The tech sector is veritably huge. There are few people who don’t have at least some idea of the role engineers, developers and programmers play in driving the industry. But there are some more niche careers, too, that can seem more mysterious to the uninitiated. Raluca Petruc, a validation software engineer at Asavie, Dublin, gives us a glimpse into a typical day in her job.
What is your role within this company?
As a validation software engineer at Asavie, I develop tools and harnesses for testing different Asavie products, write software that pulls and/or pushes metrics, and generally automate different processes.
There’s constant research into different technologies and concepts involved.
Can you tell us about your background?
I have a Master’s degree in mathematics and I worked at the university in my hometown for a short period of time before starting my career in IT as an automation engineer, later switching to a Delphi development role in the same company. While there I was promoted to team leader.
After about four years, I changed my path to become a .NET software developer in a ticketing company and, after some years, I moved to Asavie.
What steps led you to this role?
First of all, I moved to Ireland. I’d heard of Asavie from a friend, applied for a role, enjoyed the interviews and the amazing culture of innovation – which would allow me to develop hugely both personally and professionally – so here I am.
If there is such a thing, can you describe a typical day in the job?
“Hack, hack (keyboard sound)! Oh, no! Hack, hack! It’s aliiive.”
There’s also coffee, good talks, meetings, studying and, once in a while, frustrations. Mainly it’s about the people and the technology, some really great minds coming together to do something special in this company and in the IT industry
What types of project do you work on?
It’s top secret (kidding). I haven’t worked on long-term projects since I started. I’ve spent a couple of months on each and, so far, they’ve involved cloud knowledge, networking, Linux or other skills. Drive, try to stress and break other people’s work, and sometimes also find solutions for the problems.
What skills do you use on a daily basis?
That’s a hard one. I use both my technical and communication skills. I don’t always succeed, but you learn from that too.
Do you have any tips that help you through the working day?
I am generally mindful of my health. I make sure I get good rest, exercise and avoid excesses. I also take breaks when needed and listen to my favorite tunes when I’m ‘in the zone’.
How has this role changed as the tech sector has grown and evolved?
With the expansion of the industry, many new roles have been created, and others have been reassessed and reprioritised, so there is a constant need for people with different backgrounds and, ultimately, views and perspectives.
Niche roles require open minds and flexibility, besides the tech skills. Sometimes, it’s not enough to be an expert in an area; you need to see the big picture (and turn into a coding kraken-like creature – okay, maybe not that. You’ll scare your co-workers).
What do you enjoy most about the job?
The novelty and the fact that I have to get out of my comfort zone and learn, adapt and improve. I also get to work with interesting people.
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