Silviu, Senior Java Developer, and the Courage to Change and Become Better Everyday

26 August 202225 August 2022 | People

Our guest today is Silviu Curuciuc, an energetic Java Software Developer and Sports passionate who had the courage to change and re-invent himself both professionally and personally. As a graduate of the Java Pre-Employement Program at Fortech six years ago, Silviu turned into an experienced Senior Software Developer and a mentor in the DpIT program.

Get a glimpse of #BehindTheCode. Find out how Silviu blends his passion for software development with the joy of mentoring and the sports lifestyle.

Could you please describe your career journey in Fortech & your current role? What do you do at Fortech?

I joined Fortech six and a half years ago as a graduate of the Java Pre-Employment Training program. After two years in the company, I re-entered the program, but this time as a mentor/teacher. Now, I am a Senior Software Developer, still working on Java with an interest in the DevOps side.

Besides the technical part of my job, I like working with junior colleagues, guiding them on their path to greatness😀. This year I also took the chance to be a mentor at “Discover Your Call in IT” (DPIT) program, where I have a group of 6 kids that will make a pretty cool app. Pink Floyd’s “Shine on you crazy diamond”, one of my favorite songs, keeps coming up when I think about the juniors I work with.

Silviu and the team of high school students he mentors in the DPIT program.

Your career did not exactly follow the traditional path (Computer High School and University, then a programmer position). Could you please tell us how you arrived in an IT position?

Yes, indeed, I had a different career trajectory. In high school, I wanted to become a police officer. Still, I ended up studying and graduating from The University of Economics and Business in Cluj-Napoca, with a major in Marketing.

Up to my graduation, I had nothing to do with the IT field, but afterward, I started to study programming at home for almost two years while working as a game tester. Then, I applied for a Java Pre-Employment Training at Fortech. During my first three weeks, I felt I needed to invest more time in my project, and I left my tester position and dedicated myself 100% to Fortech. The time and energy I put in paid off, as the project was well received and I got an offer for a Junior Java Developer position from Fortech.

This is the path I took so far. And as a fun fact, I served as a mentor for three editions in the same Fortech Pre-Employment program I started with. I am glad for the chance I got and I want to help others to create and build their own careers.

What has helped you along your career path? Who is your role model (if you have one)?

I have two colleagues who helped me a lot at Fortech and are my role models. The first one is Luci Balan, who taught me how to be empathic, patient, and put myself in the other person’s shoes. I thank him for these valuable lessons. I am also grateful to Marius Cristescu (a.k.a. Bunicu’ – The Grandpa), from whom I learned a lot of technical skills.

Could you please describe the project you are currently working on?

I am involved in developing RiskKey®, a risk management solution powered by AI and developed by Fortech in collaboration with Core Capital Management. Fortech and Core Capital Management are both part of the Aiperion joint-venture. RiskKey® provides institutional investors with a complex view of the risks in multi-asset portfolios.

We use in the project various technologies like Java, Spring Boot, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, ReactJS, and R language.

What is your favorite thing about this project and what is the most challenging thing(s) about this project?

My favorite one is that I love the team, the team spirit, and the fact that we can have a word in deciding what technologies we can use. We are already on Java 17 😀.

Since the project does heavy computational stuff, we always had challenges on the performance side of things. And, mainly because the computational parts of that software can be parallelized, the biggest challenge for us is migrating our app from a static infrastructure to a more dynamic cloud-based solution.

Tell us more about the team. What is the vibe in there?

Our team has changed a lot in the last two years, but I always find myself right at home, even though we are now working most remotely. We try to get to know each other, to get to know ourselves “behind the code” 😛, which usually translates into very nice meetings.

As the COVID pandemic is slowing down, we aim to get together in team gatherings at least once a year. Last winter we went skiing in Straja and had two great days out in the mountains. Great experience and memories.

What comes next in your career journey?

My focus is the Cloud migration of our app and I hope to learn a lot about the DevOps part. Besides, I want the juniors that I work with to become key Fortech members because they have huge potential. I find knowledge sharing very rewarding. I enjoy crafting my own path while helping others grow.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you spend your spare time? How did you end up loving Sports so much?

I am crazy about Sports. I love running free in the mountains and usually do that every day before work. It gives me an energy boost that lasts all day long and ends abruptly, causing me to fall asleep as early as 22.00. So, the next day, I am fully recharged and ready to go again. When I am not running (I may get injured sometimes), I like to ride my bike or go on long hikes with my wife.

How did you end up loving Sports so much? Please share with us your experiences and what race(s) gave you the best memories.

My relationship with Sports was quite spectacular. Everything started with my desire to lose some weight and be healthy. I started by participating in a Marathon in the Apuseni mountains in 2015-2016. I just showed up without any training. I still remember the feeling when crossing the finish line, although I was among the last ones. The ranking was not at all important. What mattered was the whole experience and how my body pushed me to finish the race. I loved the feeling of freedom. This was when I got infected with the “running” virus 😊.

Later, I started to train systematically, and I got more and more competitive. I even gave up smoking to increase my physical performance. I ran for longer hours and longer distances. Now running free in the mountains is my hobby. I even moved to Brasov to be closer to the mountains.

I have the best memories of all the marathons I participated in, from Tenerife and Pirineus in Spain, Madeira in Portugal to Cappadocia in Turkey or Rosia Montana and Bucovina in Romania. They are all unique places and close to my heart. I also have great memories from activities in the Fortech Moving Challenge internal competition, which I joined together with many of our colleagues. This is a 6-month program that encourages us to log off, go outside and practice biking, running, walking, and swimming. I am proud I was on the podium in two previous editions. Let’s see what will happen this year, in the 4th edition of the program.

Silviu at the National Ultramaraton Bucovina Ultrarocks (4th place).

What advice would you give to someone interested in joining Fortech? Why join Fortech? What do you appreciate most at Fortech?

Join us! We are cool, friendly people, we do a lot of sports 😊, and we will give you the chance to learn many fascinating things from our experienced team members. I love that Fortech offers wonderful opportunities for junior programmers and excellent perspectives for senior developers. I love Fortech’s active implication in the community and the wellbeing of its people.

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