IT COFFEE BREAK: Recent Episodes
EPAM Systems Czech Republic
Do you love coffee breaks and quick chats with colleagues in the office?
Then explore our new format: IT coffee break podcast.
This podcast follows the stories of IT professionals - EPAMers of Prague.
Each episode features a new co-host and a new domain, a fun game, and a 3-in-1 recommendation.
Our experts take you through their exciting IT life, share professional experience and relocation stories.
So, come along for the adventure at EPAM Prague!
Ronald David, Associate Inside Sales Manager at EPAM Hungary started his career in Telemarketing in Sri Lanka, by selling pens to customers in the UK, which was instrumental for him in learning to talk to various stakeholders. The most important thing he learned was building rapport with people regardless of their seniority in a company. Now he tells us more about his career path.
0:00-01:45 – Introduction to podcast
01:46 – 9:30 - Ron life story
9:30 – 11:43 - Why Sales Development?
11:42 – 15:19 - What is Sales Development?
15:20 – 17:30 - What are the necessary skills for an SDR?
17:30 – 19:19 The SDR pipeline
19:20 – 22:49 - SDR at EPAM
22:50 – How to set your own goals?
Solution architecture is a buzzword often heard across the field of IT and it can mean slightly different things at each company, however, one thing is common: A solution architect needs to be a person of many talents.
It's a role that demands versatility, technical knowledge, and a keen understanding of diverse requirements. In this podcast episode, we sat down with Tamás Gelesz, an experienced Solution Architect from EPAM Hungary, to understand the mindset of a successful solution architect.
0:00-1:20 – Introduction to the podcast
1:21-5:29 – How did Tamás become a Solution Architect?
5:30-11:00 – What does a Solution Architect do?
11:01-13:54 - What makes Solution Architecture a unique job?
13:55: 19:52 – Solution Architecture at EPAM
19:53- 23:14 – Who is an ideal candidate?
23:14- 25:43 – What’s next for a Solution Architect?
25:44- 29:35 – Speaking at technical conferences
29: 36 - Outro
In the vast landscape of professional paths, some lead to unforeseen destinations. No matter the unexpected routes, the wrong turns, and slight detours we believe that we always find the right way to our passions. Today we meet with Sanja Dragic who shares more about how she found her true purpose as a People Partner at EPAM Croatia.
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Timestamps:
- (0:00) - Intro
- (2:10) - Who is Sanja? She presents herself, how she decided to change her career path, and how she found EPAM.
- (10:30) - How long has Sanja been with EPAM? She shares more about EPAM Croatia and the journey there.
- (16:00) - Managing difficult situations, people management, supporting colleagues.
- (19:25) - The identity of EPAM Croatia.
- (24:30) - Creating company culture, what has Sanja learned from it?
- (27:00) - Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (02:00) – Current trends in Agile
- (04:30) – Collaboration within the Agile context
- (05:45) – Recent examples of collaboration within Agile teams
- (07:35) – What are some common challenges that Agile teams face?
- (10:05) – How can Agile teams overcome challenges?
- (10:45) – What are some practical strategies or techniques to overcome challenges?
- (13:30) – What actions can you take to contribute to a collaborative environment?
- (16:00) – How can we create an inclusive environment within Agile teams?
- (17:30) – How can working agreements aid Agile teams in promoting collaboration?
- (19:45) – What does an ideal collaboration between an Agile coach and a team lead entail?
- (23:30) – How does the mindset of an Agile leader differ from more traditional leadership mindsets?
- (26:15) – How can an Agile coach and a business analyst effectively communicate and collaborate?
- (28:45) – Key takeaways about collaboration in Agile teams
- (29:05) – Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (02:00) – Overview of the data practice at EPAM
- (07:50) – What’s data of great quality and how do you get it?
- (10:05) – How does your team leverage AI technologies at EPAM, and what impact do they have on Data practice?
- (11:25) – What are the limitations of AI?
- (14:15) – Recommendations for professionals looking to incorporate AI into their daily work
- (17:30) – Recommendations on AI prompting
- (19:15) – What are some misconceptions people have about data?
- (22:45) – Key practices for executing data projects successfully
- (27:45) – What key skills and qualifications do you look for in potential team members?
- (31:15) – What are career growth opportunities within data practice?
- (33:00) – Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (01:30) – What makes EPAM's approach to Learning and development (L&D) stand out in the tech industry?
- (05:00) – Why is it essential to keep learning in today's tech world?
- (06:30) – What are the innovative methods and technologies integrated into the learning process?
- (09:00) – What excites you most about the changes that AI brings to the L&D field?
- (10:30) – What mentorship programs and leadership pathways are available?
- (13:10) – How do you create a learning path that contributes to long-term career goals?
- (17:30) – What are the programs and awards of the L&D unit at EPAM?
- (20:30) – Advice on learning, growth, and leadership development.
- (22:00) – Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (01:45) – EPAM won Salesforce Partner Award 2023. What does this recognition mean?
- (03:00) – What’s the Salesforce practice at EPAM like?
- (04:15) – What's currently going on in Salesforce?
- (06:00) – What role does AI play in enhancing Salesforce's capabilities?
- (08:15) – What has changed in the Salesforce platform within a decade?
- (14:15) – What are the learning & certification opportunities?
