{"id":22954,"date":"2025-04-30T12:20:05","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T10:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/?p=22954"},"modified":"2025-08-25T14:07:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:07:29","slug":"podcast-zeny-v-it-menej-stereotypov-viac-moznosti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/podcasts\/podcast-women-in-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcast: Women in IT &#8211; less stereotypes, more opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">She learned about programming from her sister, found her first IT job in testing, and today she\u2019s diving even deeper into software development. In his podcast Na mojom kompe to ide, Michal Hucko interviewed our very own Xenia. Tune in to hear more about why testing can be the ideal entry point into the world of IT, what skills are essential in this field, and how women are thriving in the IT world. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RmWA1HWev5Y?si=xN1ApxhNQSi-7hhW\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Welcome to the podcast Na mojom kompe to ide. My name is Miso Hucko, and in this podcast, we discuss interesting IT topics and interview people who have something to say about the world of technology. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Today, we welcome Xenia Richnakova, with whom we will talk about women in IT in Slovakia and what working in software testing looks like. Let\u2019s start broadly \u2013 how did you actually get into IT? When did you decide that this was your path? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Truthfully, it wasn\u2019t that I told myself back in high school: \u201cI want to get into IT.\u201d I originally wanted to study chemistry or biotechnology. But the more I learned about it, the more I realised that working with data, data mining, and automating different processes plays a big role there. And that\u2019s when it started to make sense for me to understand at least the basics of programming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Then, my plans changed a bit \u2013 I wanted to go abroad to study, ended up taking a gap year, and I also spent some time in Germany. And that\u2019s where it all turned around. Thanks to my sister, who is a programmer, I learned that there was a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">tester job<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. I had no idea that such a role even existed, but it sounded interesting \u2013 so I gave it a try.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And I found out that I actually enjoyed it. I started learning more, discovering new things, and eventually, I went from chemistry to the IT world. <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inside\">\n<div class=\"tip center\">\n    <div class=\"tip-wrap\">\n                     <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/themes\/msg\/assets\/img\/recommend.svg\" alt=\"Recommend\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\">\n                 <div class=\"tip-wrap-content\">\n            <div class=\"tip-wrap-title\">\n                We recommend:            <\/div>\n            <\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Would you like to listen to a podcast directly from msg life Slovakia? Check out our podcast  <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/podcasts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Na Vlne Kodu,<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> in which we regularly bring you topics from the fields of psychology, HR and news from the world of IT. <\/span> <span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<b><\/b><\/div>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, it was your sister who got you into IT. That&#8217;s very similar to my experience with my brother. When I started programming, he did too. I think it&#8217;s perfectly normal for people at secondary school not to know what they want to do yet. It often emerges and takes shape naturally. So, was your first contact with IT really thanks to your sister? Or was it already present in your family? Did your parents encourage you to use technology? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I would say it came mainly through my older sister. However, when I was 16 or 17, I started to take a greater interest in the job market. Since then, I&#8217;ve had part-time jobs wherever I could find them. I wanted to travel, so I earned money for my own trips. At the same time, I observed the expectations placed on people in different roles. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I came across terms like Python, SQL, started researching more about it, watching videos and tutorials. So even in high school, there was a spark of interest, even though I hadn\u2019t yet decided that I was going to dive into programming fully. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\"><div class=\"article-sharing-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/women-in-msg\/\" class=\"article-card\" aria-label=\"Gender equality in Slovakia: What do the latest statistics say and how to contribute to gender equality in IT?\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap-image\"><span class=\"article-category\">Career<\/span><span class=\"article-reading-time\">25 min.<\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/gender-bias-zeny-technologie-954x600-1.webp\" class=\"img-fluid wp-post-image\" alt=\"Gender equality in IT: How to improve equal opportunities for women and men?\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/gender-bias-zeny-technologie-954x600-1.webp 954w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/gender-bias-zeny-technologie-954x600-1-300x189.webp 300w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/gender-bias-zeny-technologie-954x600-1-768x483.