Collaborating with experts: The ultimate path to learning and growth

Daniel Kiryakov is 29 years old, born in Yambol. He studied in the Sofia High School of Mathematics, followed by a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering at the university of Duisburg-Essen.

 1.    What is the path you have followed in the company?
I spent five years in Germany pursuing my bachelor’s degree, during which I made my first steps in the IT field as a front-end developer.
It was always my goal to eventually come home, and after graduating, I returned to Bulgaria looking for opportunities to continue to develop. It did not take long before I discovered Schwarz IT and began my career as a Junior Developer in the Integration team. It has been almost a year since that, and I have never doubted that I made the right decision.

2.    What was the first thing that impressed you at Schwarz IT Bulgaria?
The most impressive for me was the positive and encouraging atmosphere in the company. The colleagues come from many different backgrounds and professional fields but are all united in their friendliness, creativity and enthusiasm. This creates an environment which anyone would enjoy working in, and for me made the start in the company a pleasant and easy process.

3.    What has been your greatest achievement at the company?
Being part of a relatively new team, it was very motivating to see my colleagues and myself becoming valuable members in different projects. We have taken over key responsibilities and built a great relationship with our German coworkers, and it feels like we’re helping to increase the importance of Schwarz IT Bulgaria to the whole Schwarz community.

4.    What is the most valuable lesson you have learned on the job?
I learned a valuable lesson, there is never only one right answer to a problem, and creativity should always be encouraged. Discuss with colleagues and always be active. A bad idea said out loud is better than a great idea that stays in your head.

5.    What challenges do you face and what helps you to overcome them?
I don’t like repetitive work and I came into the company hoping to have a variety of different tasks and skills to work with. I was certainly not disappointed. I am currently on a team developing an internal portal for the company, as well as working on many different interfaces for the integration team. Managing my time between different projects and assignments can be challenging at times, but with the help of more experienced colleagues I am always able to find a solution.

6.    What motivates you to develop?
The amount of opportunities I have to learn new things and improve my skills is amazing. Working together with people who are experts in their field is the best way to learn, and I get to do that every day here. I feel confident that I will always be ahead of any changes in this dynamic industry, and be well prepared for whatever challenge comes up.