How does Astea contribute to the career guidance of young talents?

Sharing knowledge and experience has always been a core part of Astea’s values, dating back to the company’s founding 17 years ago. Throughout this time, we have dedicated considerable effort to disseminating what we have learned in various ways:

Teaching and assisting at universities and schools
Offering an internship program that provides real-world team project experience
Organizing a free conference open to anyone interested in the IT sector
Initiating other activities directly related to the technological sphere

This time, however, we decided to focus on the career development of young talents, providing them with insights into the various roles in software development and what is essential to know when starting their first job. Our goal was not to deliver “dry lectures,” but to truly connect with the thoughts and concerns of young people, helping them find their best career paths.

Seven of Astea’s colleagues, including software engineers who were recently students themselves, volunteered to participate in the initiative. Their presentations highlighted their personal experiences and challenges in client interactions, teamwork specifics, and best practices for career development. The lectures were designed to be open-ended, promoting bilateral and intergenerational dialogue. We aimed to turn these events into genuine discussions where students could freely express their opinions and perspectives.

The students appreciated this conversational format, and we heard many intriguing viewpoints from those just beginning their career journeys. The most significant conclusion we drew is that investing in intergenerational relationships to exchange experience and knowledge is highly beneficial.

This is the outcome of the pilot edition of “Open Discussions,” which we launched in Sofia schools and universities. Over three months, we managed to:

Visit 7 educational institutions: FMI at SU, NBU, UniBIT, NPMG, SMG, SPGE “John Atanasov,” and TUES
Engage with over 150 students during the events
Present interesting and current topics

Overall, the initiative has reinforced our belief in the value of sharing knowledge across generations to foster career development and mutual growth.