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" title=\"Gender equality in IT: How to improve equal opportunities for women and men?\" \/><\/div><div class=\"article-wrap-content\"><div class=\"article-wrap-date\"><span class=\"article-date\">6. 6. 2025<\/span><\/div><p class=\"article-wrap-title\"><span href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/women-in-msg\/\">Gender equality in Slovakia: What do the latest statistics say and how to contribute to gender equality in IT?<\/span><\/p><div class=\"article-wrap-excerpt\">Are you interested in the topic of gender equality in IT? Read our article for the latest statistics and interesting facts.                <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That\u2019s great. When I was in high school, my life revolved around computers and games. After school, my friends and I would turn on League of Legends, and that was it. Was it the same for you? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I used to play games, but more in elementary school. It was also League of Legends. In high school, it was more about friends and traveling; I didn\u2019t have as much time for gaming anymore. I was more interested in how things worked \u2013 the technical stuff \u2013 rather than the actual gaming. As you say, the vast majority of people come to programming through games, which I think is really cool. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sure, so the best way to get into programming is to play League of Legends. The next step is to go to a IT university and study something related to programming. Just kidding! The path to IT can come from many different directions. Now tell me &#8211; what do you like best about IT? What do you enjoy most about this field? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For me, the number one thing is that I enjoy the work. I get up in the morning and look forward to it \u2013 and I think that\u2019s what matters most. I see programming as a game \u2013 it\u2019s like solving logic problems or puzzles. You have challenges in front of you that are sometimes difficult, but the feeling when you solved something is amazing. That\u2019s what I enjoy most about it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Exactly \u2013 it\u2019s about finding solutions, exploring, and discovering. And if you enjoy it, you\u2019ve won. Btw, are you studying programming at university or have you already finished? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I\u2019m currently in my first year. I am studying at an online university in Prague; the field is called Software Development. I think it\u2019s nice to have formal education, but it\u2019s not essential. You can be a good programmer without it. It\u2019s more about what you want \u2013 your expectations and where you want to go in the IT world. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I often compare it to being an eye doctor, for example. You can do a specialised course on laser surgery, learn the technique, but without knowing how the whole body works, you lack context. And it\u2019s the same with programming. You can specialise in a specific thing \u2013 frontend, backend, databases \u2013 but some knowledge gaps simply remain without formal education. Formal education can give you the foundation you need sometimes. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I see, so it\u2019s mostly about what you expect from it. Specialisation can be nice, but a broad overview is also important. Another thing \u2013 you mentioned that you started working while you were still in high school. How did you actually get your first IT position? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Those first part-time jobs were not in IT. They were retail jobs \u2013 Kaufland, clothing stores, etc. I didn\u2019t start in IT until after I graduated from high school. First, I went to Germany for half a year, but I came back earlier than planned. And then I \u201caccidentally\u201d got a position as a tester. I was in the right place at the right time \u2013 companies were hiring aggressively at the time. This was before the AI boom. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">My advantage was that I speak German. The company wasn\u2019t looking for someone with a technical background; rather, they wanted someone who could learn the business and understand how the product should work from the user\u2019s perspective. This is often more important in testing than coding itself. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i>\u201cYou can enter the IT industry without university \u2013 all you need is motivation, language skills, and the right opportunity.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is a great example of how you can get into IT without a degree. Sometimes you really just need to pursue opportunities, be prepared, and know the language. And at the same time, testing often acts as a gateway \u2013 a lot of people start there. Do you agree that you can get into IT through testing without being a <\/span><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">programmer<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I totally agree. I know several people who came into IT this way, indirectly. Because the whole software development cycle isn\u2019t just about writing code. There\u2019s a huge process behind it and many different roles \u2013 from analysts to testers. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s great: you can gradually choose the direction that suits you. You start as a tester, and if you find you\u2019re more interested in communicating with people and business, you move into an analyst or team leader role. If you\u2019re drawn to the technical side, you can shift towards programming. It\u2019s all about what you want and where you want to go. