Paulina Dragoeva is a QA Team Lead at Accenture, who shares with us that she feels extremely complete and respected at work. Paulina told us that she started working as a tester when she was at university and then she learned a lot about this profession. After university, Paulina went to Austria, but something has always pulled her back to Bulgaria. She shares that regarding gender inequality in the workplace, she sees a trend towards positive changes. Paulina adds that more and more companies are taking action to hire more women, which is commendable, but unfortunately the situation is not that good from a global perspective. Paulina shares that sometimes it is difficult for her to separate the professional from personal life, especially for a workaholic like her. Paulina tries to diversify the mental work with a physical one by riding a bike, walking in the park, or training at home. She says that during the pandemic she managed to develop a new hobby – growing flowers. Paulina is now almost a specialist, despite all of her previous unsuccessful attempts. What is more, because of her perseverance she expects about 100 tulips to bloom on her terrace. According to Paulina, qualities are built individually by each person and are not divided into genders. Paulina says that so far she has been lucky enough to work in companies where she has not faced any discrimination in relation to being a woman. However, she said that some time ago she was at an interview where they told her that the salary for their position, which was quite low, was too good for a “woman in the IT field”. To her, the members of a professional team need to build good friendships with one another and get along so that they understand each other in just one word – just like her team at Accenture.

“The good QA team lead has to know the strong and weak sides of every single person of their team, to distribute the tasks so that everyone can provide quality testing, but also to develop their skills if needed.”

Share something about yourself that we can’t find on LinkedIn.

Paulina Dragoeva, QA Team Lead at Accenture

During the pandemic I developed a new hobby – taking care of flowers. I’m also a specialist now although I wasn’t always successful. But I’m persistent and I ‘m expecting around 100 tulips and bulbs to bloom.

Have you ever faced challenges in your career regarding the fact that you are a woman?

Until now, I’ve always been lucky enough to work for companies where I was not discriminated against for being a woman. However, some time ago I went to an interview for an IT firm where I was directly told that the salary of the position, which was extremely low, was great for a “woman in the IT sphere”. What came as a bigger shock to me was the fact that the person who said this to me was the HR specialist who was also a woman.

Do you know how many women work in your position?

I know there are many women working as QAs, I even have some very successful friends in the sector.

Do you think that the problem with gender inequality still exists in Bulgaria and globally?

In Bulgaria, I think things are going well. More and more firms are taking actions on hiring more women, which is great. Unfortunately, I don’t think the situation is as good in a global plan though. The percentage ratio for higher rewarding is still in the benefit of men.

Do women’s appearance and charm help you be successful in a professional way?

I don’t think it’s related. And it was proved to me during last year when all of us have been working from home. We communicate with people online, some of which I’ve never seen in person, but we still manage to be successful.

How do you get along with men in your company? Do they treat you differently?

I always try to keep on the friendly mode with everyone, but I can’t say I receive any special attention from my male colleagues. In the team we’ve developed friendships and suit each other in a way we get along pretty well.

How do you balance your work with your personal life? Do you follow any specific rules?

Sometimes it’s really hard, especially for a workaholic like me. I try to diversify the brain load with physical load – I ride my bike, go for walks in the park and work-out from home.

Which sources would you recommend to us? (podcasts, webpages, influencers, youtubers, etc.)

Interesting Engineering

You’ve graduated from Sofia University with Applied Mathematics. What inspired you to choose the IT sphere?

Ever since high school I’ve been interested in information technologies and I’ve been looking forward to computer science classes. Our teacher presented the lessons in a way that always caught my attention even if it was hard sometimes. I definitely liked working with a computer back then. I started as a QA when I was still at university, but I had no idea how the process of developing software looked. And once I got more into those things, I realized that’s what I wanted.

Which are the most important qualities of a Quality Assurance Team Lead?

The good Team Lead has to be able to multitask, to always know what’s going on in the teams and to remain calm in stressful situations. The good QA team lead has to know the strong and weak sides of every single person of their team, to distribute the tasks so that everyone can provide quality testing, but also to develop their skills if needed. I always try to pay the needed attention to each colleague and give them directions to solve their problems. Perfect organizational skills, dedication and responsibility also count.

Read More Inspiring Stories for Women in Tech in WRTech here.

How can we be absolutely sure of the quality of a product?

The product has to answer the needs, expectations and desires of the customer. The truth is, there isn’t a single software without any bugs. But the quality is judged by other factors such as efficiency, good functionality, assurance and most importantly – whether it’s convenient enough to be used by the end-user. For the different products we have to develop a different test strategy, where testing processes have to be done with the desired strictness and preciseness.

