“I never thought I’d be here in 2 years” – Meet Péter Farkas

Hi Péter, it’s so nice to meet you and learn about your story. What’s your new job like?

Since it’s only the end of my first month, everything’s still brand new, but I’m enjoying it.

Currently, I work on a project where we develop medical technology solutions for a German multinational company. I’m still focused on meeting everyone, learning the new tools and getting accustomed. The whole onboarding is quite interesting. I got a to-do list, and the onboarding is done once I complete everything on it.

What’s your job title at MADIS?

Officially, I’m a Medior Software Developer. Back at evosoft, my first workplace, I had tasks and responsibilities that sometimes Software Architects do. Now my role and responsibilities are more straightforward. The consensus is that they see a lot of potential in me, and though there’s a lot for me to learn, they trust my capabilities to evolve with my role. Which is fantastic because I’m eager to learn.

Currently, I still live in my hometown Tiszaújváros, but we’re already looking for a flat in Berlin with my manager. When I’ll fully relocate there’ll most likely be changes to my contract, but my title will stay.

Have you always been interested in medical technology?

What I remember from my past is just wanting to do precise, quality work. This was my main focus for a long time. Then at Codecool during the Full-Stack Development course, I saw the positive impact Information Technology can have on the world. How much positive change you can bring about in this industry.

When MADIS approached me with this job, I knew that med-tech could be an area where I could create a positive impact. Delivering more accurate health data or conducting more punctual healthcare assessments… I think these things are all extremely valuable.

I feel like I’ve finally reached that point in my life where I’m happy with the value that I’m adding to people’s lives with my work. Even if not directly, I can help to make their lives better.

What would you say you like most about your job, apart from creating a positive impact?

I love that work in IT is so flexible. It was flexible before the pandemic too, but it’s even more prominent now. With home office options, with the right methodologies and with the right people, things can work seamlessly. And your daily schedule is yours to decide on. If I let my team know that I have something to do between 10 AM and 12 AM, there’s no problem with me getting things done during the day. There are no harsh rules, you have time to grow, and the work-life balance is really there.

Companies have to pay attention and not let people abuse this flexibility though. They truly value trustworthy people. This was the case at my previous work as well. If you can manage your own time well and your tasks are done, you’re good to go. For me, this is a big plus.

What did you study at Codecool? Do you still use the skills you learned during the Full-Stack Development course?

I finished the Full-Stack Development course with the Java specialisation, and I use this tech stack to this very day. 

In my opinion, it’s always good to have a plan, and this is also true if you want a career in IT. I knew I wanted to do web development because this area has technologies that change and evolve dynamically. Java is just like that, and I think until IT exists, Java will stay put. Additionally, I started to learn Angular during Codecool. I deepened this knowledge even further after the course and at my first job at evosoft.

So yes, I use everything I learned at Codecool, only in a more adept, experienced way.

Why did you go for the Java specialisation? 

Before I started, I didn’t really know which specialisation I should choose, but I knew I wanted to do web development. Back in 2019, my options were C# and Java, and I decided to go with the Java branch. 

Though I heard a lot about the similarities between Java and C#, the familiar Java web development libraries convinced me back then.

Why did you choose Codecool and the Full-Stack Development course?

The location played a big role for me. At that time there was no option to do the full-stack course fully online from anywhere in the country, and there still was a Codecool campus in Miskolc. But this was only part of the decision. Although I wanted to learn web development, learning it in full stack rather than just in the back end turned out to be a huge advantage. Even though my knowledge is back-end-heavy, it’s crucial to know what happens on the front end too.

At work they usually consider what your specialisation is and what you prefer to work on, but if it comes to a sprint where most of the tasks are on the front end… Well… Then you got to do the front end.

How did you like Codecool? What did you like best and why?

Codecool was a superb experience. On one hand, professionally, it helped to kick-start my career. On the other hand, I grew a lot as a person. The community-building aspect was just outstanding, I’m happy that I got to experience it.

I liked the Teamwork and Self-Instructed week setup a lot too. I tried to do everything on my own and gathered so many questions during Self-Instructed weeks at home. Then in the school on Teamwork weeks I got to discuss everything with my mentors and the other students. I got the answers I needed, and we started the development process. 

The community vibe was amazing too. You had that workplace-like feel, going out to the kitchen to drink a coffee with your mates and try to solve things together.

Plus I loved that our mentors always acted like our seniors or software architects. They never gave out simple, final answers. I still remember one of my mentors, Robi, who just listened and asked questions like “Why not?” And then we realised… “Yeah, why not?” And we went back to work on the project and did what we had to do.

What did you find the most challenging about the course and why?

There weren’t any technologies I wasn’t happy to learn. For me, JavaScript wasn’t the easiest. But the biggest challenge was rather a personal one. I had a wisdom tooth inflammation during the course, and I had to miss out on 2 weeks. If you know what Codecool and the full-stack course is like, you know how much can happen in 2 weeks. But I got a lot of support from my mentors and teammates and was able to catch up.

Have you ever considered learning programming through e-learning platforms like Udemy?

I learned advanced IT in high school and went to university in Miskolc and Debrecen too. So I always had an idea about the size and complexity of the IT skillset. It never even crossed my mind to try to start out here fully on my own.

Practice-oriented learning fits me a lot anyways. I learn best through initial mistakes. So first I learn the basics of a topic, then work on my own until I reach a point where I get stuck. Then I ask someone more experienced how to move forward. This way I learn how not to make the same mistakes again. But you need the courage to get to this point, as well as people who can help when you don’t know how to move forward with a problem. If you’re learning on your own, you can’t really do any of this.

At university, you could fail a test with 70% success. I see a lot of university students who are afraid to make mistakes, whereas Codecoolers are allowed, what’s more, encouraged to fail a couple of times in order to learn.

So many talented, ambitious junior developers fresh out of university have no idea about their real capabilities. They tend to hide their shortcomings when they start to work because they’re afraid there’ll be consequences. It’s hard to break out of this mindset.

What would you tell those who are considering Codecool right now?

First and foremost, have the courage to start and to make mistakes. Plus, for me, it was clear from the beginning how hard it is to get started in IT, and I never felt like university could help in any way with that. As a junior, you get your first job and you don’t understand much about workplace culture, teamwork and the expectations towards you in your role. So I’d say go for Codecool because it really helps you to grow in these aspects as well. 

I went for the job guarantee and during the job hunt period, we were kind of competing with each other and considering multiple job opportunities. We didn’t just blindly go with the first choice, we actively thought about which job would fit us best. So we weren’t clueless, we really thought about which company we wanted to work with. Codecool didn’t just help me professionally, but personally as well, to get started in IT. That’s why I’d recommend it.

What are your plans for the future?

To get settled in Berlin of course. But in terms of longer plans, I don’t really have any now. I never thought I’d be here in just 2 years after the course. This is the exact point in my life where I wanted to be, so now I’m just ready for the new challenges ahead. I love the place where I’m at now.