The importance of flexibility from a senior java developer

Talking about the importance of flexibility and being passionate about your job with Bianca, Senior Java Developer at OceanoBe. 

Bianca is a very spirited person, she has that look of confidence and also a deep gaze that informs you there are deep layers of understanding. It was clear to me that she loves what she does, but the truth is I did not expect what was to come. During the interview, I literally felt energized by her enthusiasm when talking about her growth path and her passion really captivated me. So much so that we lost track of time completely. 

The conversation with Bianca left me with a deep impression that she is very passionate, also very professional, and tech-savvy. She loves being a developer. As you will discover in our interview the word that best describes her is flexibility. She is Bianca, Senior Java Developer, and here is her story.

Getting to know you

• Bianca, tell the world about your experience so far and what do you do here at OceanoBe.

So, I had an interesting career development so far. I began working after my second year of college as a System Tester in the automotive industry. For me, that was a strategic decision. I knew that I wanted to be a developer but I felt that I needed to have this experience first in order to have a better understanding of the job later on. 

When the time was due, I decided to step up the challenge and start working as a full-stack developer within the computer-aided manufacturing industry. Here I had the chance to work both with new and old tech like C and Java.  After this, I switched fields and joined the payments and insurance industry, where I focused on Java Backend Development. It was a completely different approach for me, with new frameworks, new architecture, new teams, and new concepts, all of which came to me with new skills. I had the opportunity to travel but also experience firsthand how a team is built from the ground up, got introduced to Agile Scrum, and understood better why the protocols are important.  I learned CI/CD concepts and why they are so important to the client and to the well-being of the team when delivering.

I also had the opportunity to deliver technical training on Java Development, Unit Testing, and Version Control,  in a professional setting and it was a great chance for me to learn how to best transfer knowledge to the course participants.  Here I developed my public speaking and people management skills.

Here at OceanoBe, I am Senior Java Developer and I chose it because it was the closest to a startup company. It is a flexible environment and here you can really make an impact, work with amazing people and be part of an environment that is always challenging you to be better, grow, and evolve.

• Your experience extends quite to the area of fintech. Could you tell me more about that?

I spent the last 3 years working mainly in payments. It’s an area with particularly large clients that have very high standards in terms of security and performance. And it’s absolutely normal, here we work with very sensitive data and it’s important to have a safe and up-to-date solution. Ever since Revolut and other competitors hit the market, the bar has been raised. Companies need very good developers. This is a very particular field of work, I mean, in payments it’s always important to be up to date with the latest technologies and also have the culture of writing good quality code and implementing best practices. Unlike the banking system, where there could be legacy code, in this industry you will encounter new tech, working with innovative frameworks, security plugins like OWASP and Black Duck, and code quality tools. This automatically reflects on the team's performance, innovation, and growth. It’s quite exhilarating to be working in such environments. 

• When it comes to your personal life and time, what are your go-to hobbies? 

Before the pandemic hit I was into metal festivals, and going to the opera or theater with my friends. Nowadays, since I got my driving license, I look forward to exploring new places and discovering amazing landscapes. 

Growth

• You mentioned starting your career in a Test Engineer role, although you knew you wanted a Developer position. What motivated that decision?

I always knew I wanted to be a developer, but I also knew that in order to be a great developer I needed to have tester experience. In order for things to work smoothly, it’s important that developers have a good working relationship with the testing team. So my first thought was to have that experience and see what the job entitles. Over the years it turned out that this was a good idea because I know now what to expect from the testing team and that makes things much easier and the work smoother. 

• What does professional growth mean to you?

When you experiment with more ideas and seek to develop your skills and abilities, you will definitely feel you grow as a professional.  I’ve been in the payment industry for 3 years and what I am doing now is completely different from what I’ve done in the past. It’s still the same industry but there are different projects, processes, and businesses. 

• Talking about teams and challenges, was there a project that you feel contributed to your growth and development?

Actually, I’ve learned from all. I had different Java versions from 6 up to 17 and I enjoyed learning from all different areas. The first 5 years are quite remarkable, in the sense that I noticed my transition from junior, middle, and senior levels. If I were to choose a specific project I would choose the Pulse App team management platform developed here at OceanoBe, it was quite the experience. 

• Thinking back at the beginning, do you feel that there were a specific set of skills that really helped along the way?

I am a very flexible person and adapt easily to change, so that really helped, and my soft skills. For me, I think passion was always the key, in the sense that I am one of the people who get to do what they always wanted to. Since 7th grade, I dreamt of becoming a hacker (smiling), but I didn’t reach that level. In high school I discovered programming, and I was immediately hooked. As it turned out I was a natural for it. You need logical thinking, lots of patience, and also being tech-savvy and passionate about it. Another skill I think is your willingness to be efficient. In order to build solutions, you have to have that analytical mindset. In the end, you have to feel that attraction towards what you want to do, like when you love someone, you know you love them it’s just difficult to put into words why.

Flexibility

• Flexibility is one of our core values here at OceanoBe. What does it mean to you?

It fits me like a glove. I am a very flexible type of person and I also need a flexible environment. There are moments when you need the time and space to think about how you are going to approach a specific situation like creating an algorithm or solving a bug and it’s great to work in an environment where people understand that. Flexibility is the schedule, in the opportunities provided, and this is what keeps us in the right mindset.

• When it comes to the work environment, how important is it to be flexible? Are there any boundaries to that?

We work to sustain our lives and therefore it is important to have flexibility, to have a flexible schedule, a flexible mindset, and have your say.  If you are a trustworthy person and deliver on time then I feel that flexibility can’t be a downside. In many ways, flexibility is a given opportunity and if you don’t respect that, it goes away. I think it’s connected with one’s own maturity and professionalism.

Excellence

• How do you feel about your contribution to what we do here at OceanoBe?

As I said, the Pulse App project was one of my most valuable experiences. And also I love the fact that I have been involved in the recruitment process and got the chance to get involved in the training area and the onboarding process. It was quite exciting.

• What was the thing that drew you to OceanoBe, as a company? Is there anything that makes it stand out?

The fact that the company is building its own products was a big plus for me. We have these products we are focused on where we innovate and create something quite unique. There is also the fact that this is a startup and we get to experiment a lot. Here you will also find amazing people that have experience and that are really cool.

• Talking about excellence, what advice would you give someone that is looking to follow a career in backend development?

Be aware of the fact that people won’t necessarily understand what you do. People often expect backend developers to be good at DevOps or any compatibility problem of the environment setup, or database. As a backend developer, you are completely behind the scenes and you get to solve the problems that people may not know they have.

Experience

• The latest tool or technology that you learned? 

Java 17 (smiling).

• So, what's next for you? Are there any new challenges?

I think for me the DevOps area is interesting. It will definitely help me get the bigger picture. 

We hope you enjoyed reading the interview and as always we recommend you to browse ecommerce security and our Join the team page to find out more about our culture, values, and open senior java development positions.

#Time to Be Flexible