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\"><div class=\"article-sharing-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/programmer-cv\/\" class=\"article-card\" aria-label=\"How to write a developer CV + IT CV templates\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap-image\"><span class=\"article-category\">Career<\/span><span class=\"article-reading-time\">8 min.<\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/zivotopis-programatora.webp\" class=\"img-fluid wp-post-image\" alt=\"zivotopis-programatora\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/zivotopis-programatora.webp 954w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/zivotopis-programatora-300x189.webp 300w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/zivotopis-programatora-768x483.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" title=\"zivotopis-programatora\" \/><\/div><div class=\"article-wrap-content\"><div class=\"article-wrap-date\"><span class=\"article-date\">18. 2. 2025<\/span><\/div><p class=\"article-wrap-title\"><span href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/programmer-cv\/\">How to write a developer CV + IT CV templates<\/span><\/p><div class=\"article-wrap-excerpt\">Read our new article to find out what a developer CV should look like and what it should contain.                <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A lot of people don&#8217;t even know what testing actually is. How would you describe it to someone who has no idea? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Testing is basically quality assurance. Imagine a team of programmers. Every day they commit something to the repository, i.e., they add new code or make changes according to the requirements from the customer, product team, or analysts. Those developers are like \u201cbuilders\u201d \u2013 they assemble the application piece by piece. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Then there\u2019s the tester. Their role is to verify that what\u2019s been programmed works as intended \u2013 and, most importantly, to ensure that no unrelated parts of the code were accidentally broken in the process. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s a critical role because IT is a relatively young industry. For instance, twenty years ago, testing was very different. In the 1990s, there was little focus on testing. Often, developers would just click through the software briefly, and that was it. The result? Customers received applications that didn\u2019t work as expected, were full of bugs, and required users to test the software themselves. That\u2019s far from ideal because customer-side testing is the most expensive form of testing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Today, testers play a vital role in the team \u2013 they safeguard quality, ensure functionality, and prevent unintended side effects. The earlier a bug is caught, the lower the cost to fix it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Testers are essential \u2013 they ensure everything works. The earlier a bug is found, the cheaper the fixes are. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Does one have to know programming to be a tester?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It depends on the company. Some positions require no programming knowledge \u2013 just curiosity, a willingness to learn, and strong communication skills. For example, when I started, the only requirement was fluency in German. The technical skills came later. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What were your first months like?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The initial two to three months involved onboarding, learning the application, and understanding the business processes it supported. Testers typically join projects that are already underway, not when only three lines of code exist. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In my case, it was a project for a German health insurance company, so I had to familiarise myself with the concepts of healthcare, understand the business logic, and read a lot of user stories. Shortly after that, I also started learning test automation tools, so I later moved more into automated testing. In practice, this means that every day you troubleshoot the application, keep track of the changes the programmers have added, test them, look for bugs, and monitor what failed where. And that\u2019s essentially the day-to-day work of a tester. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, if I understand correctly, you are testing user stories \u2013 that is, specific scenarios of what the customer does in the app. For example, in a bank it would be sending money; in your case, it\u2019s features specific to an insurance company. So you\u2019re effectively playing the customer, clicking through the app, and when something goes wrong, you document it and send feedback to the developers. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Exactly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Many people mistakenly think that testing is just about clicking and finding bugs, but you also mentioned testing through code \u2013 automation. Can you explain this in a simpler way? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The point of automated tests is to verify that something that worked before hasn\u2019t been broken by the new feature. This all clicked for me when I was making my own basic video library app. I had video uploading, searching, specifications. And when I added a plain combo box with preset genres, it broke my search. That\u2019s exactly it \u2013 you change one thing, and it breaks something completely different. And this was a very simple app. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And that\u2019s what automated tests are all about: ensuring that what worked once still works. This way, testers don\u2019t have to manually repeat the same sequence of steps over and over again. It\u2019s more efficient than clicking through it manually repeatedly, and it saves time and stress considerably. