At Frends, we believe in nurturing our employees and providing them with opportunities to grow and evolve in their careers. Our strong growth has enabled Frendszies to explore new roles and develop their skills.

In this blog series, we showcase the journeys of Frendszies who have developed their careers with us. In this first blog, we introduce you to Erkka Honkavaara, Head of R&D, who has been with us since 2007, and Dominika Malinowska, DevOps Engineer, who started with us in 2018.

Stay tuned. In the next blogs, we will introduce you to Heikki Tammela, Commercial Director, Finland, who joined the company in 2013 as a Service Manager, and Timo Vesa, Chief Operating Officer, who joined us in 2010 as an Integration Consultant.

Erkka´s Journey: From Junior Developer to Head of RD

I began my career at Frends in our R&D team in 2007 as a part-time Software Developer while still studying. Initially, I was uncertain about balancing work and studies, but I found a flexible arrangement at Frends that allowed me to excel in both. Over the years, I transitioned to a full-time developer role, gaining extensive experience in R&D. I also completed my studies and did my diploma work at Frends.

In 2019, I was asked to lead the R&D team. I decided to take the challenge where I could learn new responsibilities and leadership skills. It felt like a natural step forward. Of course, it was a bit scary at first as I was suddenly a team lead for my colleagues. Luckily, the team was familiar, and we had a very good and open team spirit, so everything went smoothly. I also continued the development work alongside the team lead role.

Reflecting on Frends' growth, I have seen many changes over the years. The R&D team has expanded, and the company's growth has opened more career opportunities. Growth has also affected our ways of working. When I started at Frends, we had a very small team and desktop computers, so we did not do remote work at all. It was easy to get to know each other and maintain team spirit. Over the years, the team and company have grown, and remote and hybrid work has become common. This growth and the shift to remote work have introduced new dynamics and required adjustments in team responsibilities, practices, and ways of working, and of course, it has also helped me grow as a team lead.

I have always enjoyed our high team spirit and collaborative, trustful environment, where we learn, develop, and discuss openly. As a team lead, I aim to nurture that atmosphere, find ways to keep the team spirit up and facilitate flexibility for a good work-life balance.

In addition to career growth and high spirit at Frends, I find it challenging and rewarding to work on a product that significantly impacts customers' journeys. Knowing the product inside and out feels like 'nurturing a child.' I genuinely feel I'm doing meaningful work at Frends by developing our platform, which impacts thousands of customers' businesses. I also learn new things constantly as technology evolves rapidly, and we must keep up to date.

Dominika´s Journey: From Trainee Developer to Experienced Integration Professional

My journey with Frends began in 2018 during the final semester of my Bachelor's in IT. I needed to complete an internship to graduate at the time, but I was unsure about my career path.

I attended a job fair at the Gdansk University of Technology, where I casually explored booths until Frends caught my attention. I was immediately drawn to the Frends iPaaS platform; it aligned perfectly with my interests. The emphasis on business processes and automation felt like a perfect fit for me, aligning with my passion for BPMN and business analysis.

After a successful recruitment process, I joined a small, under-ten-person team in Poland as a DevOps Engineer trainee. From the very beginning, I felt welcomed and supported at Frends. After a month of training, I started collaborating with a customer with whom I’ve been working ever since. This long-term cooperation has resulted in a strong, trustworthy partnership, which I am proud to have maintained throughout the years.

Over the last six years, I have grown significantly as a professional, advancing from trainee to team lead. Initially, I was the sole member of the Frends team working with the customer, but over time, the team has grown under my leadership, and today I guide a larger group, ensuring smooth collaboration and knowledge sharing. I take pride in fostering an environment where the team regularly exchanges information to improve our work and strengthen relationships with the customer.

As a team leader, I ensure that we meet our targets and that workloads are distributed effectively. My focus on teamwork and organization has contributed to the successful completion of major projects, and I’ve gained valuable experience supporting the customer through key milestones and developments.

Frends offers an environment of continuous learning and growth. I’ve had the chance to take on new roles and responsibilities, and I enjoy supporting my team in achieving their goals. One of the aspects I value most is the balance between work and life that Frends promotes, alongside the flexibility embedded in the company’s culture. I feel truly valued and trusted at Frends, and I enjoy the challenges and opportunities that come my way as our team continues to expand and evolve.

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