‘Step zero’: The importance of being excited and trusting new ideas
Welcome to the first edition of Amdaris’ ‘Future Leaders Spotlight Series’, where we’ll go behind the scenes and interview talented Amdarians, from interns to mentors. This series aims to uncover their training and development journey, day-to-day experience of working at Amdaris, and the story behind their passion for technology.
This week we spoke to Mihai Simedrea, who has recently finished his internship with Amdaris in January. Mihai now works as a part-time software developer at Amdaris alongside being a Computer Science student of The Polytechnic University of Timisoara.
In this blog, Mihai dives into some favourite experiences of his tech journey so far, how he believes software development is a superpower, the crucial mentorship and guidance that he has received, and his future career aspirations. Over to Mihai!
What generated your interest in software development?
Growing up, I was always really curious about technology and had a strong desire to innovate. I think creating software is like a superpower, it allows me to listen to the needs of the people around me to create the final product by using the skills, knowledge and creativity I have learned. That is the most rewarding and exciting aspect of software development for me.
After I built Bruce, my first AI assistant in high school, and created my own Football Manager video game during my Amdaris internship, it became clear to me that there’s nothing else I’d rather do.
To learn a skill such as programming by yourself is very impressive. How has this helped you in your studies and career?
Being a good software developer is not just about creating a lot of software, it’s about creating good software. You have to develop a long-term plan and stick to it in order to see the big picture, and understand how your software fits into it. I am also able to apply this to my everyday life and my studies. I learnt that whenever I want to do something it’s important not to rush it and to sit down, make a plan first, and work out a step-by-step process of what I need to do.
Some people in your life may try to discourage you, or say your ideas aren’t good. So, I think there also needs to be a ‘step zero’, which is to be really excited about something, and to trust yourself and your idea. I’ve also learned how important it is to be an organised person. Code changes constantly, because it’s all about making improvements. Therefore, I have to make sure that everyone around me can understand what I’m actually doing to plan for these changes.
I strongly believe that software development isn’t just about learning the correct technological skills, you’re on a wider creative mission.
What is your favourite part about working at Amdaris?
The positive and helpful work environment. It’s so important to be supported, guided and encouraged when you’re trying something new. So many people provided this for me at Amdaris. When I first started as an intern, every step I was taking was a leap of faith, so the guidance the company provided was crucial for me.
I have to thank my brilliant mentor, Andrei Neacșiu, for helping me sharpen my skills and approach to the problem-solving elements of software development. The people at Amdaris want to help you become the best version of yourself.
In what way has Amdaris supported you with your personal and professional development?
Everyone has been very supportive and helpful throughout my time at Amdaris so far. I learned a lot of useful and interesting things about programming. All of the interns at Amdaris get assigned an individual mentor to assist their journey as they start out in the field, my mentor Andrei played an especially important role in my development. This includes helping me with the practical skills of programming.
Working at Amdaris has also really improved my communication skills. I’m a much better communicator now and am better at understanding clients and their requirements which is a really important part of software programming.
Does working at Amdaris support you with useful skills for your university studies?
I’m currently in my first year of university, so I’ve been balancing my work at Amdaris with my university studies. The company has been very supportive of this.
Working at Amdaris has taught me how to work in a team, which is crucial as you can’t do much without a very good, organised team. I can also apply this skill at university, where things tend to be more logical and we need more teamwork. Working at Amdaris has also helped me learn how to see the world through other perspectives, which helps me a lot at university.
How has your freelance experience helped you in your current role with Amdaris?
My freelance work was truly a game changer in my life. When I first started, I didn’t have a lot of hope that anyone would be interested in my work; I sent out my first offer in August and no one wrote back to me until December. So you have to be very patient and trust that everything will turn out well in the end.
I was also a very introverted person before I started freelancing. I used to try to figure everything out on my own because I was afraid to ask for help. My freelancing experience not only helped me in the technological part of software programming, but most importantly it helped me learn how to communicate better and understand the requirements of a client.
What are your next plans for your professional development?
I have so much more to learn from the people at Amdaris. I want to give my best here, and continue to improve myself and gain more skills that I can use to build a really nice career.
Do you have any advice for present or future interns at Amdaris?
I would certainly encourage anyone to come and do an internship at Amdaris as it’s an amazing opportunity. They will need to work very hard to become good at what they’re doing, but with the help of Amdaris they can achieve anything.
Anyone who wants to go into software development should follow their heart and do it, don’t let self doubt stop you. As I said, it’s important to have a plan and stick to it. If you want to do software development for example, you should first start with the more simple things and work your way up.
