Kickin' Goals in <code /> and on the field

I worked with Robert at Pago across several of our web products in different domains, different levels of complexity and Robert came through every time. Features arrived complete and thought through, including the unglamorous details that decide whether something feels finished. What stood out most was how easy Robert was to work with: clear communication, feedback taken without ego and returned improved, and work delivered when promised. Robert is also one of the more effective people I've seen at using AI tools as a real part of a delivery workflow and not as a gimmick, but with the judgement to know when the output is right and when it isn't. Any team would be lucky to have Robert.

I really like Robert's attention to detail, intimate knowledge of React and Front-End, and careful actual use case test coverage. During all these years, I have rarely seen any bugs stemming from his work, so that must pay off. Really enjoyed working together!

I had the pleasure of working with Robert, a dependable frontend engineer who consistently turns well-defined goals into high-quality results. He executes with impressive speed and precision while keeping stakeholders closely aligned throughout the process. Robert thrives in collaborative environments with clear priorities and is thoughtful about validating important decisions before moving forward. Once the direction is established, he can be trusted to deliver efficiently and consistently. Any team looking for a dependable frontend engineer with strong execution skills would be fortunate to work with him.

Robert is an outstanding frontend developer and someone I’ve genuinely enjoyed managing. As my direct report, he consistently delivered high-quality work with a strong focus on UX—paying attention not just to how things looked, but to how they felt and performed for users. What sets Robert apart is his reliability and integrity. He’s dependable, follows through on commitments, communicates clearly, and can be trusted with important responsibilities and timelines. He brings a thoughtful, quality-first mindset to development, and he raises the bar for the team through both execution and attention to detail. Robert is also an AI enthusiast and a real advocate for using AI in practical, value-adding ways. He stays curious, keeps learning, and helps others see how new tools and approaches can improve both product outcomes and day-to-day workflows. I’d gladly work with Robert again and highly recommend him to any team looking for a strong frontend engineer who cares deeply about UX, quality, and doing the right thing.

During the time I worked with Robert he consistently proved himself as a highly capable engineer and strong contributor to the team. Robert has an excellent work ethic and would always deliver above and beyond what was asked of him. The dedication to his work was evident by it's quality, consistency and reliability. I found Robert to be open minded, easy to work with and having a great sense of humour. Any team would be lucky to have his expertise and perspective.

I really enjoyed working with Robert as a Frontend Developer on our team. He was highly proactive and reliable, and I always appreciated how much ownership he took in his work. I was especially impressed by how actively he contributed beyond his immediate tasks. He independently collaborated with our designer, brought in his own ideas and helped shape good solutions. Through his engagement and technical expertise, he naturally became a go-to person for frontend topics within the team. Beyond his professional skills, Robert is simply a great colleague: friendly, approachable and a genuinely pleasant person to work with. I would be very happy to work with him again and can highly recommend him.

I really enjoyed working with Robert. He never just did what was asked of him, but consistently thought from the customer’s perspective, challenged design and product decisions, and looked for ways to improve both the product and how we built it. I highly recommend Robert to any team looking for an engineer who cares about building the right thing, not just writing the code.

Doru Daduica

Project Manager at Pay Set Limited

March 23, 2024, Doru was senior to Szalkai but didn't manage Szalkai directly

I had the privilege of working closely with Robert for 3.5 years and witnessed his on-going growth backed up by his constant love of learning the latest technologies and frameworks. He is not only a hard-working developer who is keen on delivering and meeting deadlines, but also a wonderful person who brings joy and positivity to the workplace. He communicates clearly and respectfully and collaborates effectively with others, constantly sharing his technical insights too. On top of all this I would say that his most admirable quality is his work ethic, which is rare to find these days. He was a valuable member of our team and I highly recommend him for any development role.

Mihai Bogdan Gomoi

Senior Software Consultant | Full-Stack JavaScript Expert | Independent Consultant at Freelancer- Self employed

February 13, 2023, Mihai Bogdan managed Szalkai directly

I had the pleasure of managing Robert as part of my team and was consistently impressed by his technical abilities and work ethic. Robert has a unique talent for quickly mastering new frontend frameworks and technologies, which was a valuable asset to our team. He consistently demonstrated his expertise and commitment to delivering high-quality results. In addition, Robert's friendly and approachable demeanour made him a joy to work with and a valuable member of the team. Furthermore, I was impressed by Robert's leadership abilities. He was able to effectively collaborate with team members and was not afraid to take initiative and find creative solutions to complex problems. His positive attitude and strong work ethic were contagious and had a significant impact on the success of our projects. I have no doubt that Robert will continue to be a valuable asset to any organisation that he joins. I wholeheartedly recommend Robert as a talented and dedicated frontend developer, and I am confident that he will continue to excel in his future endeavours.

Mihnea NANDRA

Frontend Developer at Klarna

June 28, 2021, Mihnea worked with Szalkai on the same team

Robert was my teammate at Cloud Innovations. We worked together on two big projects in the company. I ended getting a lot of information from Robert because he was always there to help. He has a lot of patience and is very skilled in the frontend development department. He's a master of the CSS and works really really good with JS and JS related frameworks. He accomplished to learn React on a very short period and now I can say he's proficient with React. The best asset of Robert is that he's very friendly and made the work more enjoyable. His strengths: - coding - mentorship - friendliness