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So the idea is to find the bugs through an automated process so you don&#8217;t have to keep doing it over and over again. And if anyone would like to become a colleague of Xenia &#8211; msg life has <\/span><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">job offers<\/span><\/b><\/a>, <b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">particularly for German speakers and Java developers<\/span><\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yes, exactly. And testers are welcome too &#8211; we&#8217;re always looking for new people. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And how many of you are currently in the team?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There are a lot of us together on my project. It&#8217;s really a mega project. But I mostly work with four other Slovak colleagues. And I use German every day &#8211; the whole app and user stories are in German. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Great, language skills are a really big plus. At least English and German open even more doors. Now for a classic question \u2013 if a team has a tester, does it mean that developers don\u2019t have to write tests? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No, that\u2019s definitely not the case. Every developer should test their part \u2013 do unit tests. The tester then deals more with integration \u2013 i.e., whether the new feature broke something else, or whether all the components still work together. Both roles are important, and everyone should test their part. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Exactly. You complement each other. I know the feeling. My tests always pass until someone else gets involved. The tester looks at it from a different angle \u2013 more through the eyes of the user. And that\u2019s what makes their role valuable. Do you have a lot of testers in your company? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yes, we have many. This is precisely what highlights their importance. If that were not the case, it would be a significant loss for the company. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Testing on customers is the most expensive. In insurance software, this could mean a real problem for the client \u2013 and the company can\u2019t afford that. What about you personally \u2013 do you want to stay in testing? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I\u2019m basically already in that transition phase. I knew from the beginning that I was going to be drawn more to the technical stuff. I\u2019m attracted to programming. So yeah \u2013 my goal is to eventually go fully into development. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And what language are you currently programming in?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Until recently, we only worked on the project in our internal automated testing tool, which is Selenium-based. But it wasn\u2019t quite proper programming yet. At the moment, we are looking for a more suitable modern tool. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If someone wants to start testing, what should they learn? A programming language or something specific to testing? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The best way is to look at job portals like Profesia.sk and find out what companies really require, what they want a person to know. And orientate yourself accordingly. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sometimes those adverts are written in such a way that one should know 20 technologies, which isn\u2019t quite normal. In your company, which technologies are preferred? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It definitely depends mainly on the project. Everyone has their basic requirements \u2013 somewhere, basic SQL work is expected, somewhere else, at least the basics of some programming language. This can vary not only among companies but also within different teams in the same company. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Exactly as you said, getting into testing is often easier than, say, a programming position. And once you\u2019re in testing and you\u2019re thinking about moving further into programming \u2013 what\u2019s the next step? Does one need to improve in a particular language? Is it easier from a tester position, or would it be easier to go straight into a programming position? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The fact that I had no technical skills at all at the beginning made testing a great start for me. It helped me understand the basic concepts, how a computer actually works, and what the mental processes are in the code. And most importantly \u2013 you can learn a lot there without immediately starting to dive into the code. Sure, if someone knows they want to go into pure programming, they can go straight into it. But if they\u2019re still exploring what they enjoy, testing is the perfect starting point. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cIf you don\u2019t know exactly what you want to do in IT, a tester position is the perfect place to start.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do you want to become a programmer? Are you going in this direction full-force? You mentioned that you program in JavaScript. Why JavaScript? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We started with JavaScript in the very first year at university. And it suited me &#8211; it&#8217;s the language of the web and it connected perfectly with what I was doing at work. Work and school went hand in hand. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So are you planning to go the frontend route, or are you also attracted to the backend?