Zuzka has been working in IT for over 10 years. During this time she has held various positions in different IT companies and countries. Three years ago, together with long-time friends and former colleagues, she co-founded the startup CherryPeak in Košice. She enjoys moving forward in life, working on interesting projects with inspiring people and bringing something valuable. If she had to choose her career path again, IT would still be her choice.

Do you remember what brought you to IT? Did you know from the start?

Haha, no. Many people were brought to IT by video games, but I could only play Crash Bandicoot, and that bored me after half an hour. I imagined working for a cool company as a manager with my own office. IT made the most sense to me since I enjoyed mathematics and computer science, even though I never programmed anything at home.

Was there someone who inspired you at the beginning of your IT career? Someone who was your role model?

There are many skilled and wise people in IT who still inspire me today. I remember my first internship at Siemens in Germany, where I worked in a department developing software for PET CT. My boss was an expert at that level, which motivated me greatly, and we're still in touch today. Since then I've met new people from all over the world who have drive and knowledge in various areas, which is constantly very refreshing and inspiring. With this approach we also strive to develop CherryPeak so that people can work on cool projects while growing.

Why do you focus on this particular area?

Besides working at CherryPeak, I'm still an SRE developer. It may not sound sexy, but it's actually really cool. Let me try to explain why. SRE is like being a mechanic in a Formula One pit crew – you take care of keeping systems running smoothly and being ready for any challenge. This work allows me to solve problems and immediately see the consequences of my work, which is very satisfying. When the "car" is damaged and SRE gets it running again, the whole Ferrari team is grateful.

This role fulfils me much more, especially compared to the role of release manager, where I was more of an obstacle preventing people from doing their work. However, I wrote another blog about that – Spice up your work life: How changing your role can bring a fresh start.

Three years ago I co-founded CherryPeak with classmates and colleagues, where we develop software for clients and create our own products. One of our products is Meishi.cards, where we connect physical business cards with AR holograms so users can make a first impression with a hologram recording too. This area fulfils me because I have the opportunity to develop my non-technical "self", realise my own ideas, create something new, gain experience with everything that running your own business brings, and build something meaningful and useful.

What does your typical working day look like?

I like to start the day with a good coffee and from time to time I enjoy the benefit of remote work, although most of the time I'm more productive in the office with my colleagues. These days there are nice cafés on every corner. I'm currently in South Africa and almost every other café is full of freelancers working while enjoying a small snack. Some cafés even have small booths where people can have their meetings.

My working day is very active, but I like it that way. I like days when I have enough energy to handle a lot of tasks. Sometimes I wish the day had more hours. Since my work requires a lot of mental focus, sport is the best way for me to relax and switch context. An hour of running or cycling at least three times a week is my way to release accumulated stress and energy.

What achievement are you most proud of?

I have many achievements I'm proud of. 🙂 Some of them are very small, but we all know how hard it can be to finish what we set out to do. When it comes to work, I'm certainly proud of first finding a job abroad and then managing to change my role from developer to release manager, and then starting over again as SRE. But I'm most proud of CherryPeak and the opportunity to keep developing something in my native Košice and collaborating with talented people there.

Have you had to face any difficulties or prejudices as a woman in IT? Do you have a recipe for overcoming them?

I have to say that maybe I've been lucky, but I don't recall any negative experience just because I'm a woman, and that's over ten years of working in IT at multiple companies.

On the contrary, I think it's much easier for women in IT than in other sectors, such as banking, politics or sales. I believe it's much fairer. In IT, people care mainly about the results of your work. That's why I think companies require many technical rounds in interviews – they're interested in what contribution you can make to the company. And if you show that you're more skilled, creative, flexible, I don't think gender will put them off. I'm not saying it was easy at the beginning, especially building self-confidence, but I don't think it was harder than in other fields.

Why is women's participation in IT teams important in your view?

Women's participation in IT teams brings diversity of ideas, opinions and perspectives, which I think is extremely important in the IT sector. But it's not just about women – it's also about cultural diversity, age diversity and the overall composition of the team. I work in a team of people from different countries – from Brazil, Uruguay, Italy to Singapore. Looking at the same problem or challenge from different perspectives allows us to find better solutions.

At CherryPeak, for example, we also support and give space to people who have never worked in IT before. My good friend worked as an accountant and wanted to start working as a manual tester, but had no experience and couldn't afford courses. We took her under our wing, and since we're developing an invoicing system at CherryPeak, she's the right person to help us test the system and provide a realistic view of what the system should include.

What would you tell girls or women who are considering studying and working in IT but still have doubts?

IT is a great field that opens doors to the world and to life. There are professions that are limiting. For example, being a perfumer or researching bats is very interesting, but it means narrowing your path to a limited number of jobs and countries where these things can be done.

For me, being in IT means freedom, flexibility and unlimited possibilities, whether it's constantly improving or changing position. Don't want to be a developer? You can be a manager. Want to be a developer working for Siemens developing cutting-edge medical devices? You can. Get bored with those projects and want to work on a project for the film or gaming industry? You can!

I also think IT brings stability in terms of job opportunities. Wherever you are, you'll find work. Have a child at home or just want to work less? Every other company offers 50%, 60% or 70% positions. Want an interesting job already during your studies? Companies will be happy to employ you, and you'll get the chance to gain real experience very early, maybe even catch up on what you missed during university, and earn well at the same time. Simply win-win 🙂

November 11, 2024

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This article was originally published on Aj Ty v IT.