International University of Sarajevo (IUS) is known to be a place where many generations of extraordinary young people gained their education. Afterwards these students made their first steps into the corporate world equipped with knowledge and skills that IUS provided them.
Such example is IUS Alumnus Belmin Šestić. After graduating from Software Engineering at IUS in 2021, Belmin started his professional career as a Project Manager in a well-known company HulkApps. From a perspective of an IUS alumnus and a successful young individual, Belmin gives an interesting advice for the current and future students of IUS in the interview below.
- Why did you choose to study Software Engineering at IUS and was it the right choice for your future career?
"My first choice was to study medicine, but due to my love for technology, throughout high school my desire shifted towards Software Engineering. I wanted to find an environment that would facilitate my academic needs, adhere to the latest trends of the industry and give me space for personal growth & development."
- What was the motive behind your success?
"I am far from what I would perceive as "successful", but I hope I am on my way to becoming successful. I do not measure success in terms of finance, titles or ownership of goods. For me, success is growing as an individual, as a person that contributes with every part of their being to the improvement of the environment and the lives of others, and that is motivation in itself."
- What is that something that kept you going and working when the circumstances were far from ideal?
"At such points, I've come too far to quit, and I knew it would eventually pay off, even though the path itself might not have been ideal. But hardships are to be expected, nobody can avoid them, part of overcoming them is by accepting them."
- Has studying at IUS helped you achieve your goals and, if yes, how?
"Studying at IUS has helped me gain some necessary skills for my career path, in other areas it has offered me additional insight and I had the opportunity to hone my already existing skills."
- How did you overcome the fear of failure many young people encounter?
"By realizing that nobody is born a master in any skill or field, everything is achieved through practice, trial and error. The first failure is the icebreaker, once it happens, you get through it and you try again, but you fear less as you've already experienced what it's like to fail. There is nothing inherently terrible about failure, but there are plenty of bad things in quitting."
- What would your advice to our current and future students be?
"Do as much research as you can, see what's trending and what is absolutely necessary in your field. Then use what you have discovered to learn, try, prepare and experiment. Graduating is easy, but it does not make you good at something, it is no more than proof that you are able to comprehend the concepts that are taught at university. Go beyond, stay up to date with the industry, develop a skill set that allows you to jump into the fire as soon as you get your diploma. Try scoring as many internships as possible (it does not matter if they are paid or not, you deserve some reward for your efforts, but do not let money be a factor for your internship), skills and knowledge are invaluable. Make sure to develop soft & communication skills as well, they are often more important than technical skills. Accept opportunities even if you are not sure you can pull it off but do your best to learn what is necessary to be efficient. And lastly, probably the most important part...It is not a race, take some (A LOT) time off for yourself, relax and do the things that you like. There is more to life than paying bills, accept offers that make you happy, do not undervalue yourselves. The main key will always be balance, do not allow yourselves to burn out."
