Women in Technology - Interview with Ola

Aleksandra Matysiak: My journey with Raiffeisen Tech began quite simply. I acquired both financial and technological education. The combination of banking and IT during the recruitment process was a natural step for me – such a combination allows for the utilization of knowledge acquired from various fields. After the initial recruitment meetings at Raiffeisen Tech, I felt that it could be the place for me. My intuition didn't let me down. The longer I work here, the more convinced I am that joining the company was a great decision.

I am a Quality Assurance engineer. I am primarily responsible for ensuring the quality of the delivered product through software testing, analysis, and monitoring processes to identify potential errors. My work is very diverse; every day brings new and interesting challenges.

We are one of the smaller teams in the company, but like others, we are very cohesive. We also get along well as colleagues. We always work towards a common goal. We treat each other with great respect and humor. We support each other, which creates a great atmosphere.

There are many motivators, but I think in psychological terms, it's primarily the comfortable feeling at work.
Mutual support and a good atmosphere are extremely important because we spend at least 8 hours a day together. All these aspects provide me with a foundation for functioning well in the team. Another important factor is continuous development, without which I wouldn't be myself.

Yes! We have various opportunities for self-improvement. Of course, there could always be more time. However, I always try to find a balance. My work aligns with my interests, so it's easier for me to find time for development. I participate in industry conferences, take part in training sessions, and utilize courses available on our employee platforms. I'm also interested in soft skills and work on managing stress in that direction. This year, I managed to pass a certification exam for testers. All these activities were possible thanks to the support of Raiffeisen Tech. It's a natural characteristic of our times that we must constantly develop. To avoid information overload, it's important to find a balance, not only at work but also in life.

I'm still working on it. I think it's one of the greatest achievements - balancing work life with personal life. It's beautiful!

I think there's no single memory. A lot happens in my team, and there's a great atmosphere. Basically, every day at work is enjoyable for me. It's the people who make it so. I believe that's the greatest strength of the organization, and I'm glad to be a part of it. I think as a team, we are well-matched, and we collaborate well. We have fun together. We also make good use of team outings but also enjoy spending time in the office. We play table football and have lots of conversations.

There were very few of us for a while, but now there are four of us. We have different competencies and positions.

Hmm… I realize that it varies in society in general. I think it depends on the individual. Certainly, we have many supportive people here, which is not only a domain of women but generally all employees. We stand out by not focusing solely on ourselves but on common goals. We talked a bit about whether technology is a place for women. This question is related to that because just as I wouldn't differentiate between technology and support based on gender, intelligence has no gender, wisdom has no gender. The synergy of feminine and masculine energy allows for the creation of complementary solutions. When we have such complementary solutions, it's much easier to introduce innovations. Women certainly have a slightly different perspective than men. They are usually more communicative, a bit more empathetic, and often pay attention to different aspects. So, I wouldn't differentiate support based on gender but rather on the kind of people we are.

I think, above all, women often underestimate their skills compared to men. They are less confident, which is somewhat related to how the role of women is perceived in our lives.
Fortunately, I have the impression that things are changing, both in family roles and at work. Women are very active professionally. Even when they return from maternity leave, they increasingly report that they continued their development, didn't stand still when they had a child. Over the years, the proportion of women in IT has increased significantly. I'm very pleased with that. However, I wouldn't recommend this industry to every woman because it has many specific aspects. Everyone should find what brings them pleasure and what they're good at.

If the decision to pursue a career in IT has been made, I would consider what specialization interests me. There are plenty of roles where women often do even better than men or equally well. Courses are currently very easily accessible. They don't necessarily have to be paid courses. There are many communities that support women in developing future competencies. You can participate in many free conferences and thus find out if a particular specialization is interesting for you. Once you've acquired the necessary knowledge, it's time to put it into practice. Working in IT is a constant learning process. The industry changes very rapidly. It's not a job for someone who wants to learn something once and stop there. Openness to development and constant change must accompany us all the time.

They should definitely have analytical thinking skills. Lack of this ability practically prevents work in IT. Additionally, communication skills and openness are extremely important. There are many traits that help. However, I think the critical one, which is the hardest to learn, is analytical thinking. Many other skills can be developed. You just need to know what you want and what you're aiming for.