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.
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.
Our mentor Radka Kristyna Chobotova and her mentee Juliana Arbelaez Gaviria come from different backgrounds and yet they found a common ground through mentoring. The thing that resonates with them both is feminism. From sharing their experience with mentoring, the conversation evolved into a lively discussion on feminism. Read below how (and why!) all of us can be a little more feminist and see how science and humanitarian help cross paths.
Have you ever thought of writing a plan for your life, thinking in what direction your career should develop? Or do you think it's not required and better to live every day as your last day? I have discussed the topic with Professional Life Coach Kristina Škrabalová and realized that life planning is nothing you should be skeptical of, but on the contrary, give it a chance and embrace it.
Barbora Urbanova (the co-founder of BrainFAQ Brno) is one of those whose business got hit the most by the pandemic. Shortly after she had her second child, she had to come up with a plan to sustain her escape room business after all the venues were shut down due to the lockdown. With the help of an experienced marketing mentor, Marcela Krzemien (Digital Marketing Consultant), she found ways to overcome those challenges and come out of the crisis stronger than before. Read her and Marcela’s mentoring journey.
Do you have a learning budget to spend, but you are unsure if to invest in mentoring or coaching? Do you struggle to understand the benefits of each? I asked Misa Kozinova, Executive Coach and Leadership Mentor, to share her experience and specify each development program's differences.
In this fast-paced world, we all feel we need more than 24 hours in a day. We try to be as productive as possible and often forget to take care of ourselves, even though that’s the most important thing for our health. Natalia Zvachova and Barbora Novomeska, founders of the concept Spokoy, share their tips on how to relax.
Roxana is a wonderful example of what an impact mentoring for employees can have not only on the team, but on the company as a whole. As a part of the mentoring program, Maja Seggerman, an international Business Consultant and Coach, helped her mentee Roxana Nica, a content manager at GLAMI, get a promotion, boost her confidence, develop new leadership skills, and fight her inner critic. Thanks to Roxana’s manager, also other GLAMI employees had the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and bring in new valuable insights to improve not only their individual performance, but also the overall output of the team and the business.
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