When and how should we put the borders between the workday and life after that, as everything happens in one place? Can you give examples of some good practices?

The best example is turning off the computer after 6PM and stop thinking of work. However, this does not always work for me – very often I can concentrate and do a lot of things after everyone else goes off and Teams is not constantly filled with new messages. The best thing is to learn how to prioritize our tasks and if they aren’t so urgent we can, for example, put them off until the next day although for some people it’s hard to leave the undone work. A walk after work is very efficient for me.

Favourite clothes?

A striped blouse.

High heels or flat shoes?

Low ones – especially white sneakers.

Which is THE thing you never go out without?

A phone, a mask and a hand sanitizer.

Favourite lipstick colour?

#F57171

Which is the feminine quality that you don’t possess?

I think that such qualities are developed by each individual and can’t be divided into genders.

Which cause are you currently supporting?
Time Heroes, Novata Gora

If You Want to Read More Inspiring Stories for Success and Professional Growth Join the DevStyleR #Tech Influencers Community and Get Access to our Special Editions here.

A coding aficionado with a university degree in Engineering, combined with the invaluable encounter with multi-disciplinary cognitive science. Imagine all these qualities put together in a professional who holds a leadership position at an innovative company. Here she is, Elitsa Taskova — Product Owner at Nexo, Bulgaria. She has over eight years of experience in creating and managing software products for major fintech companies. Elitsa has been part of the engineering team since its very beginning and leads key products such as the Nexo Exchange and Earn. Elitsa holds the belief that the most valuable characteristics she has acquired during her academic years are discipline, holistic thinking, confidence and flexibility — mandatory skills for the dynamics in the crypto industry. She strives to plan her workday before it even begins and sets realistic goals — the only way to gain more than a few productive hours. Her personal discipline is the key to a balanced lifestyle. She is convinced that when you are forging the path of limitless, deflationary finance, there should be only one team as the goal is of utmost importance. As driven as she is, Elitsa adds that in Bulgaria the IT environment is still dominated by men but this can be changed easily with more focused education programs and resources, shared professional experience, mentoring and personal example. According to her, the problem with gender inequality has not been relevant in progressive companies for a long time. In addition, mass digitization as well as the COVID-19 effects have significantly reduced inequality on a global scale. Elitsa takes pride that in the Nexo team everyone feels like one big family because being through thick and thin creates a strong community. Everyone in her team shares the belief that when you purposefully fight for one idea and you put your heart and soul into the endeavour, gender doesn’t matter. So, when the team’s heart is at the right place, everything’s possible. In her free time, Elitsa likes to read non-fiction literature, explore new ideas and keep an active lifestyle. She tends to often challenge herself, convinced that fortune favours the brave. For experienced professionals like her, the biggest motivation is to be on the top of the game, stay ahead while using the latest technologies to create impactful products.

“I attempt to develop “Humanistic” Qualities – They have no Gender”

Tell us something about yourself we can’t find on LinkedIn.

I’ve studied programming for a while, graduated in Engineering and got short and yet extremely valuable experience with multidisciplinary cognitive science. Perhaps it is that mix of interests and experience that led me to the shoes of Product Owner at Nexo at the time when the company was just starting. Joining Nexo was true serendipity and since then I aspire to constant progress at a tremendous speed. My team and I are responsible for the Nexo Exchange platform which allows immediate exchanges between 100 crypto and fiat pairs, a one-stop-shop for the NEXO Token and other crypto and fiat currencies, as well as other key products — Earn on Crypto & Fiat which allows customers to generate passive income from their assets in the most secure way. I am proud that I’ve been part of the development of what Nexo stands for today — one of the leading crypto companies in the world with signature products that redefined the crypto ecosystem. We created it here in just three years and busted the myth that a Bulgarian company cannot stand side by side with the global visionaries we read about every day. I hope you do realize the significance of our success – we have built and positioned an entirely new business niche with our own products here in Bulgaria. In my free time, I like to read specialized literature, to exchange ideas with my friends – face to face! and to be non-stop on the move.

Have you ever faced challenges in your career for being a woman?