- (19:40) – What advice would you give to those looking to start a career or excel in the Salesforce?
- (24:50) – How much time does it take to build a career in Salesforce?
- (27:30) – Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (01:35) – Overview of the Data Practice in EPAM Portugal
- (03:00) – EPAM Portugal’s current focus and expertise in Data
- (04:30) – What exciting projects and tech stacks is the team currently involved in?
- (07:00) – What specific skills or technologies are in high demand?
- (11:30) – What is expected from potential candidates
- (14:00) – What’s your favorite question during the tech interview?
- (16:00) – What’s the difference between Data Engineer & Data Scientist?
- (18:30) – What's your favorite misconception about Data that you'd like to debunk or highlight?
- (20:30) – What career development opportunities exist for data professionals who join EPAM Portugal?
- (22:00) – What’s the difference between being a team player at work and in sports?
- (25:00) – What sets EPAM apart as a unique player in the Portuguese IT market?
- (27:00) – Is AI a magic or a threat?
- (31:30) – Outro
Produced, hosted, and edited by Anastasia Eliseeva
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
· (03:30) – EPAM Portugal in one word
- (04:30) – EPAM Portugal's current tech focus & expertise
- (06:10) – Technologies & projects of EPAM Portugal
· (10:00) – Team collaboration
- (15:00) – Community initiatives of EPAM Portugal
- (16:30) – Good candidate for EPAM Portugal
- (18:00) – Advice for someone who wants to join EPAM Portugal
- (18:30) – Outro
In our latest interview, we sat down with Andreia Lourenco, People Lead of EPAM Portugal,to gain valuable insights into EPAM Portugal’s progress and development.
Join in:
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(00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
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(02:50) – Overview of the first year of EPAM Portugal
- (05:20) – What’s it like working in EPAM Portugal?
- (07:00) – Updates on the EPAM Portugal progress
- (08:00) – What’s the team of EPAM Portugal like?
- (09:00) – How does it feel to lead such a diverse team?
- (10:50) – Benefits of joining EPAM Portugal
- (13:50) – Career and growth opportunities within EPAM Portugal
- (16:00) – Support of work-life balance and well-being of EPAMers
- (18:10) – Outro
SAP Practice in EPAM
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (01:45) – What is SAP?
- (03:05) – What are the priorities of the SAP Competency Center in EPAM?
- (06:00) – What do SAP consultants and developers do in EPAM?
- (08:30) – What’s the career path of SAP practitioners in EPAM like?
- (10:45) – What are the learning & certification opportunities?
- (13:00) – SAP Tech Talks. What’s the SAP community in EPAM like?
- (14:40) – What’s changing for the SAP development with AI?
- (16:45) – Current trends in SAP development
- (17:30) – Why should an SAP specialist join EPAM?
- (20:30) – What are business traveling and relocation opportunities within EPAM?
- (22:15) – What specific skills and expertise of SAP professionals are we looking for?
- (23:30) – Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that' game
- (03:50) – Myth or Truth #1: Delivery Manager (DM) is a technical role.
- (08:00) – What’s unique about the DM role in EPAM’s context?
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(10:50) – Myth or Truth #2: DM is needed on each project.
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(12:30) – What’s changing with the AI?
- (16:35) – How to work with the geographically spread team?
- (20:00) – Myth or Truth #3: As DM, you need to be available 24/7.
- (22:40) – What are the key attributes of exceptional DMs?
- (24:00) – Why do DM’s love their job?
- (25:30) – Myth or Truth #4: As DM, you need to exceed customer expectations.
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(27:30) – Myth or Truth #5. DM can fix everything.
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(29:30) – How to start a career path in Delivery Management?
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(32:30) – What current technological trends should a DM know?
- (33:40) – The most popular myth about the DM role.
- (34:35) – Outro·
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (01:30) – What’s your job in a nutshell?
- (03:05) – What methodologies or frameworks do you prefer to use for software development, and why?
- (06:30) – How do you ensure that your team follows best practices and maintains code quality?
- (08:40) – How do you collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality software products?
- (09:50) – How do you like to start and finish your working day?
- (11:00) – How do you prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively in a fast-paced development environment?
- (12:35) – What do you enjoy the most about being a Lead Engineer?
- (14:00) – What one common myth or misconception about your job you’d like to call out?
- (15:45) – What is your next tech challenge?
- (16:15) – When you are not working, you can be found doing what?
- (17:10) – Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (03:30) – The IT story of EPAM Greece
- (06:00) – How does EPAM serve our clients?
- (08:00) – How does EPAM differ?
- (09:00) – Updates on the EPAM Greek progress
- (12:30) – What is the focus of EPAM Greece now?
- (14:20) – How are the projects set up, and how do the teams work together?
- (15:15) – Technology directions and competency centers of EPAM Greece
- (19:10) – Career opportunities at EPAM Greece
- (22:10) – What are the benefits of joining EPAM Greece?
- (24:40) – What people are we looking for to make the future of EPAM Greece?
- (26:40) – EPAM Greece team culture
- (29:25) – Best experience in Greece
- (31:00) – How to join EPAM Greece?
- (34:35) – Outro
We continue our Solution Architecture expert series. Today’s expert is Andrei Egorov, Solution Architect, who has more than 20 years of experience in IT, six of which at EPAM.
