I’d already had an interest in data science for multiple years when I graduated from a computer science Bachelor’s program. I took all the relevant Bachelor-level courses available and learned a bit on my own as well. So naturally, once I graduated, I started looking for a job as a data engineer or data scientist.
I had talked to representatives from STACC at multiple events and so I already knew it was my first preference. The whole company is specifically focused on data science. I had done an internship in a very large IT company and I did not like being a tiny cog in a huge machine so I liked that STACC is a small and tight-knit company. I also had doubts about whether I would like working on the same product for years so the fact that STACC works on many different projects for different companies was also something that appealed to me.
As COVID had just hit a few months ago, many companies had stopped hiring, meaning almost all companies I emailed either immediately responded negatively or did not respond at all. Thus I was especially overjoyed when the one company that was happy to take the process further was also my first preference – STACC. I was invited to join as a data engineer. I had not learned those specific skills in school, but I had been wanting to for a while, so I jumped at the opportunity.
As soon as I joined the team, I was able to learn fascinating new technologies and best practices. I would manage and change the software infrastructure that held up services that our customers use. I wrote data processing pipelines to automatically and reliably transform and move data. I would get acquainted with previous projects to deliver bugfixes and additional improvements. All this under the guidance of more experienced developers. And a few months later, when I felt comfortable enough and the need arose, I was capable of and allowed to make executive and planning decisions about the projects I was involved in.
The collective is also incredible. The people are very open and welcoming and their youth makes them fun and relatable companions.
I have known for a long time that I wanted to also get a Master’s degree, but can’t manage a significant amount of work while studying. STACC has been very supportive of this. After I had worked for a bit more than a year to save up money, I left to complete a year of Master’s studies and an exchange semester. After this I was happily accepted right back to work part-time while I complete my second year of Master’s studies. I can’t wait for my studies to already be over so I can return to working full-time on STACC’s projects.