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hard to say. We&#8217;re just at that stage now where I&#8217;m also terribly curious to see how things will develop in IT, mainly because of artificial intelligence. For now I&#8217;m into websites, so more frontend, but I&#8217;m keeping the door open. I still want to try a lot of things. That&#8217;s what university is great for, it shows you what different areas there are in IT. And then you can choose where you want to see yourself. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So you&#8217;re leaving the door open. Is it hard to get started with JavaScript? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s hard to say if there is an ideal language to start with. But JavaScript is pretty high level. There are all sorts of things that don\u2019t need to be addressed. Those are exactly the mental processes and concepts I was talking about. You don\u2019t see how the computer works. For example, in JavaScript, I don\u2019t care that I\u2019m overflowing an array now, because I have some dynamic array that changes itself. I don\u2019t deal with it like in C. And it\u2019s questionable whether it\u2019s better to start with a high-level language and go into programming more superficially or start with a low-level one like C and go from the basics all the way in. Everyone has a different path. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\"><div class=\"article-sharing-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/digitization\/java-javascript\/\" class=\"article-card\" aria-label=\"The biggest differences between Java and Javascript\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap-image\"><span class=\"article-category\">Digitization<\/span><span class=\"article-reading-time\">14 min.<\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/programovacie-jazyky-java-a-javascript-954-600.webp\" class=\"img-fluid wp-post-image\" alt=\"Najv\u00e4\u010d\u0161ie rozdiely medzi Java a Javascript\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/programovacie-jazyky-java-a-javascript-954-600.webp 954w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/programovacie-jazyky-java-a-javascript-954-600-300x189.webp 300w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/programovacie-jazyky-java-a-javascript-954-600-768x483.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" title=\"Najv\u00e4\u010d\u0161ie rozdiely medzi Java a Javascript\" \/><\/div><div class=\"article-wrap-content\"><p class=\"article-wrap-title\"><span href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/digitization\/java-javascript\/\">The biggest differences between Java and Javascript<\/span><\/p><div class=\"article-wrap-excerpt\">Java and JavaScript are popular programming languages, they have a similar name but are different in many aspects. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and each has different uses. What [&hellip;]                <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Was it easy for you to switch to JavaScript? You\u2019re studying maths now, but before that, you were at an online university where you didn\u2019t really get much exposure to those low-level languages like C and C++. It\u2019s quite likely that now at your faculty, those lower-level languages will pile up on you. It will then be interesting to compare whether JavaScript is actually easier, or just looks easier because it solves a lot of things for you. In my experience, if one goes the route of high-level languages like JavaScript, one may never even get to C \u2013 and often there\u2019s no need to. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I definitely think so. In hindsight, it was a good decision for me. But it certainly wasn\u2019t easy. It took me a long time to grasp the concepts of promises, synchronous code, and the mental processes required for programming. It was like being told to calculate an integral when you&#8217;re still learning basic fractions at school. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I think that\u2019s one of the biggest frustrations when someone starts programming. I\u2019d like to learn the very basics first \u2013 like \u201cif statements\u201d or \u201cfor loops\u201d \u2013 but the internet is full of tutorials for much more advanced stuff. And then you don\u2019t know where to start. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That\u2019s exactly what I see in comments under my videos. I do content about the very basics, and people ask, \u201cHow do I turn this into a website?\u201d Well\u2026 you need to go through dozens of other steps, watch a hundred other videos, and build on that over time. The basics are really important, and without them, it\u2019s hard to move on. You&#8217;re getting ready for university &#8211; are you excited?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Very much so. Especially since it will no longer be online but in person. I\u2019m very much looking forward to it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I am a proponent of formal study. I like that you chose a Slovak school. Have you considered going abroad? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I definitely have &#8211; I even studied there for a while. It was a motivation for me to learn better English and German. I think it will soon be almost essential to know at least two or three languages in Europe. We are quite limited to our region, and it is languages that open up new possibilities. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And what finally convinced you to stay in Slovakia?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Probably the fact that, for me, home is not about the place but about the people. If I feel like going to explore the world and live somewhere else, I will. But for now, I don\u2019t feel like it. And the big benefit of this industry is that you just need a laptop and the internet &#8211; and you can work from anywhere. