Joining TeleSoftas. My Journey

I have been a mid-level/senior ‘full-stack’ Developer for a few years (as per Nigerian standards – which expects a Developer to be able to work with a wide range of technologies). This experience allowed me to delve into different programming platforms – from Backend to Web and then to Mobile. This has always been the norm for me until I began to realize the value of specialization.

I came to the point where I wanted to master one of the technologies I work with daily. This moved me to begin to have an in-depth look at Backend development with .Net core, by being part of large-scale projects and keeping up with all the new standards and patterns in the framework. From there I developed a strong desire to be a part of a team where I can experience software development at its finest.

Getting to Know TeleSoftas

When I saw the TeleSoftas job ad on LinkedIn, I quickly checked the company. I also came across a very interesting video on YouTube by ‘Digital Explorers’ where developers described how the company values employee happiness and provides a stress-free environment where developers are at their best. Then it dawned on me that TeleSoftas is the company I really want to be a part of.

Here is the video in case it might be helpful to somebody:

Working at TeleSoftas meant moving to Abuja. But, since I was based in Lagos and wasn’t considering a move, my enthusiasm was altered by a sense of uncertainty. I carried the uncertainty with me through the interview process. I found that the interview process was a little longer than I expected.

The Process

Aside from an automated multichoice test, I had a discussion with HR and the Country Manager, then I was moved to the next stage, which was named ‘A Day @ TeleSoftas’. This stage included a live coding session as well as a technical interview.  Everyone involved in the requirement process paid attention to every detail, especially Marius. Marius is the .NET Tech Team Lead at TeleSoftas, and it was evident to me that he was there to select the very best (He had good jokes too😁). By that point, I had learned a whole lot more about TeleSoftas, to the point where I was convinced it was worth making the move to Abuja.

The Team

Upon getting to Abuja on the 5^th of January and meeting the team for the first time, I must say that I quickly began to realize that I made a great decision. The warm and exciting welcome gave me a lot to look forward to. I learned the key mindset of TeleSoftas – Happy Employees = Happy Business. We also had exciting outings, where we got to learn a lot about each other. While I did experience challenges with settling into the new city, I was surprised to find out how quickly Mimshach, the Country Manager, was willing to help me out. 

The whole excitement peaked when Algirdas (CEO) and Gabija (head of HR) came to spend a week with us at Abuja. They were very friendly, and Algirdas always charged up the whole place with his contagious happy vibes. All of this meant that the team quickly began to feel like home.

The Onboarding and Work Culture

Fast-forward to today, I have been through the onboarding process – which was also very detailed. The more experienced team members were there to help guide and bring me up to speed with best practices (Shout-out to my mentor Gytis and Jaunius, who also joined to assist with the onboarding). 

I joined the  project team for Quizmart immediately after. Quizmart is an internal project that consists of a team of backend, frontend and mobile developers. The team has been very friendly, supportive and collaborative. I have successfully completed a few tasks which were included in the recent release.

So far, I am experiencing a work culture different from what I have been used to in the most beautiful ways. The work environment brings out the best in you without applying any undue pressure. 

We have a feedback culture designed to help individual team members find areas where they are doing well and areas where they can improve. The company also receives feedback in order to better the work environment and experience.

An additional difference from what I am used to is the concept of a Soft-Team Lead. In TeleSoftas, the STL is there to ensure that you are in the right project and you can give, as well as receive feedback on how well (or not-so-well) you are doing and taking care of our wellbeing. This is brilliant!

The Balance

Aside from work, TeleSoftas is FUN!!! We take work seriously but we also balance it with cool fun times. We have had game nights, movies nights, we have been out to Karaoke, and Jane (our HR in the Abuja office) always comes up with creative traditions to keep the team excited. 

I’ll end by saying this – I wanted a workplace where I can be at my best and where I can add value that can be measured. TeleSoftas exceeds those expectations with its ‘Happy Employees = Happy Business’ culture. So I can say that I made the right decision to step forward and join the awesome TeleSoftas Tribe.