Timestamps:
· (00:00) – Intro, “This or that game”
· (01:45) – Myth or Truth #1: A Solution Architect (SA) is an advanced engineer.
· (07:35) – Myth or Truth #2: Software architecture is a technical solution to a problem.
· (11:45) – Solution Architecture School at EPAM.
· (13:30) – Technology mentoring program at EPAM.
· (14:20) – Initiatives of the SA Competency center at EPAM.
· (16:45) – Myth or Truth #3: SAs don’t code.
· (19:45) – Myth or Truth #4: A SA is a manager.
· (23:25) – Architectural cutter program.
· (27:50) – Myth or Truth #5: SAs are “responsible” for the failure or success of the product.
· (29:30) – How to move to a SA career?
· (31:45) – Outro
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, “This or that game.”
- (02:20) – Myth or Truth#1: Consulting = Delivery.
- (04:15) – Myth or Truth#2: The intensity of consulting projects is the same as delivery.
- (07:15) – Myth or Truth #3: Reusing artifacts from previous consultancy projects for future ones is easy.
- (08:20) – Myth or Truth#4: It’s the result of consultancy that matters.
- (13:17) – Myth or Truth #5: Having tech skills is enough to become a tech consultant.
- (19:20) – Outro.
N.B: This IT coffee break podcast has been recorded in collaboration with the Magenta Podcast Studio at Magenta Experience Center in Prague.
Is it true that user experience and user interface are the same?
Is the field of UX Design really driven by technology?
We asked Aleksei Suprunov, a Senior Designer at EPAM, to bust the most widespread myths about User experience design.
Tune in to find out what we learned.
Timestamps:
· (00:00) – Intro, “This or that game”
· (01:25) – Myth or Truth #1: UX = UI.
· (07:05) – Myth or Truth #2: UX is expensive.
· (09:55) – Myth or Truth #3: UX is everyone’s cup of tea.
· (11:25) – Myth or Truth #4: UX is driven by technology.
· (14:35) – Myth or Truth #5: It’s easy to find a job or shift to a Designer career.
· (22:35) – Outro
Meet our newest colleague, Dominika Hruskova.
She joined EPAM three months ago and has great plans for this year.
Let’s explore her professional and personal journey.
Join us as Sever Pop – Business Analysis Team Leader at EPAM, discusses some common BA myths and truths, and learn more about the role of a Business Analyst.
Timestamps:
· (00:00) – Intro, “This or that game.”
· (01:45) – Myth or Truth#1: Business Analyst (BA) professionals must have an IT background with strong technical skills.
· (04:15) – Myth or Truth#2: BAs require a business background.
· (09:30) – Myth or Truth#3: Business Analysis is all about documentation and requirements management, so there’s no role for a BA on an Agile Team.
· (15:30) – Myth or Truth#4: BA is about working with large datasets, number crunching and statistics
· (25:30) – Myth or Truth#5: It is easy to shift to a BA career
· (26:30) – Main takeaways and Outro
To help raise awareness for the Open Source (OS) projects at EPAM, we connected with Christopher Howard - Lead Open Source Program Manager at EPAM, and asked him a few questions!
Timestamps:
· (00:00) – Intro, “This or that game”
· (01:15) – Meet our co-host Chris Howard - Open-Source (OS) Lead at EPAM UK
· (02:30) – FAQ#1: What are the hidden costs of the OS software?
· (04:45) – FAQ#2: Why is there an upper trend of adopting OS projects?
· (07:00) – FAQ#3: Open-Source office (OSPO) at EPAM
· (08:30) – FAQ#4: OS projects at EPAM. OS contributor index
· (11:30) – FAQ#5: How to join OS projects at EPAM?
· (13:00) – FAQ#6: How does OS fit into the larger business goals of EPAM?
· (15:15) – FAQ#7: OS community at EPAM
· (17:30) – FAQ#8: Consultancy offerings at EPAM: OS excellence
· (20:30) – FAQ#9: Why contribute to OS projects?
· (23:15) – FAQ#10: Why use GitHub?
· (24:30) – FAQ#11: What’s the value of OS?
· (26:15) – Outro
Today we virtually step inside EPAM’s new office in the tech hub of Eastern Slovakia: Košice. Our guides are Scrum Master Zuzana Klimekova and Project Manager Liudmyla Melnykova. They share insider information about EPAM Košice. Listen on and tune in to learn all the details.
TIMESTAMPS:
· (00:00) – Intro, Quiz
· (03:30) – Q#1: Why did EPAM build an additional office in Košice?
· (04:50) – Q#2: WFH vs WFO mode: what are the opportunities at EPAM Slovakia?
· (08:45) – Q#3: What’s it like working at EPAM Slovakia?
· (12:45) – Q#4: What are the projects and tech stack at EPAM Slovakia?
· (15:45) – Q#5: What are the benefits of working at EPAM Slovakia?
· (20:15) – Q#6: What opportunities for career advancement are there in EPAM Slovakia?
· (22:00) – Q#7: How the projects are set up in EPAM Slovakia?
· (26:45) – Main takeaways and Outro
Today’s interview features Zuzana Klimekova, an experienced Scrum Master at EPAM Slovakia. Let’s explore more about her professional and personal journey!
