The IT Leader's Path: How to Build a Career in an International Company
24 March 2026
Introduction
Andrey Gorelov has worked his way from engineer to Senior Manager and CTO at Amazon Web Services, with experience spanning government institutions, banking, and international corporations including HSBC and FrieslandCampina. He now leads teams on the DynamoDB service from Dublin and knows firsthand how hiring, career growth, and day-to-day life inside a global technology company actually work.
This material is a summary of his talk for IT leaders who are considering an international career or have already taken their first steps. Gorelov addresses specifics: why the word "IT" on your resume can work against you, how a queue of 500 applicants for one Amazon vacancy is managed, what you actually keep after taxes in Dublin and Madrid, and which competencies open doors today. He also covers cultural intelligence, the impostor syndrome, and the personal risks that people usually think about only after they have already moved.
The material is useful both for those still weighing their options and for those already working in an international environment who want to grow further.
IT ≠ Technology: The Terminology That Changes Everything
In Western companies, IT means infrastructure: computers, printers, peripherals. Software development, application deployment, integration and databases fall under Technology. Calling yourself an "IT specialist" on the international market positions you as technical support. This matters when writing your resume and public profile.
Goal or Meaning?
According to Harvard Business Review, a specific career goal often gets in the way of actual development. Gorelov suggests shifting focus: instead of fixing a target title, answer two questions. What do I enjoy doing? What am I good at?
Leaders who chase a specific position often spend years doing work that does not suit them. Meaning as a compass is more resilient than a goal because it does not become a trap when the market or personal circumstances change.