Success Story – Project Manager Halit Barnea and Development Team Leader David Birin, Omnisys / by Hadas Shimoni
this is the story of halit barnea and david birin, both 29, who found their respective jobs at omnisys, which specializes in systems engineering and software development. halit works as a project manager and david as a team leader in the software department. for both of them this was the second job of their careers after working at high-tech firms and deciding to advance to more challenging positions at a different company. both found their jobs at omnisys ltd. through the jobnet site.
on omnisys:
omnisys is a leading company in the fields of systems engineering, software development and testing. since its founding in 1995, omnisys has been working to promote the success of its customers in various sectors. the company’s 100 employees provide solutions for top firms in the israeli market in areas such as security, industry, finance, etc.
halit barnea (left) and david birin (right) at the omnisys offices
halit barnea’s success story
halit barnea, an industrial management engineer, enthusiastically recalled her professional search and career path starting with a bachelor’s degree from the technion and her first job as a project manager and systems analyzer at a high-tech company until she was hired as customer and projects manager of the software department at omnisys seven months ago.
what do you like about project management?
“before i decided to study industrial engineering and management i researched numerous career directions such as law, computers and economics, reaching the conclusion that this field, which combines several different types of activity, demands responsibility and management and fits my capabilities and wishes. my job at the company requires system-wide vision, an ability to build a project from start to finish and coordination among several entities at the company.”
why did you leave your previous job?
“the official reason i gave was a honeymoon trip to south africa, but the real reason was because i had fully realized myself and had no more room to grow at the company. although i gained most of my experience at that company and acquired expertise in a range of areas, such as characterization and systems analysis, project and product management, client characterization and more, after a year and a half i felt a lack of professional satisfaction and i’d already advanced in every possible direction.”
what was your dream job?
“i was looking for a certain combination of job features that would allow me to advance professionally. i looked for a position where i’d be able to control the project process from a to z. i applied for jobs demanding headstrong initiators prepared to invest themselves, candidates with a lot of experience and motivation. in terms of contents i’ve always wanted to join the world of information systems and handle large-scale projects involving extensive resources.”
after returning from your trip, where did you send your resume to?
“i distributed my resume in a focused manner through the jobnet site. despite the limited number of jobs i pinpointed, a lot of companies got back to me. in the end the competition between omnisys and another company was very tight.”
what wound up drawing you to omnisys?
“i decided to choose omnisys for two reasons. first of all because of the interviewers – michal yisraeli, the human resources manager, and itay stern, the manager of the development department – both of whom i found very likable. our conversation during the interviews was personal, along with professional questions that indicated high-caliber operations and a high level of technology. also, while i was waiting in the corridor i saw a dynamic work environment, with help and support among the developers in the software department, and i got the sense it was like a family.
secondly, the composition of the job at omnisys seemed more right for me at this stage in my career, since it includes dealing with moss [microsoft office sharepoint server, an information management platform] and assimilation projects at large, strategic organizations in the israeli market.”
how were you introduced to the job of customer and project manager?
“as soon as i got started at the company i was given a free hand to prove myself and realize my potential, but at the same time i received professional guidance from itay and was broken in by another project manager, who taught me about the customers, their history and the demands made of us at all stages of the project. my integration included full cooperation and assistance from the management and the other employees on the department staff and i got the hang of things very quickly.”
how many projects are you working on at the moment?
“right now i have about 20 customers, with an average of 2-3 projects per customer.”
in what ways is omnisys unique?
“the company’s uniqueness definitely stems from the synergy between the organizational culture, the commitment to our customers’ success as one of the company’s central values and the range of expertise we handle. it’s fun to come in to work in the morning. there’s a sense of a family where everyone is connected to everyone else. there’s a feeling that all of the employees are at your side, working hard for the company’s success and directed toward the goal.”
in your job you serve as an ambassador for omnisys in a certain sense. are you happy with where you’re situated today?
“definitely. my focused search paid off. my job is challenging and engaging, and i feel like i have a place to mold and introduce new work processes that seem right to me and to the company. also, i have a lot of room to grow and develop at omnisys, to learn from the experts and from their experience and to contribute from my personal experience.”
david birin’s success story
like halit, after finishing his degree studies and a first job as an outsourced developer, david birin started his second job at omnisys as a .net developer without knowing sharepoint. after taking a moss course provided by the company and demonstrating his ability to lead a team, david was promoted to team leader in the software department. after just eight months at the company david is now in charge of three software developers. in addition to his current job, david teaches moss training courses at john bryce college, representing his company.
what was lacking at your previous job?
“the technologies i was exposed to were relatively obsolete and i didn’t feel i had a future. i was looking for a job that would challenge me.”
which positions did you apply for?
“i tried to locate an organization that invests in its employees, developing them both personally and professionally, a company that would provide employees personal attention, decent conditions and courses and training programs. i chose to apply for fulltime jobs that didn’t involve outsourcing, at a company in which i’d make a long-term investment.”
what led you to choose omnisys?
“first of all, erez harari, who was serving at cto at the time, made a very good impression on me during the interview. i was asked tough questions related to the way i think and my ability to comprehend, rather than just technical questions on my know-how. i was quite surprised that i got hired. also, the job profile and the fields the company works in really appealed to me. on that same day i went in for an interview with michal, the human resources manager, and within a few days i was called in for an interview with itay, the head of the software department, and with ofer, the ceo, and after another day of interviews they notified me i’d been hired.”
during the year and a half you’ve been at omnisys, what impression has the company made on you?
“i started out as a software developer on the development team and after eight months i was promoted to team leader. my professional knowledge has expanded and improved dramatically and i feel i’m gaining expertise and am challenged on a day-to-day basis. thanks to omnisys i’ve been exposed to an advanced (2007) version of the moss system, and today i’m teaching a course for the company at john bryce.”
where do you see yourself in another few years?
“i definitely see myself at omnisys over the long term and i have many directions to develop and grow in. and as a company employee i see myself as a part of the system and feel a commitment to help the company make achievements. my personal successes are the company’s successes.”
michal yisraeli, human resources manager at omnisys, talks about her cooperation with jobnet:
“we’ve been working with jobnet for several years and we’ve been very pleased. we consider jobnet one of the most efficient channels for employee recruitment, both for the companies placing ads and for the jobseekers. compared to other sites, i feel we receive the largest number of focused resumes from jobnet.”
can you offer a few concluding words for all of the candidates currently looking for work?
“before setting out to look for a job you have to understand which direction you want to focus on as a candidate. also, in the event you don’t succeed in the recruitment process, that doesn’t mean you’re no good, but simply that you’re not suited for the job at that particularly point in time. it’s important not to compromise in looking for work and to try to find a job and a company where you’ll be able to maximize your untapped potential and at the same time achieve personal fulfillment.”
for more success stories, click on employment articles
looking for work?
looking for employees?
join everybody's success at jobnet!
for the hebrew article 