What does a Senior Software Developer actually do at Combeenation?
Patrick Ecker
With Combeenation since 2010
Education: HTL Neufelden & study "Software Engineering" at the FH Hagenberg
Patrick Ecker, our experienced "Senior Software Developer" is a true pioneer in our team - in other words, employee number one. In addition to juggling lines of code, you can also find him traveling and doing handicrafts, because for Patrick, life is just as varied as his programming skills.
What does your day-to-day work at Combeenation look like?
It's not possible to spend 38.5 hours a day just programming. Instead, my day-to-day work is a combination of coordinating with other developers, product management, gathering requirements and then the development itself. For me, this means that I am involved in discussions with colleagues as well as actively working on development projects.
The special thing about the size of our company is that I am involved from start to finish. This means that I obtain the requirements. I then design the concept and am actively involved in the implementation and testing. This continuous involvement makes the work particularly exciting.
What is your background and how did you get into this profession?
It was already clear to me at HTL Neufelden that my interests lay in the technical field. That's why I decided to study "Software Engineering" at the FH Hagenberg. One thing led to another.
Yes, and during my first semester in the Master's program, in September 2010, I received a call from Klaus Pilsl. We were from the same town and he had the idea of founding a startup. It sounded exciting and I was quite flexible at the time. A month later, I started working for him alongside my studies. That was my start at Combeenation, so to speak.
Tell us about a project that has inspired you or that you are particularly proud of.
One recent example comes to mind: Our login and registration system for the configurator platform had some inaccessibility issues. It was not intuitive to use. I then sat down with colleagues and we evaluated what we could improve. The implementation was then planned and carried out. Of course, it's great to see the improvements in action afterwards and to know that many users are using them every day. This shows again that participation in the entire process, from start to finish, is different in small companies than in large companies. This aspect makes working in our current company size particularly exciting.
What fascinates and inspires you or what do you like most about your job?
That it is varied. The tasks are completely different from feature to feature. It can be the implementation of a login area or attending a customer meeting where we discuss the webshop connection of a configurator. A new, unplanned work package can actually come my way every week.
If you weren't a "Senior Software Developer", what would you be?
Maybe I would work as a teacher in the education sector.
How do you see the future development of your professional field?
You always have to keep up to date, which keeps things exciting. New developments and technologies are constantly coming onto the market. Artificial intelligence is currently on everyone's lips. That's why it's important to continuously read up on new topics and keep up to date, so to speak. What was current in development last year could already be outdated this year. Things have to be constantly rethought. This is challenging, but at the same time it makes the work exciting.
What are you passionate about in your free time?
Definitely traveling - whether it's short city trips or longer backpacking trips to other continents. I like to invest time in planning, even if not everything can always be planned (e.g. corona). As a homeowner, there's always something to do and I try to do as much as possible myself. In addition to DIY, I also enjoy socializing (after-work beer, meeting friends, going out for a good meal, ...). And then there's running, which I want to push a bit more this year.
What qualities should you have for this job?
Communication skills and teamwork are crucial for this profession. Many features are not developed alone, as both front-end and back-end aspects must be taken into account. This profession requires close teamwork.
Another important characteristic is logical and often abstract thinking. In addition, a high willingness to learn and openness to new things is of great importance. There are new versions of development kits every year, so it is important to always stay up to date and keep learning.
Three things you particularly appreciate about Combeenation as an employer?
Of course, my colleagues at work are great. We have a fun environment. I particularly appreciate the freedom to organize my working hours. It is not specified that certain programming tasks have to be completed this week. Rather, the responsibility lies with me, and what counts in the end is that the work is completed successfully. In addition, as a development department, we always have a free choice of tools and development frameworks (for those interested: Azure, .NET Core, React, Jetbrains IDEs).
THANK YOU Patrick for your insight.
It's great that you are part of our team.
Would you like to work with Patrick?
Explore the available job offers or send us an unsolicited application. We look forward to hearing from you.