Challenges are questions such as these about shoes and clothes and ‘women-only pros’ sections — they are the ones deepening the divide between co-workers, where in reality there is no such thing. I strongly believe that no matter how you describe yourself, if you truly believe in your ideas and expertise, combined with strong motivation, you can bring them to life and I’m surrounded by like-minded people. Nexo makes you feel you’re always on the right track, mistakes make you ‘antifragile’. This inspires us to strive for greatness beyond the familiar notion of ‘good and safe’. This is the only way we can achieve what we aim for — the Moon. Talking about challenges, honestly, I live and breathe for them, as we all know — fortune favours the brave. In my opinion, this is the only way to grow both personally and professionally. One big step ahead can elevate you all the way to the moon. This is exactly what we do on a daily basis — we tackle challenges and excel ourselves every single day.

Do you happen to know how many women hold a position similar to yours?

Many of the leadership positions are led by women, contrary to popular belief that finance and technologies are areas favoured by men. This also confirms my personal conviction that there’s no gender divide when we work for something bigger than ‘just a job’. Every day all my colleagues leave their mark in history — we push the industry forward and attract more and more like-minded people who have the same goal — a decentralized financial world where sharing economy and digital finance are a catalyst for change. The IT environment in Bulgaria is still dominated by men and, of course, there are a number of reasons for this. However, this can change in the right context and with the necessary resources — education, sharing professional experience, mentoring and, last but not least, personal example. Both individually and as a company, we are debunking this trend. The results are at hand — more and more women join us ambitious to unleash their full potential at Nexo.

Do you believe that the problem with gender inequality still exists in Bulgaria and globally?

It’s been a while since progressive companies haven’t faced this issue. Mass digitization which was accelerated by COVID-19 has reduced unnecessary gender inequality globally. Nexo’s trifold priority is expertise, experience and enthusiasm and the numbers speak volumes — we’ve increased our transactions five times in less than six months reaching $30 billion, while managing assets of over $15 billion. All this is achieved only with the right people — top professionals. Having this in mind, I wish all companies were like ours.

Read More Inspiring Stories for Women in Tech in WRTech here.

What policies does your company encourage regarding gender diversity?

We pride ourselves on the zero discrimination policy — that’s why our team is so diverse. Colleagues of all ages are buzzing around the office. Speaking about my female colleagues, it doesn’t matter whether or not we have children. When schools were shut down due to COVID-19, we set up on the premises a daycare corner for our colleagues’ kids which we jokingly call ‘#cryptodaycare’. It is fascinating (and noisy) to share the workspace with the next generation of crypto enthusiasts.

How do you get along with your male colleagues? Do they treat you in a different way?

Nexo has that authentic family vibe. Supporting one another is a way of work — we’ve been through thick and thin together and this forges an unbreakable bond. Gender really doesn’t matter when one has a clear purpose and puts blood, sweat and tears in the game. This may seem too ambitious but I’m sure it applies to the entire Nexo team.

How do you achieve a work/life balance? Do you follow any rules?

Personal discipline is the key to achieve work-life balance. In terms of my work life in Nexo, first, we take into account our internal schedule and our individual needs and then decide when, where and how to work. That is how we achieve great results and pure productivity. I’m not saying that I am disciplined enough not to spend 10 hours in a row on the computer but I do my best and I have all the prerequisites to achieve my own balance.

Which info sources would you recommend?

I get my regular updates from Twitter, Reddit and various newsletters such as The Block, Coindesk, Decrypt, Robinhood Snacks and Morning Brew. I highly recommend the podcasts The Pomp, What Bitcoin Did and Unchained. Following the pulse of the Bulgarian IT sector is vital, so of course Devstyler and for local crypto chats — Sofia Crypto Meet-up and other groups.

Which specific skills and knowledge from your education – bachelor in telecommunications and master in cognitive science, do you use at your current position as a Product Owner?

Academic institutions provide only what you are willing to take. Personally, in those years I built discipline, holistic thinking, the confidence to cope in a new environment, and adaptability — mandatory skills for the dynamics in the crypto industry. This happens only if you stay enthusiastic about your area of expertise and hungry for knowledge from other fields. Undoubtedly, 21st-century knowledge is a mix of applied academic theory, practical experience and, above all, critically selected information from the sea we all have access to — the internet. Unfortunately, Product Owner-related university curricula are still rare to find but I believe that the profession will become a separate discipline in the future.

What inspired you to pursue a career in fintech?

The biggest motivation for a professional is to ride the wave of innovations and strive to work with the latest technologies in order to create meaningful products — this is what crypto is all about. We prove every day that financial tools are not necessarily exclusive, ineffective, complex and clumsy. This makes the crypto sector even more attractive — we are all equal here and we can bear the fruits technology brings. We’ve already witnessed the advantages crypto brings in our everyday life, however, there is more to see — greater social importance where we put our financial freedom to work for the greater good.

