My favorite part of the workday is when I am actively discussing with my colleagues to solve complex problems. I enjoy working together to tackle challenges, whether it is in brainstorming sessions, project meetings or hands-on testing. Overall, the combination of teamwork, practical application of my expertise, and ongoing learning makes my job at STRATEC both enjoyable and meaningful.

Testing and Quality Assurance: Starting as a tester, I have gained a deep understanding of testing methodologies and quality assurance processes. I am proficient in designing and executing test plans to validate the functionality and reliability of our medical devices.

Requirements Engineering: I have improved my ability to define, document, and manage requirements for complex biomedical applications. This includes creating clear, detailed specifications that guide the development process.

Biomedical Device Development: My background in medical physics has been crucial in understanding the scientific principles behind our devices. I have continuously expanded my knowledge of IVD technologies and biomedical engineering.

Project Management: Over the years, I have also taken on responsibilities in project management, learning to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines effectively.

When considering the social aspect of my job, I eagerly embrace the available opportunities for gatherings, parties and team-building activities. These events serve as refreshing breaks from our daily routines while also help build strong teamwork and friendships within our organization.

I have mainly gained technical skills by being involved in the development process of the product. Stepping into the senior engineer role allowed me to enhance my leadership skills. I managed a team, provided mentorship to junior engineers, and played a positive role in their career development over time.

What I enjoy the most about my work is the fact that there is constantly something to investigate and figure out, something to get to the bottom of. The atmosphere at work makes it possible to do that without worry or concern. Colleagues are very positive and encouraging towards improvement and we manage to find a good balance between fun and hard work.

Outside of work, my two passions are woodworking and music. It may seem like they are completely unrelated and perhaps for many they do. But I think they are complementary, as one involves practical skills and the other creative, artistic skills and I try to keep an optimal balance between the two. I don’t know if it’s the best recipe but it works well for me.

The first challenge for me began when I became a team leader: I started taking care of new colleagues and new professionals, promoting project progress and communication. Thereafter, I took on the position of technical manager and gradually gained a deeper understanding of the company's overarching processes and interfaces. With this background, I was able to address issues that would affect the integrity of the product in the long run. As time passed, I became part of the product definition team. This meant intensive customer meetings, mostly with people who were not as technically adept as I was. It was a learning experience for me, but discussing abstract workflow concepts with non-technical people is not a bad thing.

I would advise everyone to focus on the fundamental qualities that define a software developer, namely on transferrable/ universal skills. Frameworks/fads come and go (I’d just name here the blockchain technology), but fundamental knowledge like knowing how to write clean/maintainable/performant code will never go out of fashion, nor will this knowledge ever become obsolete.

In my opinion, it will take a while until some LLM AI will replace all aspects of our daily work. The routine part maybe, but translating customer requirements into viable designs is no easy task for an AI developed in 2023.

Besides the skills on technical side, the most impactful learning point was about collaboration, how to best work with others. Later, as Team Lead, I have tried to harmonize different personalities so that they can work efficiently as a stronger team. 

In my view, your work is like a mirror of your self and what type of person you are. Based on the result, you will become a real professional in the eyes of others. If your work also conveys a feeling of purpose and meaning, you are definitely on the right track. Working on medical devices and therefore being connected to the medical field does that for me.

They should be curious and have resilience and enjoy the new technical challenges. At the same time, patience is required to understand the business, how the medical devices are built and how they function.

I think confidence is one of my skills that improved over these years. With all the experience that I gained from the projects I have worked on, it is easier for me to handle sensitive situations and challenges that we face and to express new ideas even if these are not always approved. What really matters is to be continuously involved as part of the team, that’s how something innovative might come up.

What I like about my job is the biotech domain. It is challenging, there are always new things that you can learn. I would like to see how my work impacts the end user daily.

Yes, I have already recommended someone because it’s a great place to work. Among the most relevant aspects in my opinion: open communication (people are encouraged to provide feedback and to discuss with the team and the management about issues/concerns), trust (flexible working hours, remote work options), innovation (people are encouraged to share ideas, make suggestions) and the list can go on.

One of the things I enjoy most about my job is that it is a creative and dynamic. There is always something new to learn, something interesting to explore. The fact that our company develops instruments and not just software for these systems gives me the chance to interact with many people and have a broader picture and experience of what it means to design and develop a product. 

Some of the tips I could give are:

• Be curious, try to understand things a bit deeper, ask the question why.

• Communication is an important part of our work. Make sure you invest time and energy to continuously improve your soft skills, don’t just focus on technical skills.

• Always validate your assumptions.

• Be patient with yourself and with others, even if we sometimes feel that by rushing we will achieve a faster result, patience pays off on the long run and leads to better results.

There are two main elements that have helped me in my career: my passion for technology and finding meaning in helping others. My current job combines both perfectly. My passion for electronics and technology first helped me choose the university I studied at and then guided me to search for jobs in the biomedical and/or engineering field. Another passion of mine is biking, hiking, woodworking and basketball, in my spare time I try to do one of these activities.