There are multiple paths in our careers, and it’s so very hard to choose the right kind one from the start.
Throughout our interview, Norbert Szabó, Technical Lead at Kinsta, shared with us the story of how he were given right here to grab exactly what he wanted out of his profession. He talked to us regarding the winding boulevard that led him to Kinsta, transparent of it, and once more proper right here over again.
All over his revel in, Norbert has gained advisable learnings about his wishes and expectations, and he’ll for sure get you to ask yourself the equivalent question he posed to himself: “What makes me happy?”
Who Is Norbert Szabó?
“My identify is Norbert, then again everyone calls me Norby.”
Don’t be fooled by the use of my profile symbol – I’m in reality further of a dog specific individual.”
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Norbert Szabó, Technical Lead at Kinsta, comes from Kazincbarcika, a the city throughout the Hungarian geographical area, then again he’s been residing in Budapest since 2013.
Norbert’s professional path started at a Hungarian chemical company, where he worked as a Programmer. He used to be as soon as there for 4 years. Then he moved to Budapest to be in the case of his friends.
Upon transferring to Budapest, Norbert came upon a task as a Internet Developer at a multinational oil company. He used to be as soon as promoted to Lead Web Developer/Web System Architect about 3 years in, and he stayed for just about 4 years after that! Throughout his time there, he made many friends, and he came upon that being surrounded by the use of the right kind other folks has a huge impact on his happiness.
In 2020, Norbert started searching for a brand spanking new choice at a smaller company as he hungered to face the tough eventualities that only a dynamic surroundings can put across. He wanted to in reality really feel nimble over again.
Norbert in a position for this variation by the use of gaining as so much knowledge as conceivable about React. He used to be as soon as digging into back-end development and its further subtle techniques. He moreover ceaselessly frequented the Stack Overflow dialogue board, where he tried to answer questions from strangers – this motivated him to be informed a lot more.
When Norbert Met Kinsta
It used to be as soon as on Stack Overflow that he came upon an industrial for Kinsta, a tech company based totally in Hungary that he’d not at all heard of until then. Something clicked within him, and he drafted a quick resume and sent it out.
Previous than he even knew it, he used to be as soon as in conversation with Kristóf Dombi, in recent years Head of Development Operations, Daniel Pataki, CTO, and András Gerencsér, Director of Development.
Two days after their chat, András known as Norbert, telling him that Kinsta used to be as soon as very fascinated with him. It used to be as soon as a are compatible!
Norbert used to be as soon as impressed with everyone’s positive and upbeat point of view, from the Tech crew to the recruiter he spoke with, Zsófia Hidas. “I chatted at the side of her for a little while, and I was introduced!”
The technical side of the duty mattered to me too, then again it used to be as soon as the right kind company custom that happy me to join. And let me help you know, my gut feeling used to be as soon as spot-on – everyone’s lovely proper right here! It’s definitely no longer your average company!”
I joined Kinsta as a JavaScript Developer. Once more then, the company didn’t have Senior roles, identical to the Technical Lead position I fill in now, then again the prevailing title for what I did then may also be Lead Developer.”
A couple of weeks after starting his revel in at Kinsta, Norbert used to be as soon as approached over Slack to see if he used to be as soon as fascinated with major the Kinsta APM project. He had no previous managerial revel in, then again his remarkable soft skills made his imaginable shine through.
A few months in, Norbert used to be as soon as invited to an inner interview for however every other choice: he used to be as soon as then offered the Head of Developer Experience serve as. Via then, Norbert had been throughout the company for less than 300 and sixty 5 days, and it used to be as soon as a large switch.
A Vital New Chapter
Norbert used to be as soon as excited to take a look at on this new hat and take a look at his skills as a other folks manager, and he used to be as soon as proud to be offered the prestigious title of Head of Developer Experience, so he went for it. When he took the serve as, he used to be as soon as managing 30 developers. The main goal used to be as soon as to hire 40 further within a trimester. It used to be as soon as extraordinarily tricky, then again Norbert delivered.