Which is the most important professional quality you’ve developed as a result of your experience in the tech industry?

First and foremost I’m proud that there is a Bulgarian company that takes over the world and I have the opportunity to play an active role in this crusade. In this story, you don’t need to be in California, New York or London to get to the top of the game and to better the lives of millions of people. Getting to know the personal stories of numerous people from across the world builds a certain empathy. Regardless of the context, envиronment, education and career path, the instinct to strive for more stability, more freedom and social wellbeing is deeply rooted in us. This is what binds us all together at Nexo and makes our mission close to our hearts.

“Every day, both men and women leave their marks on history, push the industry forward and attract more and more like-minded people who have similar goals”

How and where should work/life boundaries be drawn given that everything happens at one place? Can you please give us some examples and tips?

Boundaries appear once you accept your own vulnerabilities. And this is a feeling I do not appreciate. We have to be patient with ourselves in order to find our own rhythm, bearing in mind that it might be completely different in two, three or five years. We live in a hectic world that provides us with limitless possibilities, and if we want to enjoy them we have to accept our own limitations. My personal barrier is when I feel like not being the best version of myself. Then I take a breather to rethink my habits. So far, what works best for me is to plan my workday before it begins and set realistic goals, so I can achieve several productive hours, keeping in mind that the plan might change in a heartbeat. I’ve started planning my leisure time with the same enthusiasm and got convinced how important it is to pass the same level of responsibility and attention to detail to our personal lives, too, in order to feel fulfilled and satisfied.

High heels or flat shoes?

Flats, of course. That’s the work of evolution. We even walk barefoot at the office as we value our comfort and freedom.

Which is THE thing you never go out without?

A book. I am currently skimming through ‘the crypto bible’ which was published in Bulgaria, thanks to my colleague George Manolov.

Which is the feminine quality that you don’t possess?

I’m not a slave to stereotypes — one of the reasons I’m in crypto. Even I strive to further enhance more humane qualities.

What cause would you support?

I’d support any cause which breaks the status quo with a constructive purpose in mind.

If You Want to Read More Inspiring Stories for Success and Professional Growth Join the DevStyleR #Tech Influencers Community and Get Access to our Special Editions here.

Yana Papardova is the HR manager of Schwarz IT Bulgaria. From first sight, you can tell she is a positive, ambitious, and colourful personality. As a great fan of the Japanese language and some of their most beloved creations – anime and manga, Yana often gets inspiration from K-pop videos, which often shows in the small details of her style. She firmly believes that one of the key attributes of the ‘HR people’ is the right combination of mindfulness, empathy, sensitivity, and the ability to look beyond the surface. Yana is very conscious about all issues that arise from gender inequality, and despite the fact that this topic is widely discussed and tackled in business, there is still way to go in order to reach the right balance. Yet, she has her two cents at Schwarz IT Bulgaria, as one of the company’s main missions, is to bring more women to the IT Realm. Otherwise, Yana loves giving (and getting) positive feedback, and seeing how successful projects come to life is all she needs. She takes her chance to step into the realm of Human resources a bit like a stroke of luck’ – but her successful track so far proves that this was not only pure luck, but a combination of hard work, creativity, passion, and lots of sleepless nights.

“Getting positive feedback and seeing successful projects come to life is all I need.”

Can you share something specific about you that we can’t find on LinkedIn?

I am a big fan of Japan and some of their most beloved creations – anime and manga. This interest refers to my general interest in the Asian action/ fantasy genre. I’ve been obsessed with it for the last 15 years and now it feels just as much a part of me as anything else. You can easily spot my footprint around our offices. I have printed a huge wallpaper from The Shire in our green room. There are big stickers around the office with Son Goku, Monkey D. Luffy and Spirited Away. I had a lightsaber next to my desk. It did wonders when I had to persuade people to agree to what I was proposing (laughter).

Have you encountered any challenges in your career in connection to being a woman?

Almost every woman has. However, I feel like I’ve been more blessed than others. The biggest challenges I’ve faced were usually connected with trying to keep the right tone. There are certain expectations – a woman can’t be too assertive or aggressive in her opinions. She might be labelled as hysterical or unstable. But if you are trying to prove your point you can’t afford to be too timid. I have had cases in the past when I hadn’t been able to balance it out, and this was seen as unprofessional. “You are too emotional”, someone would tell me. “Are you stressed?” Or, my favourite, “She must be on her period”. All of these comments have taught me that being too expressive is not a good wager for a woman. A sure weapon remains in polite and cool indifference. Though that might label you as frigid but it will give you results.

