Nurturing Growth: Advancing Your IT Career in the Appsilon Tech Team

In today's rapidly evolving technology landscape, IT professionals need to stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive and relevant in their careers. That’s why, at Appsilon, we do our best to create opportunities for personal and professional development for all our team members. We foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing. Our team members can participate in tech talks, guilds, and cross-functional collaborations. We create an environment that allows you to thrive, grow, and tap into your full potential as an IT professional. This article will show you how we help our team members expand their skill sets and progress within Appsilon’s vibrant and supportive team. Read on to find out how we nurture growth within our Tech Team: <ul><li><a href="#path">Navigating a Clear <strong>Career Path</strong>: Guide to Progression</a></li><li><a href="#feedback">Elevating Performance Through <strong>Reviews and Feedback</strong></a></li><li><a href="#collab">Collaborative Growth: Opportunities for <strong>Learning Together</strong></a></li><li><a href="#learn">Leveraging Knowledge Exchange: Opportunities for <strong>Learning From Each Other</strong></a></li><li><a href="#resources"><strong>Personal and Professional Development</strong>: Supportive Resources</a></li><li><a href="#projects">Exciting Projects: Fueling Growth Through Challenging Opportunities</a></li><li><a href="#practices"><strong>How We Work</strong>: Development Practices</a></li></ul> <hr /> <h2 id="path">Navigating a Clear Career Path: Guide to Progression</h2> It is important to have a clearly outlined career path within a company. That’s why we have created an Appsilon Career Paths document, that defines stages and pathways available for each team members’ growth. It’s publicly available for anyone to read. It shows how you can get to higher levels of impact within the tech team and what skills, experiences, and milestones are necessary for advancing within the company. Career Paths help us identify the adequate skill level of candidates during the interviews, understand new team members’ performance levels during their trial period, create an actionable development plan, and support our performance review process. They are also used to create a common understanding regarding the expectations and development goals agreed upon between a Team Member and their Manager. <blockquote><strong><em>“Career Paths also play a vital role in creating an equitable work environment. Team members are evaluated on their skills and contributions relative to their Impact Levels, as outlined in our Career Paths framework. The document also serves as a significant component of our Internal Fairness criteria for the semiannual Salary Fairness process.” </em></strong> <strong>– Paweł Rzymkiewicz, Head of Engineering</strong></blockquote> <h2 id="feedback">Elevating Performance Through Reviews and Feedback</h2> Career Paths also serve as a guide during our performance reviews, which are a starting point for any professional development discussions. They allow us to identify areas for improvement and set professional development goals. Regular performance reviews provide a structured framework for recognizing achievements, identifying areas for improvement, and setting ambitious goals. <blockquote><strong><em>“The company culture encourages humility, collaboration, and open feedback among team members. This environment has allowed me to work closely with talented individuals, learn from their expertise, and tackle complex projects together while continuously receiving valuable input on my performance.”</em></strong> <strong>– Agustin Perez Santangelo, R/Shiny Developer</strong></blockquote> We also encourage people to openly communicate their ideas, concerns, and suggestions, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. With ongoing feedback and a focus on continuous learning, you can enhance your skills and refine your expertise. <blockquote><strong><em>“At Appsilon, there is no pressure or stress when trying out new technology. Everyone pitches in with their ideas and everyone is super helpful in the internal communication channels. It’s wonderful to see everyone coming together to grow and learn from each other in the process. Everyone is accommodating, making sure I develop as a professional when conquering the challenges up ahead.” </em></strong> <strong>– Janith Wanniarachchi, R/Shiny Developer</strong></blockquote> <h2 id="collab">Collaborative Growth: Opportunities for Learning Together</h2> We also support and encourage team members to learn new things and skills together. We strive to create an environment of mutual support, collaboration, and encouragement in this process of continuous learning. That’s why we have created Appsilon Guilds. These Guilds are regular meetings for groups of people from the Tech Team, who want to develop some specific skills. Each guild is dedicated to a particular technical skill that participants are eager to enhance. Occasionally, these skills can be more on the soft side, focusing on leadership and management. <blockquote><strong><em>“By gathering a smaller group of individuals with a shared interest, the guilds actively engage participants, encouraging mutual support and knowledge-sharing. The guilds are intended to be a collaborative endeavor, with the guild leader playing a vital role in organizing compelling topics and moderating discussions.”</em></strong> <strong>– Marcin Dubel, Staff Engineer | Appsilon Craftsmanship Leader</strong></blockquote> <h2 id="learn">Leveraging Knowledge Exchange: Opportunities for Learning From Each Other</h2> At Appsilon, we believe in the power of shared knowledge. Engaging with other people on the team allows for the exchange of insights, best practices, and innovative ideas. This way, we can collectively leverage our team's diverse skills and perspectives. We can learn from our successes and challenges. We can also accelerate the learning curve while avoiding potential pitfalls. This collaborative knowledge exchange enhances individual capabilities and strengthens our team's overall performance and effectiveness. <blockquote><strong><em>“We have lots of great developers with different backgrounds. It makes it easy to find an expert in almost any area. This means you can learn directly from a talented professional. Also, everyone is open to sharing knowledge, making learning and developing or improving your skills easier.”