HOW DID YOU LAND YOUR ROLE AT GSA CAPITAL?
My journey with GSA started back in 2018 when I was still completing my undergraduate degree, and I discovered that they were running an online coding competition over a few days during the summer. It was the kind of puzzle-solving competition that I used to do in high school, so it immediately caught my attention. Over the next few days, I started working on the GSA’s puzzles, alternating between my room and a café.
The puzzles took a few days to solve (and there was still one I couldn’t do!), but the hard work paid off: I had been invited for an interview which led to an internship in one of GSA’s technology groups. Having had a great learning experience during my internship, I re-applied a few years later for a permanent position and joined GSA in the summer of 2022 after I completed a postgraduate degree.
DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW YOU WANTED TO GO INTO TECH? WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST?
I think I was about to start the 9th grade (about 15 years old) when I decided that I want to learn programming. In hindsight, it was a somewhat random decision, because I can’t point to something concrete that motivated me to learn programming. We had some programming classes during my secondary school (grades 5th-8th) but I was never particularly interested.
In the summer before the 9th grade, I decided to get a better understanding of the very basics on my own. When I started the first year of high school, I told my Informatics teacher that I want to participate in coding competitions, and he gave me a list of topics to study, and I gradually started to improve my programming and problem-solving skills.
WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE WORKDAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
Usually, I start my day with a cup of tea and go over any unread emails. After that, a typical day involves things such as coding a new feature, doing a code review or discussing with my team about potential improvements that we can make to our code base. We have weekly meetings in which we discuss what work we have done over the last week and what goals we have for the current week.
I have been in my current position for about 9 months and I’m still learning new things almost every day. This extends beyond my team sometimes, for example when I need to talk to a team that relies on our services – this gives me a better understanding of the different teams and roles we have within out firm.
When the weather is nice, I like to end my day by going for a run or a walk in the nearby parks to clear my mind and reflect over the day.
ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC SKILLS OR TRAITS THAT YOU NOTICE COMPANIES LOOK FOR WHEN YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR ROLES IN YOUR FIELD?
I work as a software developer, and my position requires an understanding of some general Computer Science skills. For example, one such skill is knowing a programming language relatively well, but also having a good problem-solving ability.
Having good communication skills is also very important, because in our industry we rely a lot on contributions from every team member and it is important to be able to express your ideas clearly. This is an example of a skill that interviewers will most likely look for.
It is also important to note that throughout my career I met many people with non-CS background that were extremely successful as software engineers. I believe that being able to approach a problem in a non-traditional manner is another trait that employers are interested in, because a more diverse skill set will place the team in a better position to tackle any new challenges they might face.
JOINING A TEAM AS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN BE DAUNTING. DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR ANYONE FEELING OVERWHELMED?
I agree, it really feels daunting for most of us. I was there too. Many of my friends and colleagues have been there too. If I could give any advice, I would say that you shouldn’t have unnecessary worries. Your teammates will most likely be aware that’s it’s not trivial to get used to the team’s systems and working practices and it’s most likely to be a process that takes time.
Your team leader and colleagues will also do their best to help you, because they will also benefit as you learn more things. In terms of things you should do, I suggest you try to keep your curiosity and be eager to learn and improve a little bit every day. It will add up and, in a few months, you’ll be already over the “daunting” feeling from the first few days.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THOSE WANTING TO REACH THEIR CAREER GOALS AS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER?
Continue to be passionate and motivated about your goals. Think of why you have decided to try this career in the first place. Try to learn a new thing every week, no matter how small it is – it adds up enormously over time.
In terms of concrete things to learn, I think it’s important to have a good general knowledge of Computer Science principles, but also to find a few areas in which you should specialise. Link this back to what I suggested above (why software engineering?): find the topics that you like and spend more time learning about them – this way you’ll increase your portfolio of skills whilst at the same time doing what you love.