Do you know how many women work in your position?

Quite a lot. My profession falls under one of the social mindsets. A teacher, a nurse, a hygienist, a shop assistant, someone from Human resources – when you think of the role you imagine a woman. It’s one of the few places where you can see the gender prevails but if you look at the social status of the listed positions it’s not exactly something to be envious about.

Favourite clothes?

Watch a K-Pop video if you haven’t. That’s how you’ll get a pretty good idea of my wardrobe. I love it when people have character and are bold enough to show it. I express mine through my style, which is usually full of colours and accessories.

High heels or flat shoes?

If the occasion calls for it, I would even wear cowboy boots! I am now dying for an occasion to wear a new flower earpiece I got. It’s huge, shiny and looks like it came straight out of a Chinese royal wedding and I love it.

Which typical female quality does not apply to you?

I think there is any specific ‘work’ or ‘quality’ that pre-defines genders. I am what I am, with all my flaws and good qualities – an independent and strong personality with a vulnerable heart that often melts when good things happen.

What is THE thing that you must have in your bag when going out?

Another bag. A bigger one!

Favourite lipstick colour?

To be honest I accessorise so much that it’s best not to go overboard with the lipstick as well.

Do you think that the problem of gender inequality is still relevant in Bulgaria and globally?

It’s just as relevant now as it has always been all over the world. A dent has barely been made in the evening on the scales and it is in no way equal for every place in the world. It starts with uneven access to education. Around the world, women still have less access to education than men. When girls are not educated at the same level as boys, it has a huge effect on their future and the kinds of opportunities they’ll get. Then there is job segregation. In most societies, there’s an inherent belief that men are simply better equipped to handle certain jobs. Most of the time, those are the jobs that pay the best. There is also a huge lack of legal protection in many countries against domestic sexual violence or domestic economic violence. These places become unsafe and without protection, women frequently have to make decisions that compromise and limit their goals. Thankfully this is not the case in Bulgaria but there are societies where women still do not have the right to choose – no matter if it concerns their education or personal life, including when to become a parent. There are so many problems in the world, some of them more pressing than others. But we shouldn’t let ourselves forget that we still have many issues to tackle, deep issues, rooted in the cultures, which are going to require time and systematic efforts to deal with.

What policy does your company follow in terms of promoting diversity?

It is one of our missions to do our best in providing more and more women the opportunity to develop in the area of information technology. It all starts at school, so we are trying to promote it as a career path as early as possible. We have a target of having 50 – 50 in percentage when it comes to both genders. We are steadily climbing our ladder and we are now over 30%.  Women at Schwarz IT also take managerial and leadership roles. Of course, the ladies need to feel comfortable that they can also be dedicated parents and not miss out on their career development. This comes with flexibility and promoting work-life balance at Schwarz IT Bulgaria. It also comes with a bonus for having a baby.

Read More Inspiring Stories for Women in Tech in WRTech here.

Do your male colleagues treat you differently?

I did mention I have a sword by the desk, so you can imagine everyone treats me with respect – male or female. Joke aside, Schwarz IT Bulgaria is a great place to work if you want to feel valued for your professional qualities, if you want your achievements to be recognized, or be given equal opportunities.

Do you think that a woman’s appearance and charm affect her professional success? (example: does it make communication easier?)

It certainly does – especially in the beginning when appearance is the first thing we notice. People are very visual creatures and we are prone to open up more easily to the people we find attractive. That can be dangerous at times though – you don’t want to only be successful because of just your looks and charms. You want everything you have to offer to your profession and organization to be recognized – your efforts, your ideas, your code, your coaching methods, your personal touch. Right?

How do you combine personal and professional life? Do you have any rules that you follow?

In this pandemic year finding the balance for many has proven to be quite a challenge. I don’t think many of us had realized how reliant we were on changing location and the scenery in order to switch off or to distract ourselves. I am one of the few people you will meet, who tell you that they hate travelling. And yet, a few months in the first lockdown, I found myself desperate and ecstatic to find myself as far as a new neighbourhood. I’ve always had one refuge and that’s reading. The moment I get my hands on a good fanfiction from a favourite book or movie I “disappear” from the world. During the pandemic, it feels like I’ve done that a lot and I know that no matter the time a good book will always make me forget about everything else. My current obsession is a Chinese production, called “The Untamed”. Do check it out.

