People of Symphony starring Sanja Dimkovic: The Main Driving Force of Success is Constant Learning

Meet Sanja Dimkovic, Software Engineer at the engineering hub in Niš. In her long-standing career in tackling software challenges, she’s done it all - from frontend and backend to mobile and web development. After eight years in the industry, she is still exhilarated by everything new, from the latest technologies to various stack upgrades. It is what ultimately pushes her to always be better at what she does. Let’s dive deeper into her personal and professional journey, the valuable lessons she learned, and what the future holds on her Symphony path.

Finding Inspiration in People

“You know when you meet someone who always has the answer to everything, and they inspire you to transform yourself? My colleague from the faculty days did just that for me. Talking and sharing ideas with him gave me the motivation to learn everything I can about programming and algorithms and kickstart my tech journey.” - Sanja started her story.

In her final year of studies, Sanja already started working on the count of her thesis, where she developed a mock Android application. Her first company needed a full-time Android developer and that was the start of her engineering career. “Working in my first company really helped me find my niche and affinities, even though I primarily worked in Android and Java. I was given a chance to learn and work extensively in all fields, from spring, web and mobile development, and databases, to backend and frontend. With full support from everyone in the company, I became a full-stack developer, and two new members joined my team.”- Sanja added.

The Symphony Chapter

Sanja believes she grows most when faced with new experiences, and after six years in her previous company, she realized it was time to turn a new leaf and get a grip on new professional challenges. That is when Symphony came into play, and after an in-depth talk with her new team, she embarked on her React journey - a technology she did not come across before. Although it was completely new, Sanja lives by the premise that you should never give in to the fear of the unknown but see opportunities in every new endeavor.

“I had a long talk with Sasa Todorovic, Managing Director at the Niš hub, and realized I should use my love for learning and ability to adapt to expand my previous experience. Next to Sasa, Branislav Stojkovic and Zeljko Markovic were my biggest support and the most patient and helpful mentors I could have ever had. In addition, I had numerous code pairing sessions with my colleagues that deepened my technical understanding and scope. They truly made me feel like I can ask anything and get into all of the complicated layers of the project.” - Sanja emphasized.

In both the professional and personal development paths, we nourish excellence in all factors. For this reason, Sanja felt an immediate sense of complete support and encouragement to develop in the field she is most passionate about. “Before, I used to work mainly in Java, Angular, and on the backend. Now, as I am becoming comfortable with React, I realize that frontend suits me more, with tangible results and a chance to see your work and the process behind it visually. Symphony has given me a chance to utilize the latest tools and technology while simultaneously working on my personal development through various individual workshops with our HR team, and the fantastic SkillsUp sessions aimed at developing our people and communications skills.” - Sanja added.

"When you're finished changing, you're finished"

After almost nine years of working in the industry, Sanja finds motivation in the successes of her colleagues and challenging tasks that require teamwork to produce top-notch tech solutions. Symphony nourishes a culture of sharing practices and experiences so that everyone is given a chance to present their ideas and suggestions, and mutually grow.

Inspired by Ben Franklin’s words, Sanja shared with us - “There are still many roads left to explore. Right now, I feel I have just scratched the surface and Symphony provides me with the space and tools to expand my horizons, learn different technologies, and test my abilities. When working on a project, it is challenging to make time for expanding your skill set, but you should always take up an hour or two for self-exploration and learning a new skill. That is when a bright idea comes to you, or a new angle of looking at an old problem you had trouble solving.”