A happy coincidence brought Jitka Tarhonska, People Lead of EPAM Czech Republic, to EPAM almost four years ago. She was about to terminate her employment with another company and decided to post her CV on a website. And in just 30 minutes, she received a call from an EPAM recruiter. She was so impressed with such speed and efficiency. How is EPAM so efficient and what is it like working at EPAM? Those are some of the tricky questions we’ve received from our readers and listeners who may be future EPAMers. Let’s learn from Jitka as she answers some FAQs.
Timestamps:
· (00:00) – Intro, Quiz
· (02:20) – FAQ#1: Why join EPAM Czech Republic?
· (06:10) – FAQ#2: What’s it like working at EPAM Czech Republic?
· (10:25) – FAQ#3: Are EPAMers happy with their work?
· (14:45) – FAQ#4: What’s the community life at EPAM like?
· (22:30) – FAQ#5: Where can you find all information about open positions?
· (28:45) – Main takeaways and Outro
Vítáme Vás u naší první epizody v češtině!📢
Naším dnešním hostem je Jitka Tarhonská, šéfka personálního oddělení v EPAMu Česká Republika.🙋♀️
S ní probereme čím se zbývá EPAM, a zda-li jsou u EPAMu zaměstnanci spokojení!
Příjemný poslech!🎧
Mastering the language of your new country is a big part of your integration journey. At EPAM Czech Republic, we have Czech language courses for EPAMers and their family members so they can feel at home in Prague. However, we still hear a lot of myths about the Czech language. We’ve sat down with our Czech language trainer, Jakub Seiner, to understand how to learn Czech quickly and enjoy it.
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, Quiz
- (01:45) – Myth or Truth #1: Czech is one of the most challenging languages in the world
- (02:55) – How to learn Czech from scratch?
- (04:05) – How to incorporate Czech in your life?
- (07:10) – Small habits: how to stay in contact with authentic Czech?
- (10:10) – Myth or Truth # 2: the Czech language is a musical, totally phonetic language
- (11:25) – Pronunciation workshop:
- Strč prst skrz krk.
- Tři sta třicet tři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přes tři sta třicet tři stříbrných střech
- (13:05) – Myth or Truth # 3: Slavic speakers have an advantage in learning Czech
- (14:00) – What’s the logic of the Czech Grammar?
- (16:45) – Myth or Truth # 4: Spoken Czech is a “real life” Czech, it’s different from a written Czech
- (17:50) – Czech slang: when appropriate and how to learn it?
- (18:45) – Myth or Truth # 5: If you are an expat, you’ll never speak fluent Czech
- (19:45) – What Czech level is right for a comfortable living and integration into a Czech society?
- (22:05) – How to improve Czech writing skills?
- (23:30) – Typical mistakes in Czech
- (25:10) – Czech “lost in translation” words
- (27:00) – Czech idioms workshop:
- o Zlom vaz!
- o Ranní ptáče dál doskáče
- (28:25) – Czech language courses at EPAM
- (30:35) – IT Czech
- (31:35) – Main takeaways and Outro
To mark Girls in Information and Communication Technology Day (ICT), we asked inspiring women of EPAM from Central Europe to share their thoughts. We wondered: what influenced them to pursue a career in IT, the impact of their role at EPAM, and their vision of women in tech!
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro
- (0:45) – Meet Barbara Boros, a Technical Product Manager, People Team Lead at EPAM Hungary
- (08:05) – Meet Anna Liashenko, Senior Software Engineer at EPAM Czech Republic
- (15:00) – Meet Adela Balan, Senior Software Test Automation Engineer at EPAM Romania
- (20:00) – Meet Tanya Dineva, Senior Business Analyst at EPAM Bulgaria
- (30:05) – Outro
What do you really need to know to ace your tech interview at EPAM? Today we look behind the scenes to learn what happens during a tech interview at EPAM and how decisions are really made. Our tech interviewer, Illia Sudakou, is a Lead Software Engineer at EPAM Prague. He has conducted more than 200 technical interviews so far. With him we inspect some common tech interview myths and discuss the coding tasks at EPAM.
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (02:00) – Myth or Truth #1: Java tech interview is a programming IQ test. You just learn top 100 Java interview Q&A’s and you are ready.
- (03:00) – What technical skills and expertise are required for a Java Developer at EPAM?
- (04:00) – Red flags at a tech interview
- (05:30) – Is tech interview a skill?
- (08:35) – Myth or Truth #2: You need to show clean code on a white board.
- (10:30) – How to prepare for a real-time coding?
- (11:30) – Myth or Truth #3: The most difficult Java interview questions are about multithreading and concurrency.
- (13:00) – Advice to candidates who want to join EPAM as Java programmers
- (13:35) – Myth or Truth #4: Main interview stages are: Introduction- Q&A Session-Closure-Feedback.
- (16:30) – Why work at EPAM?
- (18:35) – The timeline of a tech interview
- (19:30) – What’s unique about tech interview at EPAM?
- (20:40) – What happens behind the scenes during the tech interview, how decisions are really made?
- (23:05) – How does it feel to be a tech interviewer at EPAM?
- (24:00) – Myth or Truth #5: You always need to learn new things throughout your life if you are a Java programmer.
- (25:30) – What frameworks and tools are a must in 2022 for a Java developer?