Which sources do you follow and can you recommend some of them to our audience? (example: podcasts, pages, influencers, vloggers, etc.).

I am completely in love with the podcast Star Talk, led by Neil deGrasse Tyson. As an astrophysicist, he has a certain knack for talking about the known universe in a very accessible way. And you don’t just learn about stars. You learn how deep the deep actually is, what is real back, what is really nothing and how far can you actually go with large numbers. Next, you might hear about aliens, dark matter or why the sky is blue. If you don’t remember a few physics classes from high school, you are in for a ride.

What is your personal philosophy as a successful HR professional?

Always go the extra mile and never assume things about people. This might sound like a cliché – yet, we still do it on a daily basis. Because, let’s face it – quite often, ‘HR people’ need to overcome some sort of drama – be it personal, professional, or both. People come with their own issues, emotional baggage, mood swings, burdens. We, as HRs, need to be mindful and go beyond the specific issue. We have to learn to read between the lines, to listen, be flexible, and develop an ability to empathize. When I say “going the extra mile”, I mean mostly the ‘small details’. Greet the people around you, give a compliment, do your research, be prepared for a meeting, check your facts, ask for feedback before making a decision. It’s all those little things that can be very easy to overlook while we are swarmed with a pile of tasks for the day. It’s easy to say “I’ll just wing it on the fly” or “I probably already know everything about this case”. It’s the perseverance in being thorough that gives the best results.

In your experience, which benefits/ perks drive the highest employee satisfaction and engagement?

There are so many new studies coming out, tracking the change of life we have had over the last year. In brief, the skills needed in many roles have an increasingly short shelf life, owing in part to more frequent and disruptive technological breakthroughs. Positions filled today will require up to 10 new skills within 18 months. So, a company looking towards the future needs to hire for potential, not so much as for experience. Second, we need to move beyond the ping-pong table and the free drinks as the usual incentives. It’s critical that companies understand how candidates view them, the researchers say, and if necessary, find ways to boost those perceptions. So here at Schwarz IT Bulgaria, we are trying to do exactly that. We are taking a lesson from our retail business which is exceptional at figuring out the consumer’s expectations and we craft positions accordingly. We are working towards expanding our academies in more and more technologies. Opening up amazing opportunities for good professionals to return back home to Bulgaria. Tipping the scales towards gender equality and more women getting interested in IT. Our company tries to understand and refer to things that matter most to people – and combine them with strategic foresight and teamwork – locally and globally.

What motivates and inspires you the most in your professional life?

Getting and giving positive feedback, and seeing successful projects come to life are all the motivation I need. When people leave with a smile and are light-hearted after our meeting – this makes me just as happy and engaged. Deep down in my core, I am a genuine people pleaser and that can be a good thing to have in my profession. It makes my work easy and satisfying. I was a regular student, just like many others, when I was choosing a profession. It was some kind of stroke of luck that I got the chance to step into the field of Human resources. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.

If You Want to Read More Inspiring Stories for Success and Professional Growth Join the DevStyleR #Tech Influencers Community and Get Access to our Special Editions here.

Information technology is one of the fastest-growing industries, and technical innovation will play a crucial role in almost every sector of the economy.

While the percentage of women in the U.S. labor force has climbed to 46%, it is still significantly lower when it comes to the technology sector. The tech world is still a man’s world, and some of the reasons include the lack of female mentors, gender inequality in STEM jobs, and not having enough hands-on experience with STEM subjects.

Today, it is clear that superior innovation is achieved by having a diverse team where members can challenge each other and bring new perspectives. Here are three reasons more women are needed in tech:

Diversity Generates More Revenue

Compared to their peers, high-gender-diversity companies deliver slightly better returns, and they have outperformed, on average, less diverse companies over the past five years. Companies that not only hire but also manage to retain more women put themselves in a position to automatically gain a competitive advantage, a benefit that extends to all stakeholders.

Fortune 500 companies with at least three women in leading positions saw a 66% increase in ROI and have a purchasing power of an estimated $5 trillion. On top of that, it is hard to deny that women are also responsible for most of the household spending decisions. Not taking advantage of a female presence in the workplace seems like a gamble most businesses shouldn’t take.

Women Think Differently

By nature, interacting with a diverse team forces individuals to prepare better and anticipate alternative viewpoints. The presence of women makes individuals anticipate differences in opinion and perspective and makes them assume that they will need to work harder to come to a consensus. We can all benefit from that kind of pressure.

