In this second installment of our Beyond Code interview series, we explore the remarkable career path of Kaloyan Dimitrov, a Senior Full-Stack Developer at Anthill.
Kaloyan talks about his early beginnings as a software developer, takes us through the diverse projects he’s worked on, and shares the ever-present joy he finds in every step of his software development journey.
Join us as we discover the professional life of Kaloyan and beyond.
Q: Tell us about you and your career journey as a software developer.
Kaloyan: My career path started more than 12 years ago when I was a student, and a company offered me an internship as an SQL developer. Later, they decided to keep me as a full-time employee and gave me a role working on their biggest project. At this point, I started working mostly with Microsoft’s technology stack. During my career so far, I’ve had the chance to work on various types of projects, such as the development of desktop applications, web applications, services, and cloud-based applications. My roles and responsibilities have changed many times since the start of my career, but the most important thing for me is that I enjoy every step of this journey.
Q: Can you describe your role at Anthill and what a typical day looks like for you?
Kaloyan: My current role at Anthill is as a Senior Full-Stack Developer for the biggest partner of the company, an American insurtech pioneer, CCCIS. I’m responsible for the development of new functionalities and fixing issues in the existing code. My working day is not much different from that of any other software developer. Usually, I have a task that is assigned to me, so the first thing I do to tackle it is to understand what the issue or new request is. When I’m ready with my analysis, I make the needed changes in the code. Afterward, I test if my code changes are working and confirm that the task is completed.
Q: Please describe your job in a way that a 3-year-old would understand it.
Kaloyan: I’m making the computer do what I want.
Q: How do you stay current with the latest technologies and trends in software development?
Kaloyan: That is one of the most important things in our job. We constantly need to enhance our knowledge and be up to date with the newest trends and technologies. I personally read a lot of articles from numerous authors, watch online courses, participate in different workshops and conferences, and in the worst-case scenario, when there is no other information – I read the documentation.
Q: What was your motivation to join Anthill’s team?
Kaloyan: I wanted to try something different, get out of my comfort zone, and challenge myself. Anthill’s management, the company’s vision, and the specifics of the project were also very important to my decision. Overall, it was a perfect match.
Q: How does Anthill support the career growth and development of its software developers?
Kaloyan: We have an upskilling program that allows us to prepare and get certified in areas that are of interest to us. The best part is that all the expenses related to the training materials and the exam cost are covered by Anthill, so all we need to do is study and pass the test.
Q: How does Anthill encourage and support its software developers to pursue their own interests?
Kaloyan: Both the company and its employees have the same interests. Having skilled and experienced developers is good for the company. For a developer, having the freedom to develop skills, learn and improve at their job is priceless. The projects we work on are very different, and there is always something to learn from every single one.
Q: Can you share a project that you are currently working on that you find particularly exciting or challenging, and why?
Kaloyan: All the projects here are interesting since they are new to me. I have the opportunity to learn something new every day about the business processes of one of the biggest insurtech companies in the world. If I must choose one project, it’s a recent one we worked on for a hackathon organized by our partner, CCCIS. My team and I developed a chatbot that integrates into Microsoft Teams and serves as an assistant to CCCIS employees. We used the latest technologies to implement it, such as Power Virtual Agent and Power Automate. In the end, we ranked in the top 3, having competed with more than 20 other projects.
Q: Last but not least, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Kaloyan: I like to spend my time with friends. Usually, we go for a beer in the park, hike, go cycling, play board games, or go to the cinema. When I’m by myself, most of the time, I watch sports events like football, volleyball, or F1. I also relax by playing video games. Recently I started streaming my gaming sessions on Twitch and YouTube, so a lot of my time now is spent creating content for the viewers.