IT constantly seeks specialists

The estimated number of vacancies for IT specialists in Europe in 2020 is expected to be around 750,000. The demand for IT employees is not decreasing but growing at an impressive pace. Around 90% of all global organizations will have to adapt their plans to a changing market, and any delayed release of products or services, as well as costs incurred due to lack of IT skills, will total $390 billion per year worldwide. This information is based on the EU High-Tech Skills Industry Report 2019, and its conclusions are worth considering.

Each of the modern companies in the world, to be able to remain on the competitive market, must comply with the rules, i.e., they must invest in technology, as the recipients of services or products increasingly choose digital sources to find a particular company or to use its services. More and more often, we use websites, applications, digital systems, and someone has to create them, and this is the place for about 750,000 people that the IT industry needs right now.

As more and more people see a place for themselves in the IT industry, today we want to introduce you to the extremely inspiring story of Elena, who decided to change her life to do what she loves.

Meet Elena

Elena is 29 years old, ambitious, organized, and cheerful person who likes to do a good job whenever she starts a particular task. She likes to travel, read books, and follow talks about self-development. She also enjoys practicing sports like aerobics and pilates or yoga. There’s an open world full of possibilities for people like Elena.

Her story with IT began in primary school, where she started to learn how to use Microsoft Office. In high school, she continued to learn simple algorithms and C language programming, but she ended up forgetting most of that.

When she went to university, her desired fields of study were Computer Science or Chemistry. Because there was no Computer Science faculty in her hometown and she couldn’t afford to move to study in another town at that moment, she chose Chemistry. She’s got a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in The Chemical Engineering of Cosmetical and Pharmaceutical Products. At 23 years old, Elena was ready to start in the pharmaceutical industry. She got her first job a little before that, at 22 years old, as a chemist in R&D for Biofarm, where she was developing drugs and food supplements. In the end, after 7 years of working in that industry, Elena decided to make a change and enrolled in the 9-months-long Java from Scratch course at Software Development Academy.

The beginning of Elena’s new career path

It all started when one day, her fiancé (now husband) showed her a Facebook sponsored advertisement about a presentation on a beginner’s Java course at SDA and encouraged her to go see what it’s all about. Then after seeing the SDA Java course curriculum, he encouraged Elena to enroll. This was the moment when she finally decided to do what she couldn’t at the university and make the switch from the Pharma to the IT industry. This little step has changed her life beyond recognition.

She wanted to be prepared for the course, so she started to work with algorithms and read about Java two months before the course began. She was lucky to have the help of her husband, and he really supported her in this change. When the course started, she didn’t let any day pass without studying or doing exercises related to the module presented during the previous weekend class. In the first part of the course, there was a time when she felt overwhelmed by the quantity of information being taught, but she tried to keep a positive attitude and to focus her energy on learning as much as she could. Now, being in the field, she was so passionate about, she felt happy. At the end of the course, she decided to do the practical project by herself. She worked alone because the project was something she and her husband wanted to develop for their wedding: web and mobile app called WeddingFun.

During the 9 months, Elena has also made some friends. It was inevitable, especially with the people she used to interact with the most when solving problems and sharing knowledge. Since she took part in the SDA course, she did not have to fear that she would be alone with all this – she had the support of her husband and her new friends.

The benefits of the IT industry

Another thing that drove her to action was her passion for IT. She really likes the IT industry. She sees it as an industry with a different type of culture, where the management is oriented towards the employee, to ensure a pleasant work environment and a good work-life balance.

Since July this year, she’s been working as a Junior Java Developer at Ubisoft in Bucharest. Her team leader always tells her to go home at the end of the workday – she’s not required to stay overtime. What she likes the most in this industry is that she can also work remotely from her home. When she’s working from home, she works harder than at the office, and she feels more productive because of a lack of distractions. Now she can work remotely once a week, but recently she took part in a survey regarding if the employees would like more than one day of the home office. Her feedback was taken into consideration, and the management wants to increase the number of these remote working days.

The employer definitely wants to make her work more enjoyable, which gives Elena more development opportunities and makes her happier. Now she really likes her job, but in the beginning, there were some shocking aspects of it. She said:

“In the first month in Ubisoft, I was very ‘frustrated’ because, usually, in the morning my colleagues prepare their coffee and start the day with a small break to drink it (at each level in the building we have several relaxing places) and to talk about what they did a day before, about holidays and other things. After 7 years in the Pharma Industry, where I worked approximately 10 hours a day with a big dose of stress, I couldn’t imagine this… And that it was possible to talk with your manager about your personal life, your personal activities, holiday, etc., during the coffee break”.

She was surprised by such a huge change for the better, but this is what the job should look like, isn’t it? It should provide opportunities for development, good salary, remote working, satisfaction, and peace of mind.

A new bright future

The future looks bright, so when we asked Elena what her dreams are, she answered without hesitation that she was planning to learn as much as possible to become a master of herself, to be able to get any job and go through an interview without emotion. She was accepted for a position of Java Developer just when she was about to be proposed for promotion as the manager of the team, which she was a part of. Her biggest dream, but not in the near future, is to become a manager. It is different to be a manager in the IT industry and in the pharmaceutical industry. This is because in Pharma, being a manager means putting your family in second place and is associated with a lot of stress related to working with people. While pursuing this dream, she also wants to achieve some personal goals. Until now, she’s always been more focused on her professional development, but maybe now is a perfect moment to think about the family, which is easier now when she can work remotely.

Elena’s story could be your inspiration

Elena is one of many people who recently decided to change their lives and focus on what gives them enjoyment and opportunities for development. The courses organized by SDA, including the flagship “Java from Scratch”, will help you take the first step towards fulfilling your dreams of an independent, inspiring, interesting, and indispensable profession in today’s world. Remember that small changes can make a big difference in your life.