What brought you to buckle up?
After my graduation I set out to look for work in an area closely related to the field I studied. Since I live in the Bratislava region, where Bratislava is the center of companies working in the IT sector, I assumed that I would find my dream job in the capital. Despite the fact that I was looking for and also found most job offers in Bratislava, I came across one less noticeable offer closer to where I actually live. It was an ad for the position of front-end developer at the agency buckle up. I came for an interview, we caught each other's eye and - voilà - I'm still here today (laughs).
Was easy commute the main criterion for accepting this job?
Exactly. (laughs) Not really, I'm just kidding. I assume that no one would stay in a job where they would be dissatisfied, even if it was located just a few steps from their home. Short commute to work is of course a huge advantage and can save even hours of free time a day. The town of Pezinok has the advantage that it is conveniently located considering nearby larger towns such as Trnava, Senec, but also Bratislava. You can get here very quickly, whether by car, bus or train. For me the short distance even makes it possible to go by bicycle. If I had one, I would definitely commute by bike (smile). Anyway, I accepted the job at buckle up because of the interesting scope of my work and thanks to it I continue to work here. And also thanks to great colleagues.
How long have you been at buckle up?
It will soon be my sixth year working here.
As the main motivation for you is the scope of your work, can you explain what your role is in buckle up?
When I started to work here, my main task was that as of any front-end developer - to program/encode the best possible front-end. I'll try to clarify a little. Imagine any website. Front-end development is the development of the part of the website that you can see as a visitor and where you interact by clicking, filling out forms and the like. In order to create a quality front-end, you need to have the knowledge of a few programming and coding languages. It is essential to master the basics of working with design and also a little from back-end. It's this diversity that I've always enjoyed. Moreover, with different designs there are always new challenges for a front-end developer, not to mention encoding of responsive versions for smartphones and tablets. So the fun is taken care of.
However, my scope of work has largely changed since then. Over time, I've had the opportunity to grow in my career and today the main part of my work is project management, including communication with clients. Currently, the agency works for a really diverse range of clients who operate in various industries. This fact is also reflected in the nature of the projects. We have assignments from smaller local companies, as well as projects in which subsidiaries from several European countries participate. In these larger international projects it is wonderful to be part of a team that participates in their execution and largely realizes the client's vision. On a daily basis, I cooperate with a group of people, each of whom is in a different part of Europe and fulfills their role in creating the final product. At the same time, I have to interpret all their requirements to my fellow developers who are the creative force of the project. Let me tell you, sometimes it's really challenging.
Is there anything interesting that you currently work on?
These days I'm finishing one smaller project, which I've had the opportunity to execute, so to speak, on my own. In addition to the managerial part of the work, I also took care of the programming part. The goal was to create an interactive Pac-Man-style game. However, the difference is that instead of the classic Pac-Dots you collect rolls of toilet paper and get to the next level through Toi Toi toilets. The game is aptly named The Throne Champion (laughs). Sometimes I come across a funny project like this.
What do you like best about the buckle up team?
I really like how my colleagues approach our mutual cooperation and the atmosphere they create in the team. We can always sit down and go through the assignment, discuss everything together, find reasonable solutions and share tasks. They are really amazing in this. You can always rely on them and we help each other when the workflow is too strong. In all this, we are able to maintain a good mood and joke often at one's own expense.
Do you think that you manage to maintain a positive attitude because the agency ranks among the smaller ones?
As they say, it's all about people, but partially I agree. After all, the advantage of working in a smaller agency is that you will not be left behind at your desk as one of many, but on the contrary, you are a part of what is happening. The number of colleagues here allows for building a closer relationship with everyone. You are in daily contact with every single one of them and also during project execution you quickly find out what approach and work style each one of them prefers. All this helps greatly in further mutual cooperation.
Open communication with management also works very well in buckle up. Everyone has the opportunity to ask practically anything related to them as an employee or, if interested, related to the management of the company. And they always get an adequate and true answer, whether it's positive or negative. The management is really very transparent in this. I think that this openness and friendly relations are the recipe for maintaining a pleasant working atmosphere.
What other benefits do you see working in a smaller agency?
Specifically with us, the advantage is that you can participate in many internal projects or activities that are not directly bound to your work tasks. You have the space to organize your own internal workshop, you can come up with corporate promotional campaigns or, for example, organize a party for colleagues in the company premises and much more. This also gives you the opportunity to influence the internal functioning of the agency. As you can see, in comparison with large corporations, the space for self-realization is incomparably wider here.
Which benefit do you like best?
The agency offers several good benefits. However, I clearly consider the best that the agency organizes a team trip abroad every year and covers all costs. We have already visited Amsterdam, Edinburgh and New York. I'm already curious where we are going to travel next year. Those who like to travel will hardly find a better benefit.
Now a few personal questions. What do you like to listen to at work?
Personally, I do not really prefer any particular musical style. If I were forced to choose one, I would probably put on some oldies. However, everyone likes a different type of music. That's why we have a shared playlist in the office and everyone can add songs that they like to listen to. This is how each of us gets their own.
Coffee or tea at work?
There are two fractions in buckle up: coffee makers and teapots. I belong to the minority.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My biggest hobby is my family and the time spent with them. Our family has grown by two feet in January, so it's quite clear where my free time went in recent months. Otherwise, I really like to read books (just a classic bookworm here) and I also like to do sports from time to time.
You've acted very relaxed throughout the whole conversation, so my last question is: Is there anything that can drive you insane?
In fact, probably nothing can drive me crazy. I always try to look at any problem or unpleasant situation from a different perspective, thanks to which I manage to keep a cool head. Besides that, if you can handle the subversive jokes of some colleagues in a relaxed way, you are ready to deal with almost anything calmly.
