How to grow from junior developer to senior in a large IT company in just one and a half years?

ITIS Master's student from Nigeria Evans Oluwadamilola Owamoyo graduated with honors from ITIS Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering and was recognized as the best foreign graduate of Kazan Federal University. Now he is studying for a Master's degree and continues to work at the IT company Ozon Tech, and recently got a promotion. This is one of the fastest growths in the company from a junior to a senior developer. We asked Evans to tell us about his life in Russia, the IT direction he is currently studying, and what made him successful in his career.

Why did you choose Kazan Federal University and the Institute of Information Technology and Intelligent Systems to enroll?

- I received a scholarship under a bilateral educational agreement to study software engineering in Russia, and I had to choose a university offering this course. I chose KFU because it was the best of all the universities offered. I checked the overall university rankings and the software engineering rankings. I also got confirmation from Nigerians who are currently studying at KFU, and they noted the quality of education at KFU.

You graduated from ITIS with a BA in 2024 with great success. After graduation, did you feel confident in the developer environment? Did you face any difficulties?

- Obtaining a BA with honors has always been my dream. As a child, my father told me success stories of Nigerian students who graduated with honors. These stories inspired me, and I also wanted to achieve the same result. Every day, I made efforts to get closer to this goal. During my studies, I had many interesting projects in the field of software, and I am very glad that I chose the Software Engineering direction at ITIS because my projects and study assignments became one for me.

What direction are you currently studying in the ITIS Master's program?

- After completing my bachelor's degree, I received an Open Doors scholarship (https://od.globaluni.ru/) to continue my studies in the master's program. Now I am studying software engineering with a profile in "Artificial Intelligence in Digital Product Development"

You work at Ozon Tech and have had a rapid growth from junior to senior developer, what do you think is the reason for this?

- Yes, I just recently got a promotion at work. I had one of the fastest growths at Ozon Tech. From junior to senior developer in 1 year and 6 months. I think it's a combination of several factors. Firstly, Ozon Tech has very transparent and objective career growth criteria - this is what I especially value in the company. In addition, I always approach tasks responsibly: I carefully analyze my decisions, study additional materials and try to offer options that take into account not only current needs, but also long-term project goals. But most importantly, I am lucky with my team. Colleagues create an atmosphere where you can openly share ideas, and support and mutual assistance help you to grow professionally. Progress would be impossible without such an environment.

How do your employers and colleagues respond to your education? Do they know that you are an ITIS graduate?

- My colleagues at work are always happy about my academic success. I started working during the first semester of my fourth year of study and shared the news of my graduation with them. I showed my interview at work; everyone was happy and proud of me.

I see that you speak quite good Russian. Do you use it at work?

- I can say that I have already adapted quite well to Russia. Russian language is the official way of communicating at work. My spoken Russian has improved significantly, but I think I am still working on it.

What else have you discovered about Russia socially and culturally?

- Russia is a very beautiful and large country. During my bachelor's degree in Kazan, I visited many beautiful places in the city. I also traveled and saw such cities as Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Volgograd, Saratov, Yekaterinburg. I plan to visit more cities and meet more people.

Are you still friends with your groupmates from ITIS?

- As a student of the ITIS KFU Master's program, I still often communicate with most of my groupmates from the BA program who are studying for a Master's degree. On weekends, I also talk with some of my friends about work and interesting technical innovations.

What are your plans for the coming years, will you stay to live and work in Russia?

- Yes, I will continue to live in Russia. Now I am actively thinking about my plans for the next 5-10 years. Recently, I received a residence permit, and I have a job that I love.