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I know very well what you\u2019re talking about. I work for a foreign company, and it really doesn\u2019t matter where I am. That\u2019s the beauty of programming &#8211; you can work from anywhere. And languages? Those are absolutely essential. I\u2019m not even going to ask if a programmer needs English. In your case, even German. It\u2019s great that you motivate people to improve their language skills. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But let\u2019s move on to another, very topical subject &#8211; women in IT. When you say \u201cprogrammer,\u201d most people still think of a man sitting behind a computer all day. I have a video on my channel, and it\u2019s very popular. Many agree that we just love stereotyping programmers. Do you think programming is only for men? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Certainly not. I think the first programmers were women. During the Second World War, when there weren\u2019t enough men, they were replaced by women. And they did it brilliantly. But that huge gender gap is still rooted in historical and social patterns. We live in a patriarchal society &#8211; most company directors are men, and politics is dominated by men. It is something that has been going on for hundreds of years. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cWomen in IT need more role models and fewer stereotypes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little boys are told from childhood: \u201cBe strong, be smart, take care of others.\u201d Girls are told, \u201cBe pretty, take care of the house, be a good mum.\u201d These traditional roles have been shaped and passed down for generations. Society functioned as it was most efficient for survival at the time. The man was physically stronger, providing, and the woman raised children and managed the home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And now we can\u2019t expect that, in the last couple of decades, everything would change overnight. If we want a shift, we need to start with young children. And I feel that this is already happening &#8211; for example, even in kindergartens today, children are being guided differently. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\"><div class=\"article-sharing-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/women-in-it-testing\/\" class=\"article-card\" aria-label=\"Software testing interview: Is IT a healthy working environment for women?\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap-image\"><span class=\"article-category\">Career<\/span><span class=\"article-reading-time\">10 min.<\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/zeny-v-it-rozhovor-s-hankou-954-600-listing.webp\" class=\"img-fluid wp-post-image\" alt=\"zeny v it listing\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/zeny-v-it-rozhovor-s-hankou-954-600-listing.webp 954w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/zeny-v-it-rozhovor-s-hankou-954-600-listing-300x189.webp 300w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/zeny-v-it-rozhovor-s-hankou-954-600-listing-768x483.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" title=\"zeny v it listing\" \/><\/div><div class=\"article-wrap-content\"><p class=\"article-wrap-title\"><span href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/women-in-it-testing\/\">Software testing interview: Is IT a healthy working environment for women?<\/span><\/p><div class=\"article-wrap-excerpt\">Hanka studied interpreting, but now works as a tester in an IT company. In this testing interview with Hanka from msg life Slovakia, you will find out what it&#8217;s like [&hellip;]                <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I totally agree. By the way, how does it actually happen that two female programmers come out of the family? It\u2019s not really common. What did your parents do differently? Were they part of the IT world as well? Or did they have a goal from the beginning to raise female programmers? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I suppose they just bought us a Nintendo at the right time, and that\u2019s where it started.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I take that as top parenting advice! I\u2019m a dad now, and I\u2019m considering buying my kid a Nintendo. But seriously \u2013 were your parents supportive? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">100% yes. Dad was a big gamer \u2013 in fact, he still is. So throughout my childhood, we played games, solved logical problems, and always tried something new. And that stayed with me. In our house, it was never suggested that \u201cthis is not for a girl\u201d or \u201cplay with dolls.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And that\u2019s the difference. Boys are encouraged to think logically, to solve problems, to challenge themselves. Girls are often steered more towards aesthetics, dolls, or kitchens. And these differences shape how a child thinks and what they enjoy, right from childhood. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So it wasn\u2019t like that with you. The parental influence was oriented in a different direction. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Exactly. And that was probably the key difference. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Okay, it was the parents, but parenting isn\u2019t just about them. It\u2019s also about the environment in which one grows up. When you look back at your classmates \u2013 did your school encourage you to go into IT? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Absolutely not. When I was in primary school, such things were not talked about at all. I hope it&#8217;s different today, that schools are modernising their approach and encouraging children more in logical thinking and coding. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And if you look at your classmates from high school, there probably aren\u2019t many female programmers, right?