Introduction – The Power of Growth and Persistence
In today’s fast-paced tech world, career growth isn’t just about changing job titles or switching companies—it’s about continuous learning, adapting, and embracing challenges. This is exactly what makes Vasil’s story remarkable. Over the past five years, starting from scratch and working solely within our DSS team, he has evolved from a Junior ServiceNow Developer into a fully-fledged ServiceNow Architect—an achievement that few reach without years of commitment and hard work.
Vasil’s journey is a living example of how dedication combined with curiosity can open doors to leadership and innovation within a specialized and rapidly evolving platform like ServiceNow. His path shows us that with the right mindset, even the most complex career goals become attainable.
Starting the Journey
When Vasil first joined DSS five years ago, he had no idea how far the ServiceNow platform would take him. With no prior experience in the system but a strong desire to learn, he quickly immersed himself in the fundamentals and embraced every opportunity to grow.
What was the hardest part of being new to ServiceNow? “In the beginning, it took time to grasp the bigger picture. I often found myself solving isolated cases without fully understanding their broader context. Gradually, as I became more familiar with the platform and the business environment, I began connecting the dots—seeing how my work contributed to real value and aligning my efforts with the bigger goals.”
What motivated you in the beginning? “I was fortunate to have excellent mentors at the start of my journey in DSS. Their guidance helped me understand the true value of ServiceNow, and they provided me with meaningful opportunities to grow, learn, and expand my capabilities. I'm also incredibly grateful to my current manager, Georgi Shishkov, for his ongoing mentorship and support.”
Climbing the Ladder: Junior → Mid → Senior → Lead → Architect
Over the years, Vasil's progression followed a natural, but challenging path—from Junior Developer, to Mid-level, then Senior, and finally Architect. With every step, the responsibilities evolved:
- As a Junior, it was all about learning the platform and understanding the best practices.
- As a Mid-level developer, he started owning tasks and contributing to end-to-end solutions.
- As a Senior, he became a trusted advisor on projects and a mentor to others.
- As a Lead, he actively mentored and supported all newcomers in their ServiceNow journey, helping them build confidence and develop their skills from day one.
- And now, as an Architect, he drives the big-picture design, ensures alignment with platform strategy, and defines standards across solutions.
What changed the most between the roles? “The mindset. As you grow, it becomes less about the code and more about decisions. You start thinking in terms of architecture, future impact, scalability, and how the platform evolves—not just how to make a workflow run.”
Facing the Challenges
The road wasn’t always smooth. From large-scale implementations to projects with tight deadlines, Vasil faced challenges that tested not only his technical skills but also his communication and leadership abilities.
What was the most difficult challenge? “Things didn’t always run smoothly. In my first year, I struggled to differentiate between speaking to stakeholders in purely technical terms and translating those conversations into actual business needs. I often had to pause and ask myself: Is what I’m doing truly helping anyone? That question became a compass—guiding me toward work that adds real value.”
What helped you the most? “What made a real difference was the overwhelming support from my team. At DSS, we have a strong and collaborative team culture. When things went wrong, the leads stepped in with support and guidance, turning setbacks into learning moments. And whenever I was tasked with something unfamiliar, there was always someone willing to help and share their expertise. That openness and knowledge-sharing made all the difference in my growth.”
Becoming an Architect
Being an architect isn’t just a title. For Vasil, it represents a shift in how he sees problems, designs solutions, and supports others.
How did you decide to become an Architect? “It all started with a shift in mindset. During my time on a long-term GRC project, I reached a point where I deeply understood the architecture. I could anticipate the impact of configurations, customizations, and new logic before even implementing them. The role gradually evolved - less about completing assigned stories, and more about making strategic decisions and shaping the direction of the solution.
That shift prepared me for the next big challenge: becoming a Team Lead for the junior developers at DSS. Suddenly, the question wasn’t just how do I deliver this, but how do we transform someone unfamiliar with ServiceNow into a confident, capable expert in a short period of time?
So I took a step back and began strategizing. I assessed our existing onboarding approach, identified gaps, and defined the outcomes we needed. Over the next six months, I led the creation of a hands-on onboarding program—designed to simulate a real-life project environment with stakeholders, requirements, and just the right amount of creative freedom.
I’m incredibly proud of this initiative. It enabled our junior team to grow exponentially, and today, I can say with full confidence: they’ve developed into strong, knowledgeable ServiceNow professionals.”
What does being a ServiceNow Architect mean to you? “Being an architect means taking responsibility not just for the solution, but for its future. It’s about combining strategy, business needs, and stakeholder communication to design solutions that are not only scalable and reliable, but truly valuable to the customer.”
What’s different now? “I don’t think in modules anymore—I think in domains, in business capabilities, in how services interconnect. It’s a whole new level of thinking.”
Looking Ahead
While the title “Architect” marks the end of one chapter, it also opens the door to even greater responsibility and deeper innovation. Vasil is already focused on mentoring others, establishing architectural standards, and working in areas like ITSM, Application Development, GRC, HRSD, Integrations, SecOps and platform governance.
What’s next? “Helping the team scale with quality has always been a key focus for me. I strive to be a better advisor, mentor, and leader every day. Sharing my experiences, knowledge, and expertise with colleagues is something I truly enjoy—there’s great satisfaction in uplifting others and inspiring future leaders. So far, I’ve had the opportunity to put this into practice by leading two projects as an Architect. There’s still so much to learn, and I’m genuinely excited about the opportunities ahead!”
Final Words
As Vasil steps confidently into his role as a ServiceNow Architect, his story stands as an inspiring blueprint for anyone on the platform who aspires to grow and lead. It reminds us that every expert was once a beginner, every architect was once a junior developer, and every milestone is earned one step at a time.
His journey is a powerful message to all DSS team members—and to the wider ServiceNow community—that persistence, teamwork, and a hunger for knowledge are the true architects of success.
Congratulations again, Vasil! May your journey continue to inspire, and your impact continue to grow. We’re proud to have you as part of DSS.
