Finture Heroes: Agata Rauzer [ENG]

For many years, she was involved in preparing analyses in the field of public policy evaluation, and she had little to do with programming. However, in 2017, when she reflected on what job would bring her the most satisfaction, she chose programming and began to learn! And—even with a break for the start of motherhood—she achieved her goal. Since January 2023, she has worked at Finture as a Junior Java Developer. Why did she choose programming? How did she approach changing her career, and what advice would she give someone who wants to follow in her footsteps? These are some of the questions Agata Rauzer answers in an interview with Weronika Dyl?g.

You've been at Finture for a year and a half, working as a Junior Java Developer, but this isn't your first job...

Yes, for 7-8 years, I was doing something completely different. I started working at Finture in January 2023, and this is not only my first programming job but my first job in this industry overall.

And how do you feel about the change? About working at Finture?

I highly value the atmosphere in my team. It really helps, especially when you're just starting out and everything is new. For me, everything was completely new; I was starting from scratch. I think that without the support and kindness, it would have been much harder.

Of course, when you're overwhelmed with new information, technologies, and tools—literally everything is new—it's hard to cope at first. Even with great support, the first month was really tough—you had to get to know everything and find your way.

Have you already completed a programming course before you came to us? Because I assume you didn't come in completely "fresh"?

My path was quite long. I started thinking about changing careers in 2017. Later, in 2018, I attended a boot camp. These were still the days when boot camps were less popular than they are now. Now, many people attend them, and it's a typical path. I completed a Java Developer boot camp, but motherhood caught up with me. So, there was a break. That had a significant impact on my career path.

It took me about 5-6 years to learn, with breaks. And by breaks, I mean there were periods when I didn't sit at the computer for a year. Even though it took a long time, I didn't give up on the idea, didn't lose sight of the goal, and didn't want to change my path.

Changing the subject a little bit—I think that having experience from another job, I already knew better what I enjoyed more in work, what I expected from it, and how I wanted to combine it with my personal life. Many aspects were more evident to me than at the beginning of my career—also, what skills I had and in what job I had the best chance to succeed.

And what did you do before—what was your previous career path?

I graduated in spatial planning, specializing in local and regional development. At that time, EU funds had a significant impact on the development of local governments. During my studies, I met some people—lecturers and people involved in various projects—and I managed to start working. I was mainly engaged in the evaluation of EU projects. I know it sounds a bit scary, but it was actually an assessment of the implementation of EU funds in Poland, focusing on the impact of these funds on local and regional development. I dealt mainly with topics related to innovation and entrepreneurship. I participated in the entire cycle of research work, from planning the study and conducting quantitative and qualitative research (including meetings with beneficiaries of EU aid) to analyzing data and writing reports. We created publications in the form of reports, sometimes as regular scientific and para-scientific publications. Many team members were from academia and actively worked at universities.

Did you also plan to pursue a Ph.D.?

That was the plan. I felt it was a clear step in my development because a PhD allows you to present yourself better in project proposals. It also seemed a natural path, as many people had this academic title and worked at universities, so I considered it. Ultimately, I concluded it wouldn't be my path and wasn't what I wanted. And I decided on the IT industry. Another argument for the change was the work mode in those projects—separating professional and private life was tough. I was already working a lot remotely (before COVID), and the project mode severely disrupted the balance between work time and free time.

At that time, I wrote a lot and prepared analyses and reports, which was exhausting at times. Moreover, I didn't see any further steps for my development—I didn't want to pursue an academic career. Then, I started looking for new paths that aligned with what I enjoyed. Because I like analysis, I like solving problems—but with a focus on specific tasks and goals. After some searching, talking to people involved in programming, and reading about it, I concluded that this would be something for me.

Did you not consider business or systems analysis at that time? Or was there something else that drew you to programming?

It was also about wanting to learn something from the ground up and acquire technical skills. I wanted to understand a specific, relatively well-defined field where I could develop, acquire new skills, and have the confidence that I had concrete, definable tools. I wanted something that wouldn't be so "vague"—which is how my previous job seemed to me. I wanted something that would allow me to feel focused on a particular area. As for analytics—I didn't think about it then, and sometimes our path depends on what comes to mind, on the information we encounter. Analytics also wasn't as standard as it is now. And programming had the added advantage that I knew if I learned it, many different side paths would also open up. I believed that knowing code and testing would always help, even if I ultimately decided not to be a developer.

