Meet Andra: Senior Java Developer, Team Leader, and Sports Enthusiast

31 March 202231 March 2022 | People

Andrada Țibre joined Fortech as one of the first participants of our Java Pre-Employment Training program. Six years later, she is a Senior Java Developer and Team Leader. Discover Andra’s career journey filled with hard work, helpful teammates, and challenging projects.

Get a glimpse #BehindTheCode and enjoy the last episode of our special audio edition dedicated to International Women’s Day.

Tell us a bit about yourself and why you chose the IT industry?

I was always good at math and all the analytical stuff. I’ve graduated from a Computer Science high school, got a Bachelor’s Degree in the same field at Babes-Bolyai University, and a Master’s degree in Databases. Therefore, following a career in IT was not a surprising choice for me or my family and friends 😊

In the 1st year of my Master’s studies, I registered for a Java Pre-Employment Training at Fortech. It was an intensive 6-week learning experience that helped me deepen my Java Standard Edition (SD) and Enterprise Edition (EE) knowledge. I also had the chance to meet some of my future colleagues. Based on the feedback received during the training, I was invited to a technical interview and received a collaboration offer. That’s how I joined Fortech.

How did your career evolve here?

My first months at Fortech coincided with the last months of the project I was assigned on. Afterward, I joined a new, big project from the Automotive Industry, the one I have been working on so far. This new project kickstarted with a delegation and the opportunity to meet the client. It was an exciting experience for me right at the beginning of my professional journey.

I can say, my career in Fortech evolved naturally in these six years. I worked hard and learned from my daily tasks, my colleagues, and the formal training programs I attended. I am very thankful for all the support and guidance I received from my teammates.

My current technical role is Senior Java Developer, but I also wear a Team Leader hat. Besides software development and code reviews, I am responsible for the application’s DevOps part. As a team leader, I oversee the performance management process for my team. As part of our iGrow program, I help my teammates set objectives and reach them. We set objectives together based on individual professional needs and specific project contexts.

What software project are you working on?

The project is in the Automotive industry. It is a J2EE web application that facilitates the selling of pre-owned cars, manufactured by an important market player from Germany. The project started with two markets (countries) and needed to extend the application and deploy on other markets all over Europe.

The application has two parts. The first one has Java Tomcat in the back-end and Primefaces for the front-end. The second part of the application has microservices and microUIs and uses Java for the back-end and Angular for the front-end.

While working on this project, I learned a lot about the industry. I was truly amazed when I realized the complexity of the process that takes place from the moment a car is imported into the application to the point when the car ends up being delivered to a car dealership.

What are your favorite parts of the project?

Definitely, my favorite part of the project is my team. My colleagues are proactive, always eager to help one another. Each new workday brings us fresh challenges, which we are ready to face together.

What was the last challenge on this project?

The last challenge we dealt with was related to a size limitation on our Database. We were working in NoSQL and the problem was that data size exceeded the size limit. Obviously, the first solution was to increase the capacity. Another cool solution we proposed to the client was integrating infinite scrolling on UI, thus helping in both the back-end and the front-end. This solution translates into loading fewer results in batches and helps the UI become less heavy.

Andra and Norbi during recording of the podcast.

Tell us more about your team. What makes it special?

My team has a special vibe. We know how to work hard and how to have fun together.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we organized regular movie nights with pizza and snacks. Our current tradition is working each Wednesday from the office. A perfect addition for getting together at the office is when Rareș, one of our colleagues, brings the delicious cakes baked by his mother. So, join us, we have goodies 😊

What do you do in your spare time?

I am an active person. I like to exercise in any form – by walking, cycling, running, hiking, practicing yoga etc. If I have to go somewhere, I will definitely choose to walk or ride on a bike, rather than use a bus or a taxi.

That’s why I love our internal program called Fortech Moving Challenge. For 6 months, we are encouraged to practice biking, running, walking, and swimming, while collecting points and winning cool prizes. I’m looking forward to this year’s edition of the program!

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