A Decade of Dedication: Senior Developer & Competence Manager Mikaela Kindstedt’s Career Story

It is not uncommon for people to stay at Exove for a long period of time and build their career here. This also applies to our Competence Manager Mikaela Kindstedt, who started at Exove over nine years ago and still has no intention to leave. What is it that has made Mikaela stay put for so long and what has she achieved at Exove?

From Developer to Competence Manager

Almost ten years ago, Mikaela Kindstedt was exploring fresh career opportunities. Fate led her to an interview with Exove, but an unforeseen turn of events whisked her away to China right after the interview, without a definite return date. Upon her return, Mikaela’s interest in the job remained strong, yet she had not received any word from Exove. She took the initiative to contact them herself, inquiring about the status of the recruitment process. To her delight, she discovered that Exove had been impressed by her and was willing to wait for her to complete a coding test. This exemplifies Exove’s flexibility and their willingness to wait for a candidate they feel is a good fit at Exove, rather than simply seeking an alternative. 

During her time at Exove she has grown from a developer to a senior professional. Although her primary expertise lies in front-end development, she has embraced a diverse range of responsibilities and developed her skills during the years. Initially joining as a Developer, she has continued her career by serving as a vice team lead, team lead and most recently taking ownership of the position as a Competence Manager. For now she finds fulfillment in her current role, but remains open to other possibilities in the future. Her future aspirations involve further enriching her skill set, exploring new technologies and advancing her managerial capabilities to excel in her leadership role. 

Great work environment and flexibility

So, what is the secret behind Mikaela’s long stay at Exove? The answer lies within the great work community that thrives within the company.  Exove has a close-knit and supportive environment that resonates with Mikaela.  Although she may now visit the office infrequently, she continually experiences a sense of belonging where every individual is valued and considered. 

Among the many aspects that makes Exove a great place to work, Mikaela values highly the flexibility that is being offered. Since Mikaela is also a mother of two young children she has appreciated how Exove has allowed her to structure her calendar and working hours in a way that works for her and her family responsibilities. Of course, this necessitates a mutual understanding and a demonstration of prioritization skills also from the employee’s side. 

When asked what she would say to someone considering applying to Exove, she highlights the comprehensive Trainee program. The trainees are all paired with a mentor and a buddy, just as every other employee at Exove, so that no newcomers feel alone during the initial weeks and get the support needed. Furthermore, Mikaela emphasizes that one of the primary reasons she remains at Exove is that she consistently feels respected, valued for herself and appreciated by her colleagues. 

A strive to deliver excellent customer experience through her work

Through her work, Mikaela strives to elevate the customer experience and deliver user-oriented interactions with the tools we offer our clients. Given her primary focus on Drupal as the platform she mostly works with, she places great emphasis on how the user interface is perceived by those using it. Among other things, It is important to ensure that when inputting information into Drupal the fields are presented in a clear and connected way for the editor. It has a huge impact when this is done successfully and the tool is easy to use and manage. When successful, this approach leads to a great experience for the clients, which of course is the goal. This shows how each of us, through our respective roles, can contribute to defrustrating the digital.