If he had been aware of the full potential of IT industry, Vedran would not have hesitated for a second to enroll at Algebra University. This way, he partly has his father to thank for being the co-founder and CTO of Mogy, a successful startup that has sprung up from Croatian company Mobendo. Luckily, says Vedran, his dad pointed out to him all the advantages of being a computer engineer. Vedran is currently expanding his knowledge and building his career at the ABC accelerator in Ljubljana, where his project Mogy – a software intended for personal trainers to be able to manage their clients and their fitness plans more effectively – is thrilling investors. Mogy won a notable second place at the regional competition of technological innovations, Idea Knockout 2015.
“My dad was the one who first noticed the program at Algebra University. He was the one who recognized the right timing and the potential of IT industry for me. Initially, I was preparing to get into the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb, but luckily I changed my choice and enrolled in the Software Engineering program. Up to that point I had never had any experience with programming code or a programmer’s mindset, let alone algorithms, however, I felt that it was something that could suit my way of thinking. My initial expectations from the program were to learn programming and then find a well-paid job. As a high school graduate, if I had known half of what I know today about this field, I would not have hesitated for a second to choose this career. What I hoped for is what happened. I got my first programming job right after finishing my third year of bachelor studies. The study programme made all the difference in helping me successfully pass my first important job interview, which lasted for two hours and my future employer asked me extensively about my knowledge of web apps and the MSFT .NET programming framework, which I learned in the study programme.
I was able to master all of this thanks to the exceptional expertise and openness of Algebra’s lecturers throughout my studies. Having a well-planned curriculum that was always known in advance allowed me to plan my activities and studying schedule in preparing for the exams. The lab exercises were highly interactive and every homework task is extremely useful and educational. Another very important point is that I met so many colleagues and got the opportunities that led to new personal and business victories for me. Today, running the Mogy startup, I use all of the technical and professional knowledge I acquired in the Software Engineering program, but, as time goes by, I am becoming more aware of the importance of soft skills and business knowledge that I had taken for granted during my studies. As I get more involved in management roles, I pay more attention to organizational skills, but I never lose track of the fact that many doors opened for me precisely because I had the best possible study experience, which included professional courses that helped me land my first job.”
