“At the very first meeting, Acty’s culture and values were introduced. You are a leader, your word counts and has weight, you have the opportunity to implement changes yourself and shape your position and thus your career in the company. This was conveyed immediately during the conversation and I liked it very much, I felt welcome.”
How you can shape your own career in the company, what work does a generalist do and what are the three keywords through Endy’s eyes? Read more about Acty in the interview below.
How did you get into Acty?
I was currently working in the field of security at Tallinn Airport, while also studying informatics at Tallinn University. The desire was to move into the IT field, without yet having a specific vision of the position, but knowing that the IT field is just for me. I had also previously applied for positions in the field, but had not yet specifically started working in the IT field.
At the same time that I was considering this, a former schoolmate of mine, who works at Acty on the e-business development side, wrote to me. He indicated that Acty was expanding, several positions were being sought, and the company was headed by an expert in the field.
The application was first made through the Meet Frank app, and within a minute there was a negative answer – apparently it did not match the profile. I didn’t have time to remain sad though, because Aldar Reinberk, the head of Acty, personally called and offered a time to meet. He indicated that at that moment there were several roles due to the expansion of the company and he would be happy to discuss them more specifically.
The meeting was immediately extremely friendly and very warm– at the end of it we shook hands and I was welcomed as a member of the team – everything went very quickly and smoothly. I started working as Scrum master/Agile coach.
What is your previous background, and what have you studied or are you studying?
I have studied informatics at Tallinn University, but there was a small break between my studies between the army and my return to work. At the moment, I am doing my thesis and it is already related to Scrum topics.
What impression and thoughts did you get from the first meeting with Acty?
General directness and pleasantness – the whole conversation was very warm and relaxed, lacking a corporate formality. Acty’s culture and values were immediately introduced – you are a leader, your word counts and has weight, and you have the opportunity to implement changes yourself and shape your position, thus also your career in the company. It all came out immediately during the conversation and I really liked it, I felt welcome.
I had previously heard this information from my fellow student Leiko, who was already working in the company, and it matched what I heard during the interview.
I also got an indication that if one role might not fit me in the company, it could be reshaped and changed, perhaps reflecting the motto and way of thinking as a whole: “right people in the right place”!
Describe your career path at Acty?
I started working as a Scrum master/Agile coach, and I began with settling in and learning. I immediately started handling the softer issues in the company, as well as taking on a number of administrative activities, at the same time as learning and implementing Scrum principles.
During this period, an external expert, Magnus Meldre, who is an occupational happiness engineer from the company Happy Workplace OÜ, was also helping the company and involved in process management. At that moment, Acty was in the process of learning and implementing Scrum, so I immediately developed in this area together with the team.
Constantly learning and applying what I learned to work, however, it seemed that this was not quite it. As Acty is very transparent and everyone is honest with each other, during a collective discussion where both me and the team members had reached the same understanding, we decided to apply my strengths in another role. So it seemed reasonable to recast my role.
What are you doing today at Acty?
My work is divided between several activities. Part of the work is focused on teams, and half of the time on administrative and operational tasks in the company.
Today, my focus is efficiency and streamlining work – on the one hand, reviewing processes and activities that can be made more efficient, and on the other hand, constant presence and support for team members so that they feel comfortable in their work and everything goes smoothly. Or in other words, I am the front line responsible for that, so that everything is constantly moving in the direction of efficiency, while at the same time not forgetting the satisfaction of my work and belonging to the team.
I boldly call myself an efficiency keeper/office fairy, officially a generalist. I have to organize the company’s summer or strategy days, maintain well-being in the office, and at the same time see opportunities for continuous streamlining of processes.
Where do you imagine yourself in the future?
However, I imagine myself as a Scrum master. Today, I don’t see myself moving to the development side, to be a developer. Within the next two years, the plan is to graduate from university and focus on Scrum topics, thereby creating value in the company.
I see that my strength is communication with people and understanding people’s psychology, and I use this as a link of strength between different parties – I am a strong intermediary. Also in the role of Scrum master, I see the necessity of this skill – it is necessary to cultivate positivity in the team, to be the person who keeps up good emotions while building a frame, structure and keeping focus.
I continue to see myself in the IT field and it interests me a lot.
Name 3 keywords about Acty that come to your mind first?
Freedom – your word is very important, you can direct your own work and career.
Responsibility – we are a small company, everyone’s contribution is important. Both lack of contribution and significant input are quickly noticeable.
Family – there’s a warmth and sense of belonging here. We recognise that our lives extend beyond work, and we embrace each other’s joys and concerns as part of our collective experience.