Alright—you decided to switch careers and learn programming. Did you have to dedicate a lot of time to it?

I definitely dedicated a lot of hours to it, though, as I mentioned, it wasn't regular learning. During the periods when I managed to work regularly, I would start a project—and then I really tried to finish it. Or—if I started a course, I also tried to complete it, not put off what I had already begun for "later." I think that when you start a course or a personal project, you need to spend a few hours a day on it to avoid falling out of the subject. Because it's hard to get back into it later—you don't remember why you did something a certain way or chose one method over another. So it's easier to work on it for about 2-3 hours daily. Of course, it all depends on how you can arrange your other obligations.

Yes. And you're programming mainly in Java now, right?

Yes. I started with C++, and although it's pretty complex, I did manage to get through it to some extent. Later, I started programming in Java. The boot camp I mentioned earlier focused on Java, which suited me well. Although we write in Groovy at work, Groovy is very similar to Java, so there's no problem.

Do you use AI or ChatGPT in your work?

No, at the moment, we don't use such solutions in the bank. You need special, adequately justified clearance to use them.

And privately? For learning purposes?

Not at the moment. Our banking industry and the framework we work on are specific in this regard. Of course, I'd like to use such tools privately and learn about them, but unfortunately, there's often not enough time. Although I have plans in this area, it's better to talk about them when there are some results.

And outside of work? What are your hobbies?

My biggest hobby is probably gardening. Twenty years ago, my dad and I started our first garden, where a potato field used to be ??. My parents still maintain that plot—I go there and help them, and the whole family has a nice place to spend time. Working in the garden greatly relaxes me; it allows me to focus on what's here and now. For many years, my favourite activity has been taking care of the garden and planning changes. I lack my own garden, but I hope that will come with time ??.

I have many family responsibilities on a daily basis, including playing with my daughter. We love going on bike trips together, especially in the summer. We're also travelling more often as a family—I used to love travelling, and now that my daughter is older, we can return to that. In the summer, I like hiking in the mountains, and I try to go to the Tatras at least once a year.

I also enjoy painting with acrylics—it's a kind of return to something I used to do; I once painted with watercolours—I even applied to study landscape architecture (which is closely related to my interest in gardens). I got accepted, but unfortunately, it was after completing my first degree, and I couldn't combine those studies with work. It was a bit like fulfilling a dream—getting accepted there.

So now I've returned to painting in my spare time. I mainly paint things I can use to decorate the house—a bit of abstraction, landscapes, something for my daughter.

All your hobbies seem to bring you a lot of peace.

And tell me, if you had to advise someone starting out or wanting to follow your path into programming, what would that advice be?

First, you need to consider whether it's something you enjoy doing. It's often said that anyone can program. Anyone can, but not everyone has to like it. It requires a lot of patience—both in learning and in work. After all, it's about solving problems. I think not everyone will thrive in this type of work. It would be best to consider whether this particular path, among the many different ones in IT, is the right one for you. During the learning process, you need to be able to deal with the fact that you won't always get to the root of the problem on the first try. And sometimes you have to go back to something that seemed resolved long ago but is generating new errors. You also won't always understand everything right away—some concepts are complex and abstract enough that it takes time to get used to them.

You definitely need patience. I didn't mention it earlier, but just before I started looking for a job as a programmer, I participated in a free mentoring program for women (Dare IT). It was the second time I applied for that program. Still, I only got in when I had a more substantial portfolio with more projects on GitHub (another thing worth doing—documenting your work and creating a repository of your projects).

In this program, I was mentored by an experienced programmer who supported me in developing my own project. Besides that, HR support was available, various events or lectures were organized, and we received multiple materials. At the end of the program, there was a "job fair" with companies that were partners of the program. I encourage seeking out these types of free events, sources of knowledge, and mentoring programs. There are many groups, for example, on Facebook, where you can seek support, not only in terms of career paths in IT but also in solving specific programming problems. It's worth noting that much support is now directed toward women wanting to enter the IT industry. It's valuable that efforts are being made to address the existing imbalance.

I would also emphasize that if you decide to follow a programming path, it's worth creating your own projects—you learn a lot this way, but turning cool ideas into something concrete is also very satisfying. I remember how, in the beginning, even small things (like a little game) or solving a problem made me happy.

That's true. Your advice could be equally valuable for both beginner female and male programmers.

Thank you very much for the conversation!

Interview: Weronika Dyl?g

Editing: Agata Krajewska