How can you succeed in a career where you never see your colleagues in person and spend most of your day at home? In the dynamic realm of software development, professionals face many challenges amidst the industry's rapid evolution. For Vissarion Chakvetadze, a Senior Software Engineer, this ever-changing landscape is an opportunity to excel.
We interviewed Vissarion, a professional Senior Software Engineer with over a decade of experience developing cutting-edge solutions for mobile and online giving for churches and nonprofit organizations. Mr. Chakvetadze shared valuable insights on being yourself and succeeding in this ever-changing online world.
Keep in touch with the social community. Many people share their experiences and ideas, so you will never feel alone.
Online work has become integral to our lives, mainly catalyzed by the pandemic. While some hesitated to embrace the digital age fully, the lockdown left many with no choice but to adapt. Although the pandemic is behind us, the world has changed, with online opportunities attracting employers and workers alike. However, online work comes with new challenges, including limiting real-life interactions. In such cases, it is important to remember that the people on the other side of the screen are the same individuals as before. For instance, Vissarion's decision to embrace remote work has proven to be a transformative step in his career. "Through platforms like Toptal, I have had the opportunity to work on various full-time projects, collaborate with talented individuals worldwide, and participate in mentoring programs that have enriched my professional journey," says Mr. Chakvetadze.
In his position, Vissarion has been a key team member in developing a single-page front-end app for a web portal used by client organizations for donation management. His work has succeeded in implementing single-page application functionality, releasing updates, writing unit and automated tests, and setting up monitoring tools for high availability.
"One of my work's most challenging yet rewarding aspects has been implementing mission-critical modules, including donations, onboarding, and integrations," adds Mr. Chakvetadze. These modules have significantly enhanced the platform's functionality and user experience. Furthermore, his expertise in defining modules, layers, and relations between them has enabled the establishment of extensive type-checking rules using static code analysis tools, ensuring the platform's robustness and reliability.
The transition of Mr. Chakvetadze to the online sphere demonstrates that there is no need to fear staying alone. Online communities offer a unique opportunity to connect with and learn from professionals worldwide. Physical location becomes irrelevant in this globalized digital environment.
If you can't see your colleagues in person, that doesn't mean you can't collaborate with them. Many tools will keep you and your remote team in sync and boost your team's productivity—your location and time zone are no longer an issue.
Many online applications can simplify and enhance users' lives. User-friendly online libraries, for instance, empower countless individuals to access vital information without stepping outside. You can use apps for messaging and video conferencing, sharing screen recordings, time tracking, managing holidays and days off, and many other tools that cover every aspect of remote collaboration.
Professionals like Vissarion play a crucial role in crafting interfaces that are both accessible and intuitive for everyday users. Mr. Chakvetadze has played a pivotal role in developing and architecting libraries of shared user interface (UI) components, hosting and distributing them with Storybook. It has helped to standardize UI elements and improve consistency across applications.
Vissarion's leadership in migrating the codebase from multiple repositories to a mono repo has reduced the number of deployments required to release significant new features. Still, it has also enhanced code maintainability and collaboration among team members.
"We dedicate significant effort to enhancing our development process, setting aside approximately 20% of our time on Fridays for engineering tasks. This focused effort includes refactoring and improving our codebase. With several React web apps in our arsenal, we manage our code efficiently through a mono repository, ensuring a streamlined development environment," says Vissarion.
Diversity is the key to happiness. Life is so interesting, and work is only a part of it.
Working from home offers a great deal of freedom. A significant advantage is the time saved from commuting, which notably increases free time. However, this fact can also lead to relaxation and losing control over your life. Therefore, it is important to remember your interests, hobbies, and passions outside of work. Allocating time to social life in general and looking ahead is crucial for maintaining balance.
As for Mr. Chakvetadze, he is deeply committed to advancing the field of software engineering. He has participated as an expert in the TechGenius hackathon, where he served as a member of the jury board for the agriculture topic, specifically focusing on developing AI solutions for predicting the degree of development of crop diseases. "Participating in the TechGenius hackathon as a jury member was an enriching experience. It was inspiring to see the creativity and innovation displayed by the participants. Being able to contribute to developing new ideas and AI solutions in software engineering was incredibly fulfilling, and I look forward to continuing to support and nurture talent in the industry," shares Vissarion.
Looking toward the future, Vissarion Chakvetadze remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation in software development. He plans to continue his work in revolutionizing mobile and online giving, aiming further to enhance the platform's functionality and user experience. "I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead in the field of software engineering," says Mr. Chakvetadze. "I plan to explore new technologies and methodologies that can drive positive change in the industry. My goal is to continue exploring new frontiers of what is possible and to create solutions that truly make a difference."