On the other hand, that didn’t suggest that it used to be as soon as the right kind serve as for him.
As months went by the use of, Norbert noticed he came upon a lot much less and no more time to code, an procedure that equipped him a lot of excitement. He hadn’t concept it would subject any such lot to him so as to individually contribute to tasks.
He liked other folks, then again managing them wasn’t his cup of tea.
“Keep an eye on isn’t for everyone, and that’s adequate. On the other hand once more then, I struggled to see my path forward because of I was blindsided by the use of this expectation that anyone who’s completed must prepare other folks. On the other hand a part of me urged me to hunt out myself over again,” Norbert says.
“What makes me happy?” He asked himself over and over.
Norbert took a hiatus from Kinsta and went once more to a fully-technical serve as within a consultancy company.
After phase a 12 months, he used to be as soon as relaxed at the side of his solution to not take on managerial roles anymore then again go against the grain and keep a technical individual contributor. He felt grounded.
And however, something used to be as soon as missing. Norbert used to be as soon as nostalgic about his ex-teammates, and he started wondering if he must go back to Kinsta. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he’d left a singular surroundings that may no longer be replicated in different places.
That’s when András reached out to him. “Do you permit out us however? Come once more as a Technical Lead,” he mentioned, “You’ll get to only do what you’re enthusiastic about. No direct studies – merely development and project keep an eye on.”
Coming Once more to Kinsta
Throughout his time transparent of Kinsta, Norbert came upon he sought a fast-paced reality. He loves to see problems to crowning glory and handle a flat hierarchy.
“I noticed that I’d had to pass away to return again once more with a renewed sense of self and a clearer course for my longer term. Keep an eye on isn’t my cup of tea, and there’s no other company I’d fairly be running at than Kinsta.”
I always most well-liked how Kinsta embraces alternate and the way in which fast-paced it’s. It’s fantastic merely how so much you’ll be capable to accomplish proper right here within a topic of weeks!”
Norbert mentions how his colleague Előd Kúthy completed a database engine alternate within a handful of weeks – an undertaking that could be unthinkable at many various companies. “There’s so little red tape proper right here, which makes it much more clear-cut to be informed rather a lot and in reality make an impact,” supplies Norbert.
“Developers to search out it in reality horny to artwork with fancy technology, and that definitely helps to keep other folks fulfilled proper right here at Kinsta, then again I believe that the company custom and the crowd play a very good higher serve as in ensuring they gained’t need to pass away.”
Norbert’s Learnings
“I’m more than happy to have had the danger to artwork on GraphQL – I’d not at all had any revel in with it forward of,” Norbert says about his learnings.
“The most important categories I noticed, although, would derive from my revel in maintaining and dealing with a product impacting an important client base. Were there any issues of it, it would affect such a large amount of other folks. You get used to the force of it, although, and it’s perpetually exciting and rejuvenating.”
“It took a minute for me to get adjusted to being once more as an individual contributor, as that’s just a bit bit of a professional plot twist,” says Norbert, “then again being an individual contributor is what makes me happy. And it makes me happy proper right here.”
Norbert is now in charge of the successful and neatly timed free up of the product he works on and for ensuring the usual of the code. The level of responsibility has him feeling completed, and he can “get his arms dirty” every day.
Conclusion
Norbert’s path wasn’t linear. In turn, that helped him reshape his profession by hook or by crook that fulfilled him. It’s a superb reminder that the only definition of good fortune that problems is our non-public and that experience is an invaluable tool in our pursuit of happiness.
Norbert is energized by the use of coding and loves the level of responsibility {{that a}} strategic position comprises, then again, regardless of being a other folks specific individual, he came upon that he isn’t fulfilled by the use of other folks keep an eye on. What about you? Have you ever ever came upon your path?
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