From Sarajevo to Cologne: Finding a home away from home

Hey there, I’m Saira, a Software Developer hailing from the charming city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since I always had a strong interest in mathematics and eventually programming, I decided to study Computer Science at International University of Sarajevo.

While I was earning my bachelor’s degree, I gained invaluable experience through several internships. It was during this time that I first discovered my passion for the IT industry, and shortly thereafter landed my first job in the field as a Fullstack Developer. After some time, I stumbled upon a job opportunity at MobiLab that caught my attention. Not only did the position offer a fantastic tech stack and impressive employee benefits, but it also emphasized the importance of people, so I decided to take this chance. Today, I can proudly say that MobiLab has surpassed my expectations and offers much more than what was promised.

After I relocated to Cologne, MobiLab provided me with incredible support and guidance that made the transition surprisingly easy and smooth, and made my integration path much easier. The company has created a warm and inclusive environment, and whenever I faced any challenges, I could rely on my colleagues in the office for help. Their support was invaluable and made my integration into the new country much easier.

"Today, I can proudly say that MobiLab has surpassed my expectations and offers much more than what was promised."

Saira's developer journey at MobiLab 2

Learning and growing at MobiLab: A developer's perspective

I started my developer journey at MobiLab as a Frontend Developer on a project for stadtenergie, an energy supplier customer. There was a lot of new stuff to learn, and I was excited to take on the challenge. The app was built using React, and although I was an Angular enthusiast before, working on this project made me appreciate the unique features and flexibility of React, and now it has become my go-to frontend framework. The company’s commitment to professional development is evident in the way they encourage their employees to learn new skills and technologies, providing each one of us with a career development plan for personal growth.

One year later I’ve switched the team and joined the Data Integration Platform team as Backend Developer, with the opportunity to switch technologies and broaden my skill set. I was fascinated by the tech stack used in the project, which was centered around the Azure platform with the opportunity to work with a range of Azure services. It was a challenge to get up to speed with them, but my team was very supportive and willing to share their knowledge and experience. Project code is written in Kotlin, which was another new language for me, since I used to work with C# and Java. It was amazing to see how all the programming concepts I had learned before were being applied in this project. From object-oriented programming to functional programming, everything was coming together and it was a great opportunity for me to enhance my skills and explore new programming concepts. Even after a year of working on this project, there are still many new things to learn and each sprint is still a challenge.

MobiLab has been instrumental in not only enhancing my technical skills but also my soft skills. They recognized my potential and my passion for working with people and sharing knowledge, and have provided me with opportunities to develop in these areas as well, like mentoring student internships. I take great pleasure in sharing my enthusiasm and love for programming with the next generation of developers. It’s a rewarding experience to see these students learn and grow in their skills, and to be a part of their journey toward becoming successful software engineers.

What makes it truly special is the people here and they play a huge role in creating an amazing company culture. It’s like the spirit of the Cologne Carnival is embedded in the company’s atmosphere, where work is always combined with fun and a great atmosphere. It’s such an enjoyable place to be, with an amazing office and colleagues who are more like friends than just coworkers. The thing I’m most proud of is that every day I come to work with a smile on my face, and I’m sure that it will stay like that in the future.

"It's like the spirit of the Cologne Carnival is embedded in the company's atmosphere."

Connect with MobiLab

At MobiLab, we cherish the moments that make us stand out from the rest. One such moment is when we come together to indulge in a cultural snack buffet, where each of us brings a taste of our home countries. It’s a beautiful display of our diversity and richness, a true celebration of our global family. And it’s moments like these that make me feel grateful and honored to be a part of such an amazing community.

I have no doubt that MobiLab will continue to provide a supportive and innovative environment that will help me to increase my knowledge. You can expect challenging and innovative projects, opportunities to work with cutting-edge technologies, and a team of talented and passionate individuals who share the same virtues and goals. If you are looking for a dynamic and inspiring workplace where you can make a difference, this is the perfect place for you.

If you are interested to find out more about my role, we can catch up over coffee at the office. Additionally, we have fun Pizza Wednesdays for lunch where we all gather, enjoy some delicious pizza, and have conversations. If you are interested, please feel free to reach out to jobs@mobilabsolutions.com.