- (27:20) – Who is the perfect match for EPAM right now?
- (28:10) – What’s the Java community like at EPAM?
- (29:20) – Bonus Myth or Truth: IT industry is the only sphere where job interview is harder than the job itself.
- (30:35) – Final recommendations and Outro
Illia Sudakou is an experienced Lead Software Engineer at EPAM Czech Republic. He joined EPAM more than five years ago, relocated from Belarus, and has been working at EPAM Prague for almost two years now. Illia has experience with the whole lifecycle of Java-intensive projects: from coding to leading a team of four professionals and conducting tech interviews. Let’s explore more about his professional and personal journey!
Moving to a new country and gaining unique professional and personal experience with EPAM can certainly be an exciting adventure. In this interview, we discuss relocation with Alexandra Skryabina, a Senior Business Analyst at EPAM who recently moved to the Czech Republic from Belarus. Our expert is Krystsina Katouskaya, Senior Learning and Development Specialist, also relocated from Belarus to EPAM Netherlands.
Keep listening to learn more and share your thoughts in the comments!
Timestamps:
- (#00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (#04:00) – Myth or Truth #1: Living Abroad is a Grand Adventure. Everything is a vacation!
- (#05:40) – Career opportunities after relocation to EPAM Czech Republic
- (#06:40) – What is life after relocation really like?
- (#07:30) – What to consider before relocation?
- (#08:50) – Myth or Truth # 2:after relocation you’ll be speaking the local language in no time
- (#10:50) – How does it feel being an expat in Prague?
- (#11:25) – Tips how to master a new language after relocation
- (#13:45) – Myth or Truth # 3:everyone faces the culture shock and its four phases before they adjust
- (#15:20) – The emotional side of relocation: how does it feel to live in a new country?
- (#17:05) – How to adapt to relocation during the global pandemic?
- (#18:30) – How to socialize in a new country?
- (20:55) – Myth or Truth # 4: You’ll change fundamentally as a person after relocation
- (#24:15) – Myth or Truth # 5: It’s hard to make friends in a new country
- (#26:50) – How to find friends among the locals?
- (#28:00) – EPAM сcommunities as a way of building social network
- (#28:30) – What changes after relocation in professional sense?
- (#30:00) – The most important insight after relocation
- (#32:00) – Final recommendations
- (#32:45) – Main takeaways and Outro
Today's interview features Alexandra Skryabina, an experienced Business Analyst at EPAM Czech Republic. Without further ado, let's take a closer look at Alexandra's life and the exciting work she does at EPAM!
Rachel O’Ryan has an exciting life. Born in Great Britain, she studied in Cambridge. After her studies, she moved to Krakow, Poland, and she has been living there for almost two decades now, experiencing a new culture and a new language by herself. For more than four and a half years, Rachel has been helping EPAMers to develop their English skills. Today, Rachel is ready to help us overcome our language fears and debunk some common myths about using English at work!
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game, riddle
- (04:05) – Myth or Truth #1: C++, Python, Java and SQL are the only foreign languages I need at work.
- (05:20) – What do English and coding have in common?
- (05:50) – What is IT English?
- (06:50) – What’s the difference between the pronunciation and an accent?
- (09:00) – Do we have an EPAM slang at work?
- (10:20) – Myth or Truth # 2: Using the tech gadgets and AI are the best way of training English skills.
- (11:40) – Small habits: how to stay in contact with authentic English?
- (15:05) – How to get through plateau effect?
- (16:00) – How to become a confident English communicator at work?
- (18:10) – What is English training at EPAM like now?
- (19:35) – Talk to impress: recommendations on how to prepare for presenting
- (22:05) – How to pass the job interview at EPAM in English?
- (23:30) – Myth or Truth # 3: You must be immersed with natives to have an advanced level of English
- (25:30) – Myth or Truth # 4: Fluent speakers don’t make mistakes
- (26:35) – How to balance your level of English?
- (28:00) – Myth or Truth # 4: You should be constantly challenged to master English
- (30:25) – How to get a good level of IT English?
- (31:00) – What helps Rachel stay concentrated through the whole working day?
- (31:50) – Rachel’s three-in-one pick
- (34:35) – Final recommendations
- (35:35) – Main takeaways and Outro
Today we are wrapping up the first season of the IT coffee break and the year 2021, with this one question special: “What was your most memorable moment of the year 2021?” We asked this question to our amazing colleagues of EPAM Czech Republic, who have been co-hosting our IT coffee breaks this year. Happy Listening!
- (00:00) – Intro
- (00:30) – Most memorable moment of the year 2021 for Anastasiia Volyk, Senior Software Engineer
- (04:10) – Most memorable moment of the year 2021 for Oleksandr Tsykunov, Senior Software Engineer
- (07:10) – Most memorable moment of the year 2021 for Martin Sladek, Senior Software Engineer
- (11:30) – Most memorable moment of the year 2021 for Petr Bursa, Senior Marketing Coordinator
- (16:15) – Most memorable moment of the year 2021 for Veronika Svobodova, Senior People Advisory Specialist
- (20:05) – Most memorable moment of the year 2021 for Elizaveta Bartikova, Lead Language Trainer
- (23:15) – Most memorable moment of the year 2021 for Tomas Zenkl, Senior Agile Coach at EPAM
- (25:45) – Outro
Olga Kudriasovais a talent acquisition manager at EPAM Czech Republic and Slovakia. For almost ten years at EPAM she stated a lot of questions to potential EPAMers. However, today, Olga answers our inquires as we inspect some common hiring myths and discuss the career opportunities at EPAM. Keep listening to learn more and share your thoughts in the comments.