Men and women see things differently and bring unique ideas to the table. This enables better problem solving, which can boost performance at the business unit level. Imagine all of the buying power you will tap into by bringing together a mix of genders with various backgrounds and ethnicities. Better yet, after your company gains a reputation of having a more diverse workforce, you also gain an extremely powerful recruiting tool at your disposal.

We Need More Role Models

By celebrating female tech leaders, it will hopefully encourage more girls to pursue their interests and careers in tech, thus increasing the hiring pool diversity. We need to ensure young girls have strong role models of other successful women in STEM and that women have a seat at the table so they can engage men on the topic of gender equality.

Being a woman in IT is not always easy. Accountability also inspires action, and we need public policies to ensure employers are doing the right thing.

It’s been reported that Microsoft is taking elements of Windows 10X to use in Windows 10 – after 10X got shelved – and that the Sun Valley redesign will make extensive use of rounded corners, plus floating menus, aiming to achieve a more modern look overall (based on Fluent Design concepts), complete with a raft of refreshed icons and animations. In terms of porting stuff over from Windows 10X, the most recent leak indicates that the Action Center design from 10X could be brought across – or at least it’s present, albeit hidden, in recent preview builds of Windows 10.

The advert for a Program Manager in the Windows IXP (Interactive eXperiences Platform) team in the US (Redmond), which was spotted by Windows Latest, states that Microsoft is “now on a multi-year journey to revolutionize the Windows UX platform by delivering best interactive experiences, showcasing cutting-edge hardware”.

Big things are expected from the ‘Sun Valley’ interface revamp which is expected to arrive with the 21H2 update towards the end of the year, based not just on a multitude of leaks, but also on the kind of language seen here which Microsoft has used in the past, too.

Windows Latest also points to another job listing, which has since been taken down, that enthuses about a “multi-year journey to re-imagine this platform with the goal of enabling the best interactive experiences on Windows”.

The extremely contested 9-rounds long battle led to a point draw at the top between 4 chess players – Ivan Cheparinov, Vasil Spasov, Momchil Nikolov and the coach of our national team, Petar Arnaudov. Eventually, first place was awarded to Ivan Cheparinov. Fifth place in the ranking was taken by the 13-year-old Nikola Kanov.

The Accedia Masters tournament was organized for the 1st year by Accedia, with the support of the Bulgarian Chess Federation 1928. It aims to improve avid chess fans in the field of IT by giving them the opportunity to play and learn from the best professionals in the world. 

The idea for the tournament came from Georgi Peltekov, Engineering Director at Accedia, who has been a keen chess fan years. He found a strong connection between chess and technologies, so he decided to combine the two in Accedia Masters. The event creates conditions both for popularization of the ancient game among professionals and for growth of our young talents.

In January 2020, Microsoft released the first stable version of the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser. They announced that they would slowly release it to Windows 10 users. Unless users created special Windows Registry values, the new Edge would replace Microsoft Edge Legacy after installation.

As the new Microsoft Edge uses the same engine as Google Chrome, the browser quickly grew in popularity as it provides excellent performance, features. Customers can also be able to use all of Chrome’s existing extensions.

Statistics show that Microsoft Edge has grown from a 0.57% market share in March 2020 to 8.03% by March 2021. This is an impressive 1,308% growth in market share in just twelve months.

While we expected that Microsoft Edge’s increased usage would take away from Chrome’s market share, in reality, Chrome’s usage was only chipped away by less than a percentage point over the past year.

On the other hand, Firefox has seen a steady decrease, with it having a 9.25% share in March 2020 and falling to 7.95% by March 2021. This makes it slightly less used than Microsoft Edge.

With Microsoft Edge Legacy being replaced by the new Microsoft Edge, its market share dropped from 4.56% in March 2020 to only 0.44% in March 2021.

Microsoft will be forcibly replacing Microsoft Edge Legacy with the new Microsoft Edge as part of the upcoming April 2021 Patch Tuesday updates, Edge Legacy’s market share will drop even further.

Regardless of which browser you use, the increased Microsoft Edge usage should be seen as a good thing.

