Career paths @IBM iX: Meet Daniel

Author: Alexandra Bauer
Date: 2019/11/26

In this series of our blog, we would like to introduce you to employees who have already held various positions of responsibility during their time with us. Alexandra has met with some of them to learn more about their career path and the work at IBM iX. Meet Daniel!

Daniel works in one of our Croatian studios, where he is responsible for the team as Head of Platform Technology. Daniel and Alexandra have arranged to meet by phone to talk about his career path at IBM iX.

A: Hello Daniel, thank you for taking the time for this interview. I would like to know more about your responsibilities at IBM iX. What do you do currently and did you have any other positions at IBM iX before?

D: I started three years ago as a Senior Java Developer at IBM iX. After working for two and a half years in this position, I was promoted to Head of Platform Technology. In the meanwhile, I have also engaged in an Adobe domain leadership role for my local team in Croatia. So you could say I am currently working in three different roles or areas: development, line management, and expert leadership. I am a person who gets bored really easily, so being engaged in multiple areas and having the opportunity to perform multiple roles is what makes this job fun for me.

A: Was there any point during your time at IBM iX where you had to leave your comfort zone to take the next career step? Please describe the situation.

D: Definitely, that is the time when I became a line manager. As this position requires a different skill set than just technical skills, I had to do a lot of training, reading and feedback rounds. Becoming a line manager meant working a lot on my people skills and leaving my comfort zone in technology. I always wanted a role like this, because I like to be involved in all current happenings and help steer the company in the right direction. The new position came along with a lot of new accountabilities, especially much more responsibility for others. So, besides my regular tasks as developer/architect, I needed to find new ways now to best onboard new team members, coach them, help them develop to their potential, and basically start thinking of their future at ecx.io, not just my own.

A: Did you get any support from your IBM iX colleagues during your development here? If yes, in which way?

D: Three years ago the most support I received was from my advocate Dejan. Our regular 1 on 1 talk was really helpful for me in my first months here at IBM iX. Regarding my technical onboarding, trainings from Adobe partners were helpful, as well as discussing issues and topics with my buddy Dorijan and other developers. I also received a lot of empowerment from our Adobe domain owner Reinhard, which helped me bring some of my ideas to life. However, after a few years working as a developer, I needed a new challenge in my career. What I really appreciate is that we can discuss things openly and honestly with everyone at ecx.io. So I communicated this concern with my line manager David and received full support from him in order to take a next step in my career.

“What I really appreciate is that we can discuss things openly and honestly with everyone at IBM iX.”

– Daniel Strmecki, Head of Platform Technology at IBM iX Croatia

A: Did the IBM iX academy portfolio, the career model and processes support your development in any way?

D: Absolutely, I firmly believe ecx.io academy is the greatest benefit we offer to all our employees. I love to learn new technologies and gain new skills so I have applied and participated in a lot of academy trainings. This helped me to improve my technical, soft, and people skills. Besides attending the trainings you personally like, the academy also ensures you receive the required training needed for fulfilling specific roles. I also participated in a first-year Next Generation Leadership program, which helped me the most in terms of connecting with people at our other locations. Having a career model set up is also a very positive thing, as it makes requirements for certain roles and levels very clear and transparent. My personal career growth was definitely boosted by IBM iX career model and a lot of investments in training and learning.

A: Did you always know which career steps you want to take? If yes, what’s your next goal?

D: I had some idea, but no, I didn’t really know what my career would look like. What I always knew were my strengths and the desire to take responsibility. I had a discussion about this with my line manager a year ago and this was kind of a breaking point in my career. My career could have gone either in a more technical role (like technical or solution architect) or in a more people management role (like head-of). The great thing about IBM iX is that actually you can do both. My line management role takes about 30-40% of my time, which means I can still spend a significant amount of time working with clients and technologies. Regarding goals, I do have a lot of short-term goals which I define on a yearly basis with my advocate and line manager. In the long term, I can definitively imagine myself taking over even more responsibility, so a director role is something I will probably strive to.

A: If you would have had the chance to completely change the sector you’re working in – what would you choose?

D: I am happy with my current responsibilities and workload, so I have no plans to change the sector I am working in. I could definitively picture myself working more closely connected to IBM iX sales department. Probably as a solution architect supporting sales pitches and client workshops. If I would have to change my education, career, and industry, I believe my perfectionist personality would also make me a good doctor.

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