Getting started with software development is not as easy as it seems, especially when you have education in a completely different field behind you. Alek Hristov is an enthusiast who chooses to look for passion in the profession without any restrictions and finds satisfaction in the IT sector. Despite a bachelor's degree in Finance and interest in the field, Alek quickly realized that he did not want to continue his development in this direction and found his passion in technologies.

Today, four years later, and after a lot of effort, Alek Hristov is a Senior Software Engineer at Resolute Software. Alek's story tells how strong the desire for development is and how he finds that in Resolute Software and their aim to discover talents and turn them into experts, part of a happy team.

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At first, I didn't think I was capable of building a working software

When Alek completed his education in Finance, he asked his colleagues, already working in the field, about the nature of the work. However, he did not like the answers and decided that “working on Excel” was not for him. He started looking for a new professional path. Many of his friends were already involved in software engineering and encouraged him to enter the world of technology.

“The truth is that those closest to me pushed me to this change. I remember having a group chat with friends of mine where they often discussed things about programming and used a lot of terminologies. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I was curious. So, I decided to take a basic IT course and see if I like software engineering.” he admits. Initially, Alek begins to study the subject on his own, gets keen on it, and soon applies for the Telerik Academy Alpha program, where he gets accepted for six months of software engineering training.

"That's where the real action started because, for a person who hasn't been in the IT field, the beginning is quite difficult. After gaining some initial knowledge, I started to dig deeper and get into technology," he says.

“In Telerik, we had four modules, each of which was quite complicated. I didn’t think I could manage to do the final product, and when I succeeded, the feeling was very pleasant. In the last module, we made a social network like Twitter, it seemed impossible to me, but the results were great - the development worked, and it looked good. I never imagined that I could create something like this. I was incredibly pleased with myself.” says Alek.

A good engineer should understand both backend and frontend

The training at the Telerik Academy helped Alek’s professional development, and immediately after graduation, he started working as a Junior Software Engineer, focused on the backend. He soon became part of Resolute Software and took on the role of Regular Software Engineer, where he saw an opportunity to develop as a full stack developer.

"I wanted to practice frontend and see how things are on the other side. I knew that Resolute Software would support me in this. During our meeting with Veli Pehlivanov and Hristo Georgiev, I learned that there is no division between backend and frontend, and good specialists need to understand both. That's how they won me over." Alek added.

The first project in the company that Alek worked on was a POC development for an American client. “The project was on Blazor, and it was a very new technology at the time. The challenge began, and the things that we discussed with Resolute Software started to happen - after only two weeks of onboarding, I started working with a client, I entered the frontend world, I came across new technology.” Alek explains.

The project excited him because of all the new technological processes he was studying and because of the communication with an American client. His experience working in the United States during his student years proved helpful because it contributed to easy communication. “Every week, I had to present a demo to the client, showing the progress we have made, and therefore the business talks were also frequent. This is a different experience, and I like it. Some people prefer to focus only on writing code, but I also like to communicate with clients.” he added.

As a Senior Software Engineer, Alek is still working with the client he initially started with. However, the project is different - the team is developing it “from scratch,” and the solution is helping the security sector. The aim is to develop a system in which the customer accesses and enters the circumstances, participants, and vehicles involved in case of a road accident. “The technologies we use are .NET Core and Micro-Frontend with Angular architecture, with Module Federation. For me, Angular is something new at the moment, but fortunately, we have colleagues who have a lot of experience in the field and are happy to share it and help me. However, it is important to always follow the good principles and practices in using the technology we decide to work with,” said Alek, adding that he has been working on various projects for the client for three years.

You know it was all worth it when you see the result

For Alek, the challenges at work are related to getting acquainted with the technology. “In our field, you have to learn constantly, and if you create this habit, you have many advantages in the IT market. At Resolute Software, we strive to choose the latest technologies and constantly upgrade our knowledge. This makes the job even more interesting because every working day is different.” he explains.

The company relies on external training and courses to maintain its high technological level. The software engineers also have a common channel where everyone can share different information. Despite the wide variety of sources, one of the most valuable things in Resolute Software is that colleagues rely mostly on each other.

"When I use new technology, I look for help and advice from colleagues. We have specialists with over 15-20 years of experience in programming, and I always turn to them when I encounter difficulty. In addition, I like learning from various videos and channels; for me, this works very successfully when it comes to following new trends in technology." says Alek about what helps him the most in professional development.

According to him, the most important thing to succeed in the IT sector is to keep on moving forward and not give up. “Every beginning is difficult and requires a lot of work; one must be fully committed to it when something is unknown but is worth it. You encounter many challenges, but then you draw the line; you will be amazed by yourself and how much knowledge and skills you have gained. I see how exciting and different every day at Resolute Software is. I think of different logics, I solve problems, and when I immerse myself in them, the working day passes very quickly.”