Acty’s mission is to contribute to the development of society, support people’s professional and personal growth and bring out the real potential in people. A good example here is our new team member, Toomas.
Toomas is a curious Estonian man, partner and father who has studied International Business Management in Denmark. He has worked both in the field of construction and design and has also worked in the field of marketing. He is one of the newest Acty team members who found an opportunity to join the company by successfully completing an internship. After the internship period, Toomas was offered the opportunity to continue in the company. You can read more about Toomas’ impressions of Acty in the interview.
Who is Toomas?
Toomas himself initially remains modest in describing himself and adds that it is a very good question. Then he sighs and describes himself as follows: “I think I am an ordinary Estonian man named Toomas. I have worked in the field of construction and also in design.” Toomas’ daughter said about her father that he is her mother’s hero and a real wizard. Toomas describes that his personality type is more of an introvert, who at the same time likes to communicate with people. He especially likes to ask, research and learn – people are so interesting and versatile. He considers his constant curiosity and ability to learn to be one of his strengths.
Regarding work-related challenges, Toomas points out that the coronavirus brought exciting changes and it was during this time that he lost his job. However, this in turn created an opportunity to think and reflect for a moment – what next and where does the journey lead? Toomas decided that he would enter the IT field with the aim of eventually becoming a front-end developer. He first began to educate himself by searching out online courses, completed several of them and then started trying and experimenting on his own. Later, the idea arose to go on an internship, which would accelerate his development even more – an opportunity to see the field better, to learn from experts in the field. “I started looking for an internship and through the LinkedIn site I found Acty. I applied for and started an internship at Acty, which I hastily added, led to starting a job,” adds Toomas.
What courses did you take?
Toomas set out on his own, first taking a Udemy training program and completing basic HTML and CSS courses followed by a basic Javascript course. Thus, several trainings and seminars were completed. Toomas further adds: “Since I have always been a learner, I did them all by myself. I had also previously worked in this field, and I had to immediately apply for an internship.”
What were your first impressions of Acty?
In terms of first impressions, Toomas points out that the environment is different in a good way, adding that he has previously worked as a designer, but had no experience working in an IT company. What particularly stood out was the management structure and work organization, which were completely different from what he had experienced in his previous working life. “I had the first contact with Jekaterina from the company’s HR department, who was bursting with joy and positivity and who helped me to understand that Acty could be just the place to work. In subsequent communication with Aldar, one could feel the results-oriented atmosphere, but at the same time allowing for freedom. Next, Endy helped me settle into Acty, who is also very pleasant and free-spirited. The people in the team where I came for an internship and finally started working were helpful and supportive, even in cases when it sometimes seemed impossible to find a solution to a problem,” describes Toomas.
Toomas especially emphasizes the structure and work organization in Acty, highlighting that everything is new and, in a positive way, different from his previous experiences.
Describe this novelty, what exactly do you mean by it?
Toomas describes the boss-free culture that prevails in the company. While some work places tasks are predetermined, Acty encourages you to “think for yourself” in a positive way. Toomas clarifies: “At Acty, you have to put your mind to work, contribute and give feedback openly – this is encouraged and welcomed, it leads forward and gives you the opportunity to be a part of the company’s development, rather than just following orders. Based on his experience, Toomas has seen that it is often the case that companies do not wait for feedback on how things could be improved, rather orders are given in advance and their implementation is expected.
Name three keywords about Acty that come to your mind first?
- People – the whole team that works at Acty, are just really awesome people
- Work culture – a boss-free culture, a work culture that takes each individual into account and values communication is admirable
- E-commerce expertise – a very exciting field and how colorful and versatile it is.
Which aspects do you value most when choosing an employer?
Toomas points out that the most important keyword for him is flexibility. “Since I am a very mobile person, I have hobbies, I am the father of two children with my life partner, I am fascinated by many fields and topics; flexibility is a very important value for me,” describes Toomas. Toomas also values being treated as an individual, with unique values and contributions. Toomas points out: “It is extremely important that you are not just a cog that fulfills a certain purpose, but that it is a whole working mechanism where every unit is important and you are valued, and valued as an individual.”
Toomas explains that it is the latter that gives value to him and is exactly what he looks for and appreciates in an employer.
What are you doing at Acty today and where do you see yourself in the future?
After a successful internship, Toomas started working at Acty. Today, Toomas works as a junior front-end developer of special solutions in the team. “I really like our special solutions team and the really awesome projects and challenges,” describes Toomas excitedly.
Toomas sees himself in the IT field in the future, pointing out that he is very good at working with computers. “It’s great to see how your lines of code can shape the scene on your screen. You can change the overall picture and there will be a real solution and value that can be created for the customer, I really like that,” Toomas sums up nicely.
