Interviews

#InsidePeople with Aleksandra Bešlin


Working on a career and self-improvement is a never-ending process but it is such an inspiring journey. 

If you learn to enjoy that travel and find motivation on a daily basis everything becomes easier.   

The career path of Aleksandra Bešlin seemed unique and very interesting to us, so we decided to have an awesome chit-chat with her. She was looking for herself among various activities and jobs, researching, learning, and finally finding her ideal match as a SOC Support Engineer. Why people and communication are so important to her, what makes her day in BlueGrid, and how good time management skills helped her along the way – find out in our new #InsidePeople blog. 

P.S. All her daily activities would not be harmonious without her right hand, helper, and friend Nugget. He also visited us during the interview, made us smile, and refreshed our day. 🙂

How would you describe your career journey – how did you come to the SOC Support Engineer role?

Aleksandra: In one word – hectic! I’ve worked different jobs in different fields outside the IT industry. I was working in a coffee shop, law firm, call center, on a cruise ship in a restaurant. After doing all of these things I decided it is time to settle down in something that was on top of my list of careers I want to pursue.

When you were younger you wanted to become a barista, later on, you worked on a ship for 4 years, and what is it that might connect these two things and your current position in the SOC space?

Aleksandra: People. All of my jobs were in different spheres of business. But the common thing for all of them are people. No matter what I did there were at least 3 or 4 of us working the same shift, and I could rely on someone who would jump in for me in case I was unable to give a 100% that day.

What are two things that inspire you when it comes to working in BlueGrid?

Aleksandra: Again people and teamwork. Being inspired to try new things and receiving support while doing so. I see this opportunity as a way to contribute to a fast-moving company, and I feel I can do so by learning new things and with hard work.

What would be the most interesting thing you learned through teamwork in this position?

Aleksandra: Communication is the key. Doing things on your own won’t benefit anyone and can do more harm than good. Teamwork makes you more open to different things and implies that you get new ideas and learn new things from other members of the team.

We know that you have a dog named Nugget and that you have a lot of activities together, so which one would you single out as your favorite?

Aleksandra: Nugget is a go-to dog. He is always ready for any kind of action whether it is just for a short walk or a long flight. As long as he is in motion he is happy. We love doing pretty much everything together including finding a pet-friendly gym, shopping, and his favorite…traveling.

You are excellent at time management, so what would be your advice for those who are not good at it? How to improve it?

Aleksandra: Planning and a calendar. One thing I really don’t like is being late. So in order to avoid things like that I plan everything in detail giving some additional time in case something unexpected pops up. I mark all of my daily to-do things in a calendar with approximate duration time. Everything is organized and on the list which helps me a lot.

What moves and motivates you the most in your work?

Aleksandra: Finding ways to solve problems and overcoming challenges would be on the top of my list when it comes to motivation. Also, there are other things such as completing difficult tasks, improving my existing skills as well as learning new ones.

What would you like people to understand better about your position?

Aleksandra: Ensuring systems are safe, function properly, and allow others to fulfill their job duties. Besides monitoring systems, troubleshooting issues, and tracking incidents, we are enabling our customers to maintain consistent network connectivity to reach their business goals. We need to have both hard and soft skills.

What are the two most important qualities that a person should have in order to easily fit into the SOC field?

Aleksandra: Problem-solving and great communication skills are one of the most important qualities SOC Engineers should have.

Thinking about your beginnings, did you have any mentors and teachers that you are happy to return to or recommend?

Aleksandra: Most of the skills I have are self-thought with help of my natural curiosity to learn new things as well as with help of a bunch of online courses. I was lucky to get a chance really fast in the industry while I was still unfamiliar with a lot of things.

What sources did you use the most in your career development journey?

Aleksandra: Google can be your best friend. After I narrowed down which part of IT I wanted to make the progress in, I googled all of the possibilities when it comes to certification, needed courses to learn the basics, and skills that are wanted. After making a plan it all pretty much came down to Udemy courses and a few Youtube videos which helped me to learn the basics.

Isidora Nikolić


Isidora Nikolić

I am a dedicated communication and brand enthusiast whose mission is to invigorate the culture and teamwork dynamics at BlueGrid.io through in-depth interviews. My emphasis extends to showcasing client success stories, fostering interactions with esteemed industry professionals, and uncovering their valuable insights.

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