Nick Vasiutin | MWDN Researcher

Nick Vasiutin has the most unexpected career path. He started as a bartender in the trendiest Kharkiv bar, and today he is a dedicated, diligent, and simply brilliant Researcher at MWDN. In this interview, Nick described the magnificent world of “alcohol in moderation” and shared some recommendations on choosing your perfect poison. 

Read on to discover how Nick switched from making divine cocktails to searching for tech talents. Scroll a bit lower, and you will get acquainted with his smiley exotic pet and discover Nick’s secret of always staying friendly.

 

1. What do you do as a Researcher? What are the most interesting and the most challenging parts of your job?

I have worked in MWDN for almost two years. I search for developers, QA engineers, and other tech talents online. What I like the most about my job are the tough and not-typical requests for job applicants, as in every such case, I have to deepen my knowledge of technology and see all the details of the position. But it can be both a pro and a con, as sometimes it is really hard to find the perfect “unicorn.”

2. All your colleagues say that you’re very friendly and sociable. What is the “secret” of your sociability? You’re sincerely interested in people? Do you never judge anyone? You’re a self-made psychologist? You’re just playing the role of a “good guy” and don’t really like communicating with people?

That’s a tough one. Sometimes I am a good shrink, sometimes I really am interested in other human beings, and sometimes I just have to “fake it until I make it” 😊 But frankly speaking, I think that I simply love people and see only the good aspects in every person.

3. What spirits would you recommend to people who want to relax but are afraid of developing an addiction?

Quite an acute question. First of all, that depends on your likes and dislikes. This might be a shot of whiskey with chilling stones or a glass of wine. If you feel like you have a “British soul,” you should try out Cucumber Gin & Tonic. The most important part – try not to make drinking a systematic thing. When you do drink, choose high-quality spirits, and enjoy their rich flavor and the atmosphere you’ve created.

4. Why did you decide to become a bartender? Has this experience helped you in one way or another in your current position?

Actually, I was just running with the wind, so it will be more correct to say that it wasn’t me who chose the profession, but the profession that chose me. At that moment, I decided that I needed money, so a friend of mine offered me this “joy ride,” and I agreed. For the two years I’ve spent at the bar counter, I developed a much easier approach to the problems, whatever they were. Today life has to try hard to get me off balance. Thanks to the bar, I started to understand people much better.

5. Who you wanted to be when you were a child?

As you must have already understood, I’m a drift-with-the-current kind of person. As a kid, I just wanted to have a lot of money and do nothing; however, I changed my mind when I grew up. Now I believe that if you don’t work, you cannot achieve that particular enjoyment from vacation or money spending. A quote from Romeo and Juliet describes well what I mean: 

The sweetest honey

Is loathsome in his own deliciousness

And in the taste confounds the appetite.

Therefore love moderately.

6. What would you tell to your 10-year-old self if you had an opportunity to meet him?

“Do as you wish.” I don’t want to change anything in my past, so these would be the words I would tell to myself.

7. Do you have any hobbies?

I  went abroad for a vacation a bit before the full-scale invasion, and I decided that I have the intention to visit as many countries as possible. The most interesting destinations for me are Norway because of the beauty of its nature and Japan, the country that managed to combine high technologies and stay aware of its traditional culture. If we talk about sports, then beer pong is my choice 😊 I also have a tiny pet, a Leopard Gecko called “Easya,” and she always smiles at me.

8. Is there any fictional world that you would like to visit?

There are a lot of amazing “worlds” that I would love to visit, but Game of Thrones is certainly not one of them, as there I would perish way too soon. Let the magical world of Joanne Rowling be my choice 😊 Harry Potter is a beautiful fairytale.

9. Do you have favorite artists or musicians?

I love some authors, like Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk, Andrzej Sapkowski… The music I would listen to strongly depends on my mood. That might be some classic rock ballad by Scorpions or some no-name Mongolian/Japanese rap.

10. How do you deal with the current situation? Do you meditate? Run? Read? Scream? Laugh? Sing?

I try to distract myself from reality, at least a bit. I need it to keep my mental health under control. I don’t think about the past or the future, I live in the present. Some simple physical exercises and good music with coffee are also helpful tools.

11. Where have you been on the 24th of February? Where are you now?

On the morning of the full-scale invasion, I was in Kharkiv. I woke up from a phone call, and I needed time to understand what had happened. I had three cigarettes, and only after that did I comprehend the situation. Right now, I live in a small village not far away from Kharkiv.

12. What will you do after our victory?

I will go on vacation and will be on a spree for a week in a row. I will visit countries that I haven’t been to before. I have a lot of plans, but I have no idea what exactly I will be doing 😊