IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI alumnus Boris Golubov says one thing that really drew him in was the connection between people and technology. He majored In Informatics and graduated in 2012, going to work for Eli Lilly and Co. shortly thereafter.
“Informatics sits between those two groups and really bring them together to achieve one goal. That really excited me as I love bringing people together,” he says. “I think the program really prepares you well with many options to begin your career. Whether you want to be more technical and work within a database or be a project manager and understand technology, Informatics opens many of those avenues.”
When Golubov was trying to decide a major, he was looking for something that could leverage technology with his people and communication skills. When he started the program, one thing that kept drawing him further and further into it was the vast variety of classes that he was getting exposure into. One would be a coding class, next semester it would be project management and the semester after that would be leadership. He says it really allowed him to figure out what he liked and the flexibility of the program let him tailor his classes to have a more focused plan into the classes where he wanted to dive deeper.
One thing that really stood out to him about the program was the faculty. “They really care about the students and want them succeed. I get that sounds a bit cliché but I continue to have strong relationships with a number of people that helped me get through the program. As an example, I leveraged Brian Benedict in career services who was instrumental in helping me with internships and now we chat regularly about work, IUPUI and most importantly life,” Golubov says.
Golubov’s current title is Associate Director at Eli Lilly. Currently, he is living in Cork Ireland working on an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementation. It is a really exciting role and he loves the global team that is part of all of that, he says.
Success in life begins with community…
When Golubov thinks about his career plan, he first reflects on his past. “A thirty-three-thousand-dollar loan to open a business was a risk my parents were willing to take so that my brother and I could have a better future. My parents are no strangers when it comes to taking risks for the family. You see, our home was in Yugoslavia, which has since dissolved into many different countries. My time in ex-Yugoslavia was cut short due to a civil war that began in ‘91. Without a lot of options and no end to the war in sight, my parents packed up our family in the middle of the night and fled the war-ravaged country in ’95. By pure chance, we ended up in Germany. To this day, my parents are not sure how that happened but were thrilled that it did. My brother and I were able to have a somewhat normal childhood. We went to school, learned a second language, and played outside without the worry of stray bullets or tanks shooting near our play area,” Golubov recalls.
After two years, his parents received some difficult news. Germany ended the war visa program, and his parents again had a difficult decision to make. Germany offered two choices: go back to Yugoslavia or apply to the US Refugee Program with the possibility to make America their new home. Two years of peace was a small taste of what his parents dreamed of having for a lifetime. They decided to take a risk and apply. After a grueling eight-hour interview and multiple health screenings, they were on our way to America. In ’97, they landed in Indianapolis and were transported to their apartment in Speedway, Indiana.
“It was time for my family to start over again, learn a new language, restart school, and find another play area. Mom and Dad worked at McDonald’s, and my dad found a second job pushing carts in the evening at Meijer. Eventually, my parents saved enough money and, combined with a thirty-three-thousand-dollar bank loan, opened Mediterranean Pizza in Brownsburg, Indiana,” Golubov says. “When I look back at everything that my parents did to get me into the position I am in today, I don’t think about the future so much but rather, how can I help those in the community as we had help every step of our way. I think you do those things first, and the rest of your career will fall into place.”
…and continues with networking
Golubov says he has a lot of learnings but the one that really sticks out to him is build your network even inside of work. You will not always be a decision-maker but you can use your network to help influence a decision.
His advice to current students is: Network, Network, Network! Wherever you want to work, whether its Eli Lilly or any other company, you have to network. “I love this quote: your network is your net worth. I could not agree more with that quote. Leverage tools like LinkedIn, after class activities, volunteer, and treat everyone with kindness and grace as you never know who might be on the other side of an interview in the future. The other thing is strive to do your best on whatever you are working on at school or at work. “Don’t half (do) things, but do them all to your fullest, you never know who is watching!
“Keep networking and never shy away from introducing yourself. Stay confident and keep pushing the envelope, If we were able to overcome some adversity, every single one of you can too!”
Media Contact
Joanne Lovrinic
jebehele@iu.edu
317-278-9208