To “climb” the ladder of professional success, different people need different skills and knowledge. The ecosystem where the specialist is trying to climb those stairs is very important. Best opportunities equally for all – this is how the employees of Synergy International Systems, Inc. Armenia describe the environment where they have been working and succeeding for years.
This story of Mediamax is about the opportunities provided to software developers to climb the professional ladder at Synergy. The heroes of our story were at different professional levels when they joined the company, but they have had a successful experience of being promoted, occupying high positions and have become managers.
New horizons for established specialists
Artush Ghandilyan is a Department Head. He graduated from the Faculty of Informatics and Applied Mathematics of the Yerevan State University and got his master’s degree at the Department of Innovation and High Technology of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
Artush Ghandilyan Photo: Mediamax
Artush joined Synergy as an established and experienced specialist. In a short period of time he has become a senior specialist in the company. Artush considers Synergy a company where you can make a brilliant technical career and “turn mountains” if you work hard.
“Several conditions are needed for the development of specialists. The company should have clear requirements for its employees, which will “force” them to develop and meet those requirements. There should be more experienced specialists in the work environment from whom you can learn. Opportunities for growth and progress must be created (resources: online courses, conferences, books, study time, consistency). Motivation is another important factor, when your colleagues motivate you, and show the importance of your work and how important it is to get better in it. On the whole, a well-developed educational culture is needed for growing within the company,” says Artush Ghandilyan, who is a Department Head at Synergy.
Artush has redesigned and updated Synergy’s Competence Framework for Software Engineers. It maps out what specific knowledge and skills are needed to reach the next professional level. That is, a beginner software developer can see all the stairs of the professional success ladder from the very beginning - the detailed description of the path from minor to senior specialist.
“There are many resources and countless materials to learn. Our toolkit helps employees to find out exactly what they need to learn in order to develop and grow, in what order, at what levels,” says Artush Ghandilyan.
Artush Ghandilyan Photo: Mediamax
His initiative to update the Competence Framework has also inspired other partners, and some of them decided to create a separate platform for it, a special app, where each employee will have their own account and will be able to see their development.
“The most important guarantee for success is desire, diligence and motivation. Magic doesn’t make for success. There is work that you do, and if you take it seriously, thinking not only about your own growth but also about the development and technical strengthening of other team members, then you succeed,” says Artush, who has twice been recognized Synergy’s best employee.
Kim Saroyan is the hero of another story about conquering new horizons at Synergy. He is a Database Architect/DBA Manager, who started working for the company when he was already a senior specialist. Although he was experienced, it did not stop him from creating a new path for development at Synergy. He knew he was in the right place from the very first day when he saw “the approaches, the atmosphere and the work of the professional team.”
Kim Saroyan Photo: Mediamax
“Synergy is a place where a senior specialist has a wide range of opportunities, not only in terms of deepening knowledge, but also in terms of making decisions, creating innovations, always being a few steps ahead. In our company, everyone is constantly learning - from beginners to senior specialists. We are always researching without any limitations, and the good foundation we have allows us to have a vision for tomorrow. What the customer might need tomorrow, our team has already done yesterday,” says Kim Saroyan, who has been working for the company for 5 years and is now DBA Manager.
Kim likes his work especially because this is a field where new demands, new problems and challenges are emerging all the time.
Kim Saroyan Photo: Mediamax
“Synergy’s most important approach is professional freedom. It is the main precondition for using innovations. Each specialist here can make suggestions related to his field and change direction. As for development, since we create world-class products, therefore the demands for professional knowledge and skills are the same. We must be innovative in order to be able to meet those requirements,” says Kim Saroyan.
From summer school student to Systems Architect and Team Lead
Armen Mkrtchyan is a Systems Architect/Team Lead. He joined the team after finishing the Synergy Summer School. Armen has become Systems Architect from a beginner specialist in 5 years and is now engaged in one of the most difficult jobs from a technical point of view.
Armen Mkrtchyan Photo: Mediamax
“The biggest opportunity Synergy has given me was hiring me without a job experience. When you are doing your job well, it is evaluated fairly, and conditions for growth are created. There was no secret formula that I have managed to become Systems Architect in 5 years, I simply did my job with love and a sense of responsibility. All the employees have equal opportunities to succeed, and the work is always evaluated,” says Armen Mkrtchyan, adding that the experience and the skills to use it are very important.
He says that Systems Architect is a very responsible job. To satisfy professional ambitions, Armen attaches importance to the possibility of growth.
Armen Mkrtchyan Photo: Mediamax
“Professional growth is directly connected with the growth of the project you have created. They complement each other, and it gives great satisfaction if the specialist clearly sees the path of development of the system he has designed,” says Armen Mkrtchyan.
Harutyun Harutyunyan is a Department Head. He also joined the company after the summer school, when he was still a beginner software developer and was studying at the University.
“Education has always been a priority for me and my family. This is why I wanted to find a job that was compatible with my studies. Synergy gave me that opportunity,” says Harutyun.
Harutyun Harutyunyan Photo: Mediamax
It took him only 4 years to become a Team Lead. Senior Software Developer Harutyun now leads one of the largest teams at Synergy, which includes the big teams of Yerevan and Artsakh with their 4 leaders.
During the years of working in the company, Harutyun has managed to not only develop deep technical knowledge, but also leadership skills, due to which he can lead such a large department.
“The person will succeed if he is not only interested in his narrow task, but also wants to learn and do more. The industry is constantly growing, and the opportunity to succeed at Synergy is open to everyone, and the specialists here are never limited,” says Harutyun.
Harutyun Harutyunyan Photo: Mediamax
Becoming a Team Lead has coincided with the opening of a Synergy branch in Stepanakert. “In a short period of time a strong team was formed in Stepanakert. I was lucky enough to work with them. It was a very important stage for both me and my colleagues. It turned out to be a very good coalition. We have managed to excellently work together and grow together. The manager must constantly develop along with his team, learn new things, because if he has nothing to teach the team, the team will not be excited to work with him.”
To lead a big team, Harutyun says, it is important to constantly develop and “keep a finger on the pulse of the market.”
Marie Tarian
Photos: Emin Aristakesyan
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