</em></strong> <strong>– Douglas Mesquita, R/Shiny developer</strong></blockquote> One of the ways we foster knowledge sharing is through Tech Talks. These weekly meetings are held every Wednesday for one hour. Each Tech Talk features a member of the Tech Team presenting interesting new technologies, skills, or case studies from projects. The main objective is to foster the exchange of technical knowledge and empower team members to strengthen their competencies. Each presentation is followed by a Q&A session, providing an opportunity for the team to engage in discussions, ask questions, and further enrich their understanding of the topic at hand. <blockquote><strong><em>“At Appsilon we see a lot of value in Tech Talks, and we encourage everyone to give a Tech Talk from time to time. It’s a great opportunity to share useful knowledge and boost your learning. An internal tech talk is also a good stepping stone to even more impactful contributions like external blog posts or conference talks.”</em></strong> <strong>– Paweł Przytuła, COO &amp; Head of Delivery</strong></blockquote> <h2 id="resources">Personal and Professional Development: Supportive Resources</h2> We empower our team members to expand their skills and knowledge with supportive resources. We offer a Professional Development Budget, which can be used to cover the cost of IT courses, training sessions, workshops, or participation in conferences that are directly linked to professional development. <blockquote><strong><em>“We also recognize that investing in personal well-being can contribute to overall professional success. That’s why the Professional Development Budget can also be used for activities such as therapy, coaching, or working with trainers. And we encourage our employees to take advantage of these opportunities when needed.”</em></strong> <strong>– Paulina Kaczmarczyk, Head of People</strong></blockquote> Appsilon team members can also take advantage of 4 fully paid Professional Development Days per year, which can be dedicated to professional growth. Those extra days do not impact the vacation or sick leave entitlements; they are an additional benefit provided by the company. Those days can be used whenever you want to attend a training session, conference, or any other event that requires taking time off. <blockquote><strong><em>“Appsilon's Professional Development Budget and Professional Development Days give me the opportunities to grow in areas that I want. I have the flexibility to learn what I want, when I want.” </em></strong> <strong>– Recle Vibal, R/Shiny Developer</strong></blockquote> <h2 id="projects">Exciting Projects: Fueling Growth Through Challenging Opportunities</h2> Last but not least, at Appsilon you get to work on some exciting and challenging projects, which is the best way to progress, acquire new skills, and gain experience.  We create, maintain, and develop Shiny applications for enterprise customers worldwide. We also create R packages that make R Shiny apps more beautiful, dynamic, and secure. We have contributed to industry breakthroughs and encouraged adoption of R and Shiny, and we continue to deliver more. Our open-source tools are used by Global 2K companies, non-profits, and NGOs all over the world. <blockquote><strong><em>“Projects that we work on at Appsilon are challenging. Each project is slightly different. In one you will learn about UI/UX, in the other, you will need to deploy applications in a fancy way or learn how to improve their performance. It allows you to develop yourself in many different directions.”</em></strong> <strong>- Douglas Mesquita, R/Shiny Developer</strong></blockquote> We also collaborate with scientists, organizations, and businesses through our Data for Good initiative, to make a positive impact on the world. Leveraging the power of data and analytics, we empower our partners to drive change and innovate for good cause. <blockquote><strong><em>“I find great satisfaction in working on the open source and Data4Good projects. It allows me to make valuable contributions while adopting a unique perspective when approaching challenges. It also made me more conscious of the effectiveness and impact of our solutions.” </em></strong> <strong>– Recle Vibal, R/Shiny Developer</strong></blockquote> <h2 id="practices">How We Work: Development Practices</h2> In our tech team, we have implemented a working setup that incorporates various practices. These practices include Extreme &amp; Pair Programming, Code Review, and Test-Driven Development. We have also successfully embraced Scrum and Agile methodologies. By embracing these methodologies and practices, team members have the opportunity to enhance their technical skills. They can deepen their understanding of software development principles and develop critical soft skills necessary for effective teamwork. This approach allows our team to work collaboratively and efficiently, ensuring high-quality deliverables and continuous improvement. <blockquote><strong><em>"I would say that the main booster for individual development within Appsilon is the project setup we use. Normally junior developers work together with solid engineers. Working shoulder to shoulder with someone with more experience, who constantly does code review and gives you feedback, is a game changer.” </em></strong> <strong>- Johan Rosa, R/Shiny Developer</strong></blockquote> <h2>Learn With Us!</h2> Ready to embark on your journey as an R/Shiny Developer at Appsilon? Take the next step and check out <a href="https://appsilon.com/careers/#offers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our open positions</a>. See if we're the perfect match for your skills and ambitions on our <a href="https://appsilon.com/careers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Careers page</a>. We can't wait to hear from you. Apply now and let's create something amazing together! Not sure if you're ready? Check out our blog for educational resources like <a href="https://appsilon.com/how-to-start-a-career-as-an-r-shiny-developer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how to start your career as an R/Shiny Developer</a>. And if you're interested in joining the Shiny community, consider subscribing to the <a href="https://appsilon.com/shiny-weekly-announcement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shiny Weekly newsletter</a> or attending commuity events like <a href="https://shinyconf.appsilon.com/shiny-gatherings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shiny Gathering</a>.