Meet Apprentice Developer Katerina Gourgaris

We caught up with Apprentice Developer Katerina Gourgaris who shares her career story to date and how she is finding life having relocated from Greece to the Isle of Man.

How did you come to join PDMS? 

After living on the Island for only two weeks, I saw an ad in the job centre for the ‘Digital Apprenticeship Scheme’. I attended a ‘speed interview’ which consists of 10-minute interviews with lots of different companies. I was then invited by PDMS for a second interview, after which I was offered a position as an Apprentice Developer. I work at PDMS for 4 ½ days and study at the college for ½ a day per week. 

What made you want to do an apprenticeship? 

As part of my Maths degree, I was offered a choice to study different mathematic fields. I chose Computational Mathematics and Computer Science which provided me with an understanding of computer languages. Although this is not the same as having experience in the real world, it allowed me to know that computing is something that I wanted to be a part of.

What skills do you need to be a Developer? 

• An urge to keep learning: technology evolves each day and so we must also evolve in order to keep up with the changes 
• Creativity and critical thinking: working independently to find solutions to the problems we are faced with 
• Communication with others: being able to talk through projects and work together to solve problems 
• Enjoying working with others: teamwork makes the dream work! 

How do you find the balance between work and college? 

I think that the balance between working at PDMS and studying at the UCM is great. Both PDMS and the college are flexible and understanding of my workloads. PDMS allows me to take time out of my projects at work if I need to finish an assignment and the lecturers are also very understanding of my job at PDMS. 

How does it feel to be a female in a traditionally male-dominated sector? 

It's an honour. I am the only female in my team of developers. I hope in the future to see more female developers at PDMS as I think that we should let the word out that women can be in tech!

I feel like young girls are not advertised the opportunities of job roles in technology sectors as much as males. Although it might be intimidating, I believe that young girls and women should feel empowered to believe in themselves and become a part of the computing world.  

How do you hope to progress in PDMS? What are your career goals? 

My aspiration is to become a Lead Developer. I really enjoy the field that I am working in and would love to progress through this career. A Lead Developer acts as a mentor for Apprentices and Trainee Developers, like myself, and I would love the opportunity to use my knowledge to support others in the future. 

And finally, how are you finding living in the Isle of Man? 

It was very easy for me to adjust to life on the Island moving from Greece, despite the cold! I really liked the energy of the Island from the moment I first got here. Although I’m far away from my family, my partner and his family are living here which gives me a sense of home. I love the community feel and how I can walk my dog and my neighbours will say hello. 

If you would like to find out more about becoming an apprentice like Katerina, visit our Careers page