In our latest interview, we sat down with Valentyna Chycha, Senior Software Test Engineer at Paylocity, who shared an inspiring look into her career journey - from a surprising start in software testing during her studies in Ukraine to a leadership role in a fast-paced U.S. tech environment. Valentyna reflects on the power of resilience, mentorship, and self-advocacy in navigating challenges such as micromanagement and underrepresentation. Her thoughtful insights highlight how continuous learning, clear communication, and inner confidence can shape a successful and fulfilling career in tech.
Imposter Syndrome (IS) is an experience where we are doubting ourselves and feeling like a fraud. Sometimes, it feels like you don’t deserve the accolades given to you and sometimes it literally feels like you are so stupid and incapable of doing the job given to you. Have you ever encountered such an experience? Well, you are not the only one. It happens to everyone from time-to-time.
How do I approach the role of a leader? From my point of view it is about the vision of how I can influence in the long term 2 target groups and create both Happy Customers and Employee & Lifetime Value. How to achieve this? I think the way is to perform and transform teams at the same time. It’s a question of how to prepare the team for long-term success through short-term goals and an unshakeable vision. How do I do that? I try to be fully authentic and whatever I’m expecting from my own leader, I try to embody in my own leadership.
The story of Julie Klimentová and Anastasia Kuperberg is similar to one from a movie. Julie who, according to her mentee, has the dream job as a Software Engineer at Microsoft, helped her mentee switch careers and become a Junior front-end developer. In this light-hearted interview, the mentoring pair shares what they learned from each other, and it ends on a positive note, with probably the biggest compliment a mentee can receive from a mentor.
Imposter syndrome is a common issue that mentees deal with, and, for many, the reason why they seek the help of a mentor in the first place. But as a mentor, how can you actually get to the root of the problem and truly help them?We asked Šimon Steffal, Founder and Chief Vision Officer of Mindset Mentors, for some tips on how you can help your mentee turn things around.
A network isn’t strictly the people you meet at networking or recruiting events for the purpose of getting a job. It’s everyone you’ve ever met, from your neighbor to the new dentist you went to last week, it’s every single person that you’re in contact with. But to capture the true value of a strong network, you have to be a bit more strategic. Build out a plan for what you want long term, write out your goals, and be specific about what you want this network for.
Is it possible to run any kind of business or build a successful career without taking risks? Sure, some people can live their whole lives risk-free (as far as their job is concerned), but if that is not what you want, you will have to learn how to manage risk-taking.
Do you tend to ask Google for career guidance? Although it might work in several cases, the information shared on the internet is not always tailored to your needs. The World Wide Web has millions of resources, including books, articles, videos, or online workshops. But these resources usually share general information that may apply to one situation and totally differ for another.
We need to accept that remote work is becoming more present. Many of us switched into a hybrid model or work just from home, yet none of us was taught how to effectively communicate and make impact when all we have is a screen, phone or email. It is harder than seeing colleagues in person every day, simply because of the lack of face-to-face contacts. So here is how to master the art of remote interactions.
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