Leiko is Actys Magento developer. He has been working here for almost three years and feels the desire to grow with the company. When talking about Acty, Leiko mentions honesty, openness and inclusion as important values.
Read in the interview how he arrived at Acty, what his first impressions of the company were, and how his previous experience is useful in his current job.
How did you get into Acty?
It’s a bit of a longer story. I went to school to study computer science to become a developer. It seemed like a pop specialty at the time. In between university, I spent a year in the defense forces. After that, I went to work as a merchandiser, but in the back of my mind I still wanted to work as a developer. I improved myself in the IT field and started looking for a job in this field, but at that time they did not want to hire a person with little experience. Then I came across a job offer for the manager of an online store. I was previously familiar with sales, and in my new job I also had to deal with orders to some extent. I also interacted with the developers who provided support for the online store. At some point, I eventually started developing, supplementing and improving the pages of this online store myself. Then it so happened that I became a developer and it was not necessary to purchase the service to such a large extent anymore. However, the volume of work increased, and I had many new tasks and projects, while other responsibilities were not reduced. At one point I realized that the work was getting too much.
I took up job postings again, but it was a very negative process for me. I had experience by now, but the platform I was working with was not used much in Estonia. It is very popular globally, but in Estonia there were only a few development companies that worked on it. So I waved my hand and continued at the same job until the Defense Force refresher training came. We were in the forest when one of the conscripts got a message that he had got a new job. He recommended the MeetFrank app to me, and when I got home I spent three days scrolling through job ads. I saw Acty’s ad several times, looking for a Magento developer. I applied and got an interview. When I talked about my previous experience and explained that I had built a larger product interface for an online store, it turned out that this was exactly what they were looking for. That’s how I ended up working at Acty.
What were the impressions of the first meeting and the company?
I had previously dealt with two or three other development companies. Based on this, it seems to me that the atmosphere in the development offices is mostly one of freedom. People walk in slippers or barefoot and feel comfortable, very different from a sales office. The first impression was that the people here are also very chilled. I noticed that they were communicating with each other and it immediately gave me such a good impression that teamwork was present. You always have someone by your side to ask for advice and support, and you don’t have to be alone with any problem. It made me feel very good and safe and let me know that when I come here, I’m not alone.
And that feeling hasn’t changed?
No it has not. At first I thought it was due to the company, but actually a lot depends on the people. Different people have passed through here over time, but the validation has largely remained the same.
Perhaps we are actually looking at the attitude and the person here?
Yes, exactly! It is your own character that is valued. To fit into this group and be the right actykas.
And what is a proper actykas?
I’ve been asked this before, but I still can’t give a concrete answer. Employee and Acty must have the same values. Openness and honesty are important. It takes a little to understand this attitude, which for us means open and honest. For example, if you were wrong, admit it.
What are you currently doing at Acty?
Today I am a Magento developer, mainly back-end, if necessary also front-end, but I would say that I go under full stack developer.
What do you consider your strength and what value do you offer?
When communicating with others, I have realized that I have a slightly different set of work experience. I myself have come across customer work and have actually done sales work – so I can see things from the customer’s point of view. I believe that because I have been on the client’s side, I can ask the client the right questions and collaborate with them. Perhaps not all developers can do this, unless they have similar work experience.
Three keywords about Acty that come to mind first. Which aspect do you value the most?
The joy of working – for me, the greatest value of Acty is that it is a workplace where I want to come and where I want to work. I wake up in the morning and think that I should work.
Involvement – each of us counts and is involved in the company.
I feel that I am valued – the difference in attitude from my previous jobs is very big in that here I am seen as an asset to the company, not just a tool.
What are your thoughts for the future?
Let’s just say that I haven’t felt like leaving yet. I have worked here for almost three years. I want to grow with this company and contribute here.
