Gaby, Sylvia, and Yanita talk about what Astea’s internship gave them and why it is the perfect place to acquire the initial DevOps skills.

Introduce yourselves

Gaby:
My name is Gaby and I am 23 years old. I have a BSc in Computer Science from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University.
Sylvia:
My name is Sylvia and I am 22 years old. I am in my last year of the BSc program in Software Еngineering at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University.
Yanita:
My name is Yanita and I am 24 years old. Last year I received my BSc in Software Engineering and currently, I am pursuing a master’s degree in Bio- and medical informatics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University.

How did you start working at Astea?

Gaby:
Many of the people I knew at the university were working at Astea (colleagues, assistants, professors) and they were all happy with the company. At first, I had an interview for a developer position in the summer internship program but I didn’t make the cut. Around the same time, I happened to present my project in the Big Data course in front of Astea’s CPO, Kalin Georgiev, and he suggested that a DevOps oriented internship might be interesting to me. He was right, of course.
Sylvia:
I started working at Astea in the summer of 2018 as a System Administrator intern. It was only two months after I had decided that this field is interesting to me and that this is what I want to do. Astea’s internship program seemed to be the perfect place to acquire the initial DevOps skills I needed. I was so excited about the internship that while waiting for feedback I was already determined to apply again the following year in case I get turned down. Fortunately, I got accepted and the internship was amazing.
Yanita:
During my bachelor’s studies, I was very interested in operating systems, security, and networks, but at that point, I had not yet decided which field I wanted to develop in. One summer I decided to try working as a System Administrator or a DevOps in order to gain some experience and see if I enjoy it. That’s how I discovered Astea’s internship program after which I continued working for the company.

What are the three most important qualities of a system administrator?

Gaby:
Confidence, time management, and mostly patience.
Yanita:
Being curious and eager to learn, patience, and motivation.

Do you have a favorite technology?

Sylvia:
I do and I don’t think that having a favorite technology is necessarily a bad thing as long as one’s well aware of its shortcomings and doesn’t try to solve all problems with it. And if you start liking a certain technology you get even more motivated while studying it in depth.

What inspires you?

Sylvia:
My colleagues’ gratitude and happiness whenever I’ve succeeded in helping them with their work by doing something that to me seems straightforward. Or whenever the shopkeeper is beaming with happiness because I’ve given him the exact change. These moments truly uplift me a lot.
Yanita:
I get inspired by the feeling of being useful and helpful, by inspiring people and by the process of personal development.

What superpower would you like to have?

Gaby:
Calmness.
Yanita:
Super strength.
Sylvia:
To be gifted in the art of public speaking.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Gaby:
I love petting cats (whether they are indoors or outdoors), taking photos, and going to concerts.
Yanita:
I love drawing and sometimes I combine it with 3D graphic design but I am still a beginner. I also love doing yoga and reading, currently I am mainly focused on Biology.
Sylvia:
I love reading and recently started learning how to give emergency first aid.

What is your advice to the newcomers at Astea?Gaby:
Don’t hesitate to ask any questions or start new friendships.
Sylvia:
Don’t be overconfident.