Timestamps:
- (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
- (01:35) – Motivation and challenges of a Talent Acquisition (TA) Manager at EPAM
- (03:10) – TA practices at EPAM: steps, stages, experience
- (04:30) – What to expect in an interview at EPAM?
- (05:50) – Simple tips for a smooth virtual interview
- (7:30) – What (not) to ask during a job interview?
- (08:40) – How to nail tech interview?
- (10:25) – What’s it like working at EPAM?
- (12:30) – Who is a perfect match as an EPAMer? What positions are we hiring for?
- (15:30) – First impressions at a job interview are the lasting ones: myth or truth?
- (17:15) – Working opportunities and work-life-balance at EPAM
- (20:00) – Why join and what to expect at EPAM?
- (21:40) – I want to join EPAM. What should I do?
- (23:15) – What helps Olga to stay concentrated through the whole working day
- (24:00) – Final recommendations to candidates who want to join EPAM
- (25:45) – Main takeaways and Outro
In today’s special program we explore how the winter holidays are traditionally celebrated in the Czech lands. Our experts on Czech Xmas are amazing People Team of EPAM Czech Republic. We talk about Christmas traditions, food and drinks, films and music, decorations. And also share laughter and Christmas stories. So get yourself in the Christmas spirit and enjoy Christmastime with EPAM family!
Olga Kudriashova is responsible for a perfect match - finding the right person for the job. She connects EPAM with great professionals to drive new projects forward. Olga also leads and manages a pool of Talent Acquisition specialists (TAs). Let’s learn more about Olga and her work at EPAM!
If you prefer reading you can check out the interview here: https://community-z.com/communities/epam-czech-republic/articles/1445!
Adrian Benko is a Lead Software Test Automation Engineer at EPAM Slovakia. Apart from being responsible for the app's quality on his project, he also leads and manages a pool of seven very talented Quality Assurance specialists (QAs). Adrian is an active member of the QA society: a mentor, a regular conference speaker, a lecturer and a blogger. Together, we are inspecting some common Software Testing Myths and discussing the career opportunities for a QA. Keep listening to learn more and share your thoughts in the comments.
· (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
· (03:10) – What’s the difference between a tester and a QA?
· (05:35) – Software testing as a career path
· (06:45) – Myth busting #1. Developer Power: Developers Make. Tester Power: Testers Break. Is it true?
· (09:00) – Myth busting #2. Being a tester is easy: “Automate, sit back, and relax”
· (13:30) – Is it possible to build bug-free software?
· (15:00) – How much testing is enough?
· (17:30) – What is Agile testing?
· (20:00) – Agile testing practices at EPAM
· (22:00) – How does retesting differ from Data Driven testing?
· (25:20) – Overview of a QA’s role and responsibilities at EPAM
· (27:50) – Best practices and sources for the QA specialists
· (30:10) – What’s the future of the QA?
· (34:10) – Life at EPAM: case studies and blogs at epam.com
· (35:10) – Main takeaways and Outro
Pawel Labaj, the Lead Software Engineer at EPAM, has almost 20 years of experience in IT. Besides being a Lead engineer, Pawel shares his knowledge as a mentor at our eKids training programs. He is also a proud father of two teenage daughters. One of his daughters has just won the bronze medal at the European Coding Championship. Curious about how to inspire kids to join the program, open kid’s creativity, and get excellent results? Listen to this episode to learn Pawel’s tips and experience on teaching coding to kids.
Timestamps:
· (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
· (02:30) – Why should you teach your kids programming?
· (04:15) – When to start teaching coding to kids?
· (05:30) – How and where to start teaching programming to kids?
· (06:30) – The best experience of being a tutor at EPAM’s eKids programs
· (08:45) – How to teach programming to kids
· (10:15) – How much time to spend on teaching kids to program?
· (10:45) – Best platforms for practicing coding skills with kids
· (12:30) – Contests and championships as means of practicing coding
· (14:30) – Scratch - the best resource for teaching coding
· (16:00) – Best resources for teaching logical thinking to preschoolers
· (19:00) – Best resources for teaching logical thinking to school kids
· (20:45) – How to motivate teenagers to continue coding?
· (22:45) – How to show hardware to kids?
· (25:45) – Message to parents: how to teach coding to kids
· (26:05) – Main takeaways and Outro
Fall has just begun, and for many of us, it means 'back-to-school.' Today we continue our "Ask the Expert" series with digital parenting tips from psychologist Dániel Tóth. If you missed our first digital parenting story with Dániel, be sure to check it out here and let's dive into a new lesson on digital parenting together!
· (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
· (02:00) – What can parents do to ensure a good school year’s start?
· (05:00) – How to set up family tech boundaries?
· (09:45) – What are the worst tech habits and how can we break them?
· (10:20) – How to stop phubbing?
· (12:15) – Dark side of using gadgets in digital parenting
· (15:35) – Do you need to check kid’s chats?
· (16:25) – What is a family digital device contract and how can we use it?
