Meet newly promoted Junior Developer, Katerina
After completing her two-year-long apprenticeship at PDMS, Katerina has been promoted to Junior Developer.
Katerina joined PDMS, after completing her degree at Patras University in Greece. She arrived in the Isle of Man in 2021 and after applying for various apprenticeship posts, she was offered a position as an Apprentice Developer at PDMS.
Two years on, she has joined PDMS permanently, has been promoted and is a valued member of the development team.
We caught up with Katerina to share her journey...
What is a Junior Developer?
A Junior Developer is an entry-level software developer that works as part of a development team. They tend to analyse technical requirements, write code and fix bugs in computer applications using different development languages including Angular, ASP.NET Core, SQL Server and Foundations.
What has been your career journey in PDMS?
The last two years at PDMS has been incredible. I have focused on improving my development skills, where I have been, and still am, actively involved in working on various projects. This in turn has allowed me to gain valuable experience which has been instrumental in progressing my career.
How did you join PDMS?
After moving to the Island, I began searching for a job in IT and applied to join the PDMS Apprenticeship Scheme. After an informal interview with two Solution Architects, I was invited into the office for a formal interview, and as they say, the rest is history…
What skills and qualifications do you need to do your job?
- First and foremost, the knowledge of some basic programming languages such as C++, Python etc and databases, data structures, and operation systems.
- The ability to be able to identify and solve problems, together with perseverance and determination when fixing bugs.
- Be able to work well within a team, as we need to work closely with other team members to achieve results.
- Never stop learning. The software development world is constantly changing and evolving.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Each day I have a quick morning meeting with my team to discuss what we did yesterday and what we’re going to do that day. The daily meeting gives us an opportunity to address any obstacles that we may face and work together to resolve any issues or challenges.
Throughout the day, there might be further team meetings to discuss project requirements or complex developments.
I typically then spend the rest of the day working through my outstanding tasks, testing my work and liaising with other members of my project team which often includes Project Managers and Business Analysts.
How do you collaborate with other team members?
I work really closely with all my team members, and we meet regularly throughout the week. When it comes to software development, each team member has a very important role, and we always collaborate in planning sessions, this ensures that we can all provide cover for one another.
What aspect(s) of your job do you like the most?
I really enjoy the fact that I get to work closely with individuals in senior positions across the business. I get to learn new things all the time, both on the job and by asking the right questions to my peers and work with lots of different types of clients from all around the world.
Everyone at PDMS is very approachable, friendly and is happy to spend time with me enhancing my skills and knowledge as a developer.
Where do you see yourself in the future/what role would you like to have?
I believe that PDMS is a great company for anyone to begin their career particularly as it’s a people-orientated company, and the support system and guidance for new people is what has made my journey here incredible.
I would like to continue to progress professionally and develop my skill set and one day become a solution architect and/or developer manager… We shall see what the future holds!
We're always looking to help people develop their skills and reach their full potential! See the current career opportunities at PDMS