Matija Komorčec graduated in Multimedia Computing at Algebra University. Today he works at HCL Technologies in Germany, as a developer specializing in JavaScript. How he decided to take a job in Germany and how useful is the knowledge he gained during his studies are just some of the questions we asked him in this interview.
Matija Komorčec: Apart from technological knowledge, during my studies at Algebra I gained many other skills that I find very useful today.
You work as a JavaScript developer. Software engineers, programmers and developers – whatever we want to call them – are today among the most sough-after professions within IT. How useful is the knowledge (not just in terms of technology) that you gained during your studies at Algebra University?
In terms of technology, the knowledge that I gained during my studies is definitely proving very useful today. Despite the fact that technology is changing and developing so rapidly, the basis of programming and the thought processes are the same and can be transferred between technologies and languages. The technological knowhow has helped steer me in the direction of what I do today, which is JavaScript. Apart from these core skills, I also gained some skills that were very useful both in finding work and in my current job, by which I mean the soft skills that I had the chance to learn in professor Nebojša Stanić’s class.
What kind of projects do you mostly work on now? What technologies and programming languages do you use most?
I am currently working on a big project for one of the major banks in Germany as a JavaScript developer. Since I am a JavaScript developer, I only use JavaScript at work, employing the currently most popular library React, as well as Redux for app state manipulation, in addition to other accompanying technologies, such as React-router, MaterialUI, Axios and others. In my current position, I have the freedom not to have to write CSS code because we have CSS developers working alongside us. But I like writing CSS from time to time, just for the heck of it.
Working as a developer naturally requires continuous training because the technology and different development tools are evolving rapidly. Apart from a desire to keep learning and staying up to date with new technologies and trends, what do you think are the traits of a good developer, one that is in demand on the labor market?
I would say that a developer’s best quality is probably consistency, in the sense that they continuously and regularly study and work on their programming skills. Programming is not easy, so it is important to stay the course and not give up when a programming problem seems too difficult. Consistency, combined with at least a dose of passion for programming, is what makes a developer that is in demand on the labor market.
You currently work in Germany. How did you get the job at HCL Technologies and in which direction would you like to proceed as a developer?
I was contacted by a recruiting agent via LinkedIn who asked me if I was interested in the position of JavaScript developer and gave me the details about the job and working environment. After that, things moved very quickly. I had my first interview with their software architect two days after the agent initially approached me, followed by interviews with their developers. As a developer, I would like to continue developing my JavaScript skills, but I also see myself as a full stack developer in the future.
What advice would you give to young people currently deciding on their choice of university, and consequently, choosing their future careers, who are thinking about computer engineering?
If you want to go to work feeling happy about it, sometimes even stay at home and work remote, have a chance for someone to pay so that you can learn about the things that interest you, which you would learn about anyway in your free time? Great, in that case, pick the area of computing science you are most interested in, enroll in the related study programme and enjoy yourself in the process!
