 developers. We worked with Symfony (back then it was Symfony 1.) on various small projects.
I had a good technical coach and a friendly team but still – something was missing. I would come to work – day after day with the following thought on my mind:
I’m capable of so much more. I just need the right environment to really thrive!
This thought process continued at the next 3 companies I worked for, the biggest having 200+ employees. Each place was cool in their own way, but again – not exactly what I was looking for.
I was looking for true career growth.
In 2013, I was invited to interview at Pentalog – my first technical interview. By the end of the selection process I was told about the potential project I could work for. I was intrigued, so I accepted the challenge.
Pentalog was the first company on the Moldovan market with a large PHP team and a healthy environment for professional development.
I dove in and there is no doubt in my mind this was the best professional decision I ever made.
7 things I Looked for During a PHP Job Switch
Professional Development for all Employees
As an IT engineer my environment is constantly changing. Technological BOOM happens every single day.
Working on the same project for 2 years makes it difficult to keep an eye on what’s going on in the industry.
I was looking for a company like Pentalog, that can handle that for me. The culture of professional growth is in its very definition.
Failure is at the Start of every Success Story
IT is a field where enthusiasts get to be creative. This creativity can either lead to great achievements or failures.
In order to encourage the innovative engineering spirit, employers should accept failures and support creativity.
At Pentalog, there are many success stories coming from previous failure.
A Strong PHP Team
Being an expert in PHP and working for a company where PHP is not the main focus means that you are likely to be left behind on the labor market within a year or so.
Challenging Technologies
Engineering is a job and a great job should be fun. It should provide your brain with technical endorphins.
At Pentalog I learned a technological stack that was completely new to me. (Symfony 2, MongoDb, MariaDB, etc.).
Super challenging, but fun!
A Friendly Environment
I’m an employee, but before that I’m a human being. And I like to be treated that way.
A negative environment that prevents you from working efficiently or makes you counterproductive can really affect how you view the workforce.
Ask for feedback from the community on companies where you will or have been interviewed. It’ll help you make the right decision about your job switch.
Collaboration, not Subordination
Engineering calls for creativity. Creativity is impossible in a place where you’re made to feel like you don’t matter – period.
Financial Aspects Cannot be Ignored
Professional evolution is by definition continuous. This implies a huge effort from an engineer’s side to keep up with the constant evolution in our industry. Compensation for that effort was paramount for me in choosing the perfect job.
Pentalog was the first to offer that.
After 5 years, I’m still here. Why?
The average job switch interval in the IT industry is about 3 years. At Pentalog it’s 7. This speaks for itself.
Ask me why I’m still here? This is why:
- I thrive in a dynamic technical environment.
- Every year comes with new career challenges.
- There are 100 technical experts around me in Chisinau and about 1000 around the world, and everyone shares the same culture.
- Pentalog invests in my career growth, by providing things like regular trainings.
- I feel free to create anything from both a technical or organizational standpoint and Pentalog has always provided me with support I needed.
If you share the same goals and values, join our team!
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Pentalog is recruiting 80 developers for new projects starting in January 2018 in Romania. Apply now!