· (20:15) – Social media registration dilemma: to forbid or not?
· (22:45) – How does the family social media account work?
· (23:20) – How to use family chats effectively?
· (24:45) – How can we gamify our family time with the help of tech?
· (27:15) – How can we minimize the ‘zoom fatigue’?
· (28:15) – How to organize digital detox?
· (31:15) – How to shift from FOMO to JOMO as a family?
· (34:45) – A piece of advice from digital kids to parents
· (36:00) – Main takeaways and Outro
"I see a lot of positive changes and we should be very proud of that." – Zoltan Szeni, Vice president and Head of People in Europe and the Middle East, shares his insights of his 5 year-journey with EPAM.
Zoltan Szeni has many years of international work experience, a client-serving mindset, and a business background. We sat down with Zoltan to hear about his five-year journey at EPAM, last year's obstacles and opportunities, and the future of EPAM! Happy listening!
· (00:00) – Intro
· (00:45) – Zoltan’s 5 year-journey with EPAM: what has changed?
· (01:30) – Consequences and lessons learned from the pandemic
· (07:25) – Cultural changes at EPAM: new social and professional communities
· (10:30) – Knowledge-sharing during the pandemic at EPAM
· (12:30) – Remote working at EPAM and social side of WFH
· (14:40) – Virtual team-building and fun events at EPAM during the pandemic
· (17:30) – EPAM’s next goals as a company
· (21:53) – Outro
"At EPAM we set the bar extremely high when it comes to software engineering." – Zoltan Szeni, Vice President, Head of People, Europe and the Middle East, talks about EPAM-ers and his role at EPAM
Zoltan Szeni has more than 20 years of business experience in consultancy, change management, HR, and organizational development. Now, Zoltan is combining his knowledge in his current role as Vice President and Head of People in Europe and the Middle East. We challenged Zoltan with questions about his broad experience and how this has influenced his role at EPAM. Surprisingly, we learned that EPAM and team sports have a lot in common. Keep listening to learn more!
· (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that' game
· (02:15) – How EPAM & EPAMers differ from the others
· (04:20) – EPAM’s culture
· (07:00) – The concept of the bench in context of EPAM
· (10:10) – The opportunities 'on the bench'
· (12:00) – What do the coach in sports and Vice President at EPAM have in common?
· (16:00) – Zoltan’s insights on working with the German and Dutch colleagues
· (19:00) – Zoltan’s experience of working and living in Russia
· (22:20) – Diversity & success at EPAM
· (24:30) – Outro
Oleksandr Tsykunov, Senior Software Engineer at EPAM, has been relocated to Prague and has been with EPAM Czech Republic for 2.5 years now. We spoke with Alex to learn the details about family relocation and life in Prague. Keep listening to learn more!
· (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game and Alex’s Backstory
· (02:00) – Why the Czech Republic?
· (02:55) – Relocation to the Czech Republic
· (04:05) – First impressions in Prague
· (06:00) – Challenges of relocation: how to adapt fast in Prague?
· (06:50) – Schooling in Prague
· (09:00) – The Czech language
· (10:20) – Leisure time in the Czech Republic, Alex’s favorite places
· (11:45) – Pros of living in Prague
· (13:45) – What it’s like working at EPAM Czech Republic?
· (16:30) – Living and working in Prague during the pandemic
· (18:15) – Activities for kids in Prague
· (19:15) – Alex’s advice and experience in Prague
· (25:30) – Outro
In this episode of the IT Coffee Break Podcast, we celebrate Plastic Free July and discuss Corporate Social Responsibility programs with Shamilka Samarasinha, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at EPAM. We discussed education programs, environment initiatives and Social innovations as EPAM’s response to COVID-19. Tune in and Happy listening with @epam_czechrepublic!
· (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
· (02:20) – Overview of the CSR journey at EPAM
· (07:15) – Internal and external CSR programs at EPAM
· (08:25) – eKids program
· (10:37) – Education programs at EPAM
· (14:05) – Environment initiatives at EPAM
· (18:30) – Social innovations as EPAM’s response to COVID-19
· (21:10) – ESG (Environmental, social and governance) framework at EPAM
· (23:10) – Why EPAMers volunteer?
· (25:05) – CSR drivers and volunteers at EPAM
· (28:15) – Outro
The 21st of May is the United Nations World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. This year at EPAM, we celebrated with a cultural festival and a cultural awareness week.
We sat down and talked about cultural diversity at EPAM with one of the festival's organizers and speakers, Krystsina Katouskaya. She shared how to be effective in a multicultural business environment, what steps can help us adapt to a new culture, and her hands-on experience and advice for relocation.
Timestamps:
· (00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
· (03:00) – Cross cultural basis and business communication
· (04:35) – Challenges of the cross-cultural business communications
· (05:45) – Cross-cultural paradigms
· (07:30) – Ways to improve cross-cultural communication within the remote team
· (09:05) – What helps in adaption to a new culture after relocation?