“For a year now, we have been conducting all our training in a completely remote format, optimized for the needs of students and business and in response to the new online work environment. We have kept every aspect that makes our programs so successful – uncompromising quality, focus on practice, teamwork, constant feedback and communication between trainers and students, and we have even upgraded many of the elements. Today our practice in our programs has doubled after the introduction of blended format, and only last year our trainers spent over 3700 hours in mentoring students and over 560 hours in personal meetings. “

The specific thing from the so-called blended format is the exclusive focus on the practice in the learning process in order to acquire skills applicable from the first day of the workplace. With it, students receive the necessary information for the upcoming lesson in advance in the form of detailed materials and videos prepared by the trainers of the Academy. During the lecture, students apply what they have learned in projects under the mentorship of trainers, which allows more exercises and personalized feedback to the specific needs of each participant in the training.

Free preparation

Telerik Academy provides a free preparatory course for the entrance exam for the program, which will be held on June 15. Completely beginners can use the detailed materials on the website of Telerik Academy or apply for participation in the preparatory course, which is held within 6 online sessions (mainly on Saturdays), each lasting 3-4 hours. Similar to the Alpha program with Java, the participants learn new skills under the guidance of an experienced expert.

A key criterion in the selection of participants for the preparatory course is their desire to develop and acquire new skills, as well as to complete their application by April 20. In addition, the Academy organizes a preliminary entrance exam on April 22, with which candidates with basic skills can secure a place in the program at this early stage.

Online training with constant feedback

Training at Telerik Academy Alpha with Java starts on July 5. The program lasts 6 months and includes over 440 hours of technical sessions, soft skills lectures for the development of personal and communication skills, hackathons, development of real web applications, tests and work on individual projects. All this will happen with the guidance and mentoring of the trainers of Telerik Academy. Students can also expect constant feedback from them in the form of reviews and personal development tips.

Each element of the program reflects the real work environment to prepare participants for their successful development in the IT sector. During the training, meetings are held with software companies, partners of Telerik Academy, which is an opportunity for students to learn more about the industry, processes, job interviews and even how the first months in an IT company go. The training ends with the elaboration of a complete real project, which is proof of everything learned and a key part of the CV and the portfolio of the students.

A career in the IT industry

According to the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies, the IT industry needs 3.5-6 thousand new employees every year. This makes the well-prepared junior talent important for the development of the software sector in our country. At the same time, Java remains one of the most popular programming languages ​​in the world, but also in our country. The language is used for mobile and web applications and plays an important role in the development of the IoT sector, as well as in the most common operating system in the world – Android. According to data from Dev. bg for March 2021, Java is the most popular back-end programming language by companies in Bulgaria.

More about Java, the development opportunities for Java programmers, details about the Telerik Academy Alpha program with Java, will be revealed during a career webinar on April 13, organized by the Academy. The event is free but requires registration.

All the internal tests show a wide range of features running an average of 1.5X the speed of similarly configured previous generation systems. The tests covered a broad scope of activities, including opening and saving files, running filters, and compute-heavy operations like Content-Aware Fill and Select Subject, which all feel noticeably faster.

As part of their mission to provide their clients with the best tools quickly, Adobe distributed public beta builds of Photoshop through the Creative Cloud Desktop application as soon as Macs with M1 chips became available. This allowed them to share their progress and gather critical feedback from customers to help them extend Photoshop to this new architecture.

However, there are still a few features Adobe haven’t finished porting to run on the new M1 chip. However, their performance gains across the rest of the application were so great they didn’t want to hold back the release for everyone while the team wraps up work on these last few features.

Photoshop on iPad

Today, Adobe released two big features for Photoshop on the iPad:

1) Cloud Documents Version History

Because Cloud Documents are auto-saved, every document also has a version history. Now you can browse and revert back for up to 60 days of your history. Versions can be bookmarked so they don’t expire, renamed and saved permanently.

Photo Credits: Adobe Blog

Photo Credits: Adobe Blog

2) Make Cloud Documents while available offline 

Now customers can select the Cloud Documents they want to store locally and access while they are offline.

Download Cloud Documents from the home screen. Or, to free up space on your iPad, you can also remove the document from your local cache by selecting “Make online only.” If you change your mind, you can always download it again.

Super Resolution in Adobe Camera Raw Plugin

Imagine turning a 10-megapixel photo into a 40-megapixel photo with one click that produces very high-quality results.

Today, the new Super Resolution feature is released in the Adobe Camera Raw plugin in Photoshop, which does just that. Soon, it will also be available in Lightroom and Lightroom Classic.

Photo Credits: Adobe Blog

Enlarging a photo often produces blurry details, but Super Resolution uses an advanced machine learning model trained on millions of photos. Backed by this vast training set, Super Resolution intelligently enlarges photos while maintaining clean edges and preserving important details.