Data Masters offers tremendous opportunities for career growth by defining a clear path for every company member. This is done through mutual cooperation and creating a base so the individual can reach their potential in a supportive environment, and one of the best examples of how this is done here is Marta Ivanovska, Head of Division at Data Masters, who has a vast experience in BI projects in retail and finance.
Our People & Culture
Now, that Data Masters is expanding and making a big move toward the Portuguese market, Marta’s story, experience, and growth have an even bigger weight. She has rich experience in working with Portuguese clients (she worked and lived there from Jan 2018 to July 2020), and now is grasping Portugal through Data Masters.
We will leave her to tell the details. This is her Data Masters story 🙂
How it all started
I would say that my whole journey with Data Masters involves two countries – Macedonia and Portugal. I got my start in Macedonia, where I got introduced to team members who are still part of my professional journeys such as Dina Sarovska, Martina Naumovska, and our CEO, Filip Petrovski.
The long story goes like this. My career started in Macedonia, and about a year later I had the opportunity to work on a big project that got me out of my comfort zone and actually was the reason for moving to Portugal because I was working for a Portuguese client. When that story ended, I knew where I wanted to go back to and who I wanted to work with.
The same people that I started with, and who now founded a startup called Data Masters. We shared the same vision, and it involved introducing the Macedonian market to the data industry. That vision is even bigger now, we have new ambitions, and knowing what we can do together, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that we will achieve it.
Technologies and Knowledge Expansion
Nowadays, Power BI is a very popular tool, but when I got my start that wasn’t the case. In fact, I started working in Datazen that later evolved into Power BI. Back in 2017, the team that I was working with in Skopje was among the beta testers for the tool (Power BI) which is now considered number one for data visualization. The work consisted of opening tickets and Microsoft working on them which led to the version of Power BI we know today.
At the beginning of my career, the focus was on tools for building on-prem solutions. But now companies are working full speed on their digital transformation, which resulted in cloud becoming the key computing technology that is now part of Data Masters projects. It was a natural progression.
The Portugal Experience
I have experienced Portugal as a place where I got a lot of knowledge and friends and saw such beautiful places. In fact, it’s not by accident we are heading toward this country. We know it by heart – privately and professionally. In Portugal, Data Science and Business Intelligence have been trending topics for years. We are talking about a highly developed market that is considered a desirable nearshoring destination.
Making a step toward Portugal means opening a door to an experienced market that will enable us to work on amazing projects with different scalability in various fields, and will also allow us to work with international teams and experts, have direct contact with international clients and keep track with the latest technologies.
Business is not run the same way everywhere, so this will be a very valuable experience that will equip everyone at Data Masters on how to manage different types of projects, scalability, and client expectations. And most importantly, this opens the door to the whole European market.
Personal Achievements at Data Masters
I feel very lucky that I got to experience Portugal and grow professionally through that experience. It allowed me to learn at a quicker pace, and I was more than happy to share what I learned when I got back to Macedonia and became part of Data Masters. When I got back, I quickly started working and leading clients on my own with an accent on retail projects. All of this led to my promotion to head of a division.
I really value my professional achievements, but personally what I consider my most significant achievement at Data Masters is the opportunity to have an active role in the professional growth of our team members. Having a good mentor is a crucial part of a person’s career, especially in the early stages. I consider myself super lucky that I had amazing mentors throughout my career in Macedonia and Portugal, something that I’m trying to do for Data Masters members. One of my personal aspirations is to have an active role in increasing seniority from the inside. I am super proud when I see our young colleagues master their field and become mentors themselves.
Company Mentorship Process
Soft skills are very important. The nature of our work is having constant communication with the clients so apart from the technical skills, we put a lot of emphasis on building soft skills. We are doing this by allowing our employees to work on real-life projects and trusting them in communicating with the clients almost from day one.
Mentorship plays a very important role in our whole approach. Not only do we put a lot of effort into mentoring our own employees, but we also have a mentorship program for our clients that involves workshops. Through this program, we improve their analytical capabilities and teach them how to make the most of analytical tools such as Power BI. Of course, the Academy is a very important piece of this approach. We have educated 450+ students so far that want to upgrade their knowledge or change careers and this number is only going to grow.
Career Growth
I was an intern/junior with no prior experience in this field. In 6 years I’ve succeeded to work on on-premise projects in Portugal, come back home to Macedonia, and have an active role in developing the local market by working at Data Masters. Now, I have the capacity to design and execute full Data Warehouse solutions and projects while also leading a team.
Co-managing a division with Aleksandar Naumovski (another head of a division) had a huge impact on me, being able to lead my own team and projects. Now I work with and guide employees that have the same start as me.
Future Goals and Aspirations
I would love for Data Masters to increase the portfolio of retail projects not only in Macedonia but also for international clients. Also, I would like for us to increase the number of our team members, and the number of mid/seniors within Data Masters.
Something I look forward to is the exploration of new markets through Portugal, which will allow the new joiners to develop their technical knowledge and communication skills at a faster pace.
Personally, I would like to deepen my knowledge in the data science field and work with new technologies while also exploring new markets.
Advice for New Joiners
When you are joining Data Masters you will experience a friendly atmosphere right from the start. Use it, because this environment will help you grow personally and professionally faster than the usual pace. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes, take accountability and ask questions. That is how you learn and grow 🙂
The knowledge-sharing mindset between the employees is one of the most important components in the Data Masters growth and success in the past four years.
If you want to work on world-class projects with experienced professionals and you are not afraid to make mistakes (we learn and grow together), you are the perfect fit for us.
Click HERE to see the job openings!
Apply and master your talent with us.
