The Mentorship Program at Innovecs plays a crucial role in shaping our team members’ careers. In this article, we spotlight the success story of Mykhailo Nazarenko, who succeeded from a Junior role to a Mid-level Automation Engineer thanks to the guidance of his mentor, Oleksandr Muzhychok. This case provides a clear picture of how Innovecs supports personal and professional growth and strengthens its corporate culture by promoting continuous learning and development.

Mykhailo, congratulations on your promotion. Could you outline your career trajectory within the company and what led you to join the Mentorship Program?

My career started when I joined Innovecs as a trainee through a Juniorship program, and I later advanced to a Junior QA Manual. My growing interest in Automation led me to seek a mentor, and that’s when I started working with Oleksandr. Our regular sessions deepened my understanding of Automation, making me a key player in the team and eventually earning me a promotion to a Mid-level position.

How has Oleksandr influenced your professional growth?

Instead of conventional theoretical courses, Oleksandr focused our efforts within our project scope. This hands-on approach in both manual and automated testing broadened my skill set and kept me motivated by the visible results of my work.

What were the main challenges you faced during this mentorship, and how did you overcome them?

The main challenge was managing time efficiently, as balancing my QA Manual work with self-improvement was demanding. However, applying newly acquired knowledge directly to real-time project tasks was crucial in mitigating this pressure and provided a practical learning experience.

What advice would you give to peers considering the Mentorship Program at Innovecs?

I encourage them to embrace the opportunities the company provides. Of course, you can learn on your own, but when a person like Oleksandr has already gone through this path and is ready to help you, you should definitely take this chance. It saves a lot of time because there is a teacher who immediately explains why something works or doesn’t and gives feedback.

Oleksandr, what motivated you to become a mentor, and what were your initial goals?

Working with Mykhailo, I noticed his keen interest in Automation and his proactive approach to learning prompted me to mentor him. It’s critical for a mentor to see the mentee’s eagerness to learn and ask questions. We started with informal sessions, which later evolved into structured learning through the corporate Mentorship Program, aiming to enrich our interactions and maximize learning outcomes.

Could you share your strategies for creating an effective learning environment?

For me, mentorship is a two-way collaboration where both mentor and mentee are actively engaged and working towards common goals. Using coaching questions helps mentees develop problem-solving skills rather than being spoon-fed answers, fostering a more profound and self-sufficient learning experience.

What challenges did you encounter during the mentorship, and how were they addressed?

Time constraints were a significant challenge. However, we successfully allocated time to explore new concepts together. We typically select a specific task from the project and methodically analyze it. Currently, Mykhailo is focused on either building a new automation for a page from scratch or refining existing automated tests.

What recommendations do you give innovecsers aspiring to become mentors?

I advise potential mentors to take the plunge and not shy away from mentoring. Support is always available from the Learning & Development team to overcome any hurdles.

What personal benefits have you gained through mentoring?

Mentoring allows me to refresh and systematize my knowledge, as well as learn new things. Since we’re not engaging in standard repetitive tasks, it keeps me actively engaged. Additionally, I’ve noticed improvements in my soft skills, especially in communication. Knowing your work is one thing, but teaching someone else is a completely different experience. Thus, as a mentor, I also continuously learn and grow.

The Mentorship Program at Innovecs continues to demonstrate its value. By pairing experienced professionals with talented individuals, the program helps mentees achieve their career goals while offering mentors the opportunity to refine their own skills and leadership capabilities.