· (15:20) – Common mistakes in multicultural communication
· (16:45) – Kristina’s personal experience of relocation to Europe
· (19:30) – 6 steps of adaptation to a new culture
· (22:20) – Building cross-cultural team
· (23:45) – Giving and receiving feedback in cross-cultural business communications
· (25:15) – EPAM’s business culture: how to adjust fast if you are a newcomer
· (26:45) – Celebrating cultural diversity at EPAM: cultural awareness week
· (28:00) – Outro
At EPAM Czech Republic, we are thrilled to be long-term partners with the non-profit organization Czechitas. Together we inspire and empower new talents. Since 2017, as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility program; specifically the education pillar, our EPAMers have been helping Czechitas by consulting, sponsoring educational events and providing the help of our mentors and volunteers.
We have talked with Barbora Buhnova—a co-founding and Governing Board Member of Czechitas—about informal STEM education, and diversity and inclusion in tech. Let's learn more!
Even 25 years after its initial release, Java is still one of the most used development languages worldwide, ranked number 3 by TIOBE index this year. Becoming a Java Developer has proven to be an excellent career move for Martin Sladek, a Senior Software Engineer at EPAM. Martin has more than 13 years of programming experience and specializes in the financial services domain. He is always learning new technologies and stacks, but still prefers coding in Java. Today Martin shares his experience with us!
In the world full of devices and data, coding has become the new Latin and a must-skill. That is why EPAM has a world-wide eKids program for children where kids can start coding and discovering the digital world from the early school-age. As parents, how can we support creative learning and digital literacy? How should we be smart about kid's screen time? How can we become a better digital parent whilst preserving a good parent-children relationship in the long-run? Today we put theory into practice and discuss digital parenting with Dániel Tóth!
Dániel is a psychologist, Youtuber, and a gamer. He coaches parents and kids on technology, helping to resolve conflicts on screen time, video games and social media.
(00:00) – Intro, ‘This or that’ game
2021 is a big year as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Agile Manifesto. Today we reflect on Agile working and living with our expert Tomas Zenkl, Senior Agile Coach at EPAM in the Czech Republic.
Tomas has a tremendous amount of passion and level of Agile knowledge: more than five years of Agile coaching experience and lots of training and certificates under his belt.
What does Agile mean in the context of EPAM? How can we make remote Agile more effective? How can you take a more Agile during uncertain times? We challenged Tomas with these questions, so let’s learn from him about the Agile landscape and design thinking!
What is changing in the world of security now? What opportunities do we have at EPAM for careers in security? And what is the best advice to improve security when you’re working from home?
We addressed these questions to our experts from EPAM Poland’s Service Delivery Manager, Ihar Zharkouski, and Lead Security Systems Engineer, Evgenii Brovchenko.
Keep listening!
Today we explore one of the most exciting and joyful Spring holidays of the Czech lands – Easter.
There are two ways to celebrate Easter in the Czech Republic: a religious and a folk one. For Christians, Easter is the most important holiday of the year. Also, for many Czechs, Easter is a symbol of the arriving spring, growth and nature being re-born.
In both cases, Easter weekend brings families together and is filled with fun customs and charming traditions. So, let yourself be inspired by our pick and let's Easter the Czech way!
Welcome to our IT COFFEE & BREAK Podcasts! We are super excited to bring you personal stories from EPAMers across the whole spectrum of expertise! Listen to this episode to find out who is behind the podcasts and what can you expect.
Happy listening!
"Don't be ambitious short term. Be ambitious long term". Listen to our podcast to find out what Liz means!
How can the English language help advance our careers? What learning opportunities do we have at EPAM? How can you prepare for an interview in English?
Today we get all the answers from our senior English trainer Elizaveta Bartikova.
Originally from Russia, Elizaveta has been living in the Czech Republic for the last fifteen years, four of which she has spent with EPAM.
Listen to our podcast to explore smart and fun learning strategies and get to know Liz a bit better!
Tomas Vyskocil is a young ambitious Software Engineer at EPAM Systems Czech Republic. With Tomas, we have discussed the world of development, “new normal” work- life, and an enigmatic Czech soul. Enjoy the details and insights. Happy listening!
For the written version click here!
Iurii Sukhovii’s career has skyrocketed at EPAM over the past 10 years. Initially, he started on a Project Management path, then became a Senior Account Manager, and now is the country head of our Czech Republic and Slovakia offices.
Through his experience and stories, this podcasts takes a behind the scenes look at the fast-paced growth of EPAM in the Czech Republic, as well as what the future holds. Take a few minutes to learn more. We hope you gain some helpful insight! Listen now :)
Anastasiia Volyk is a Senior SQL Developer with a passion for constant challenges and growth. She joined EPAM more than seven years ago as Junior Developer. She has been relocated from Kyiv and has been working at EPAM Prague for almost four years now. Anastasiia has experience with the whole lifecycle of data-intensive projects: from coding to leading a team of eleven data professionals. Let’s explore more about her professional journey.
Petr Bursa is a marketing coordinator at EPAM Czech Republic. Born in Prague he studied in Paris, but came back to his home city and joined EPAM CZ almost 4 years ago. In this interview, Petr shares his thoughts on working at EPAM, new approaches in marketing, and his hobbies!
Today’s interview features Dmytro Prokopenko, an experienced Business Analyst who describes the role he does, talks about his relocation to Prague and shares his professional insights. Dmytro has been with EPAM for almost 8 years. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, he relocated to Prague 5 years ago and since then worked at EPAM CZ. How that turned out? Listen to the podcast to learn the details of a “yes-attitude”!