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No. From my childhood, it&#8217;s just my sister. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A lot of people think that if they don\u2019t get into programming in high school, they\u2019ve missed their chance. What high school did you go to? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I went to a grammar school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There probably weren&#8217;t programming classes every other day where they taught you Pascal or Python?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No, our IT education was pretty weak. We messed around with Excel and Word, nothing special. Yes, those are useful skills, but that\u2019s only a fraction of what we could have learnt. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That&#8217;s a shame, if we don\u2019t teach kids in high school the basics of algorithmic thinking, like what a condition is, etc. That\u2019s such a hard concept to understand later&#8230; <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You can hardly expect someone to teach what they don\u2019t know themselves. They haven\u2019t been guided to do so and don\u2019t have the mental processes they can pass on. It\u2019s just challenging. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I\u2019ve come across companies that have quotas \u2013 for example, they must have a certain percentage of women in their team. Do you ever get the feeling that women are given preference not because of their abilities, but just because they are women? And do you think that\u2019s the right way to go? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Honestly, I don\u2019t really want to comment on that because I don\u2019t have direct experience with hiring. Maybe HR teams or recruiters would have a better perspective. But I do know, for example, that in the Nordic countries, they\u2019ve implemented a law requiring every company to have at least 40% women. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now imagine I have my own company, with a stable team that I know works, and suddenly I have to fire someone or hire inexperienced people just to meet a quota? That would probably be pretty uncomfortable for me. But somehow they\u2019ve managed it \u2013 and it\u2019s working. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s great that women have been given the opportunity and have taken it. And today, it\u2019s quite common there \u2013 women work in many traditionally male-dominated roles without anyone finding it strange. But I think the transition must have been quite difficult. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I totally agree with you. How are you perceived by your surroundings, by your friends? Do they sometimes look at you strangely because you&#8217;re in IT or are they supportive? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">They support me. And I think I\u2019ve already inspired at least one person to go into IT as well. So yes, the support is there and I really appreciate it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I think it is important to talk about these experiences. Just as you mentioned \u2013 women often think that IT is not for them. The societal dialogue is not quite set in that direction yet, but the numbers don\u2019t lie \u2013 women are still underrepresented in the field and need to be encouraged. I recently listened to a Czech podcast on the topic of women in IT. There was a female manager talking about how being a woman in IT forces her to be perfect. Not to make mistakes. Do you feel that way too? That you\u2019re under more pressure to do everything flawlessly? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I\u2019ve always had a mindset of avoiding mistakes rather than making one \u2013 but that\u2019s about personal preference. If someone wants to look perfect in front of everyone and pretends to handle everything perfectly, they are just making their life unnecessarily complicated. It\u2019s that person\u2019s decision. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">All of us make mistakes. What&#8217;s important is what a person brings to the team &#8211; new ideas, a different perspective, something positive. That&#8217;s how I look at it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And your future plans? Do you plan to stay working in Slovakia or would you like to go abroad someday? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I don\u2019t think about it. I used to think I would have a precise plan \u2013 at this age this, at that age that. But life doesn\u2019t usually work according to plans. I also got into this job by complete accident. And maybe it will be like that with other things too. I\u2019ll see what comes \u2013 I\u2019m keeping the door open. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That\u2019s a great approach. And now another question \u2013 a lot of people think that programmers just sit behind the computer, hunched over, they get fat\u2026 Do you have time for other things besides programming? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I try to do a lot of sports. I take care of myself. The mental rest during sports is very important for me. And honestly &#8211; I recommend it to everyone. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It is true that most programmers are also gamers. And when you sit behind a computer for 8 hours and then in your free time you&#8217;re back behind the computer playing games&#8230; that&#8217;s a bit much. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You don&#8217;t play at all anymore?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No, I don\u2019t. Unfortunately, there&#8217;s no time for that anymore. I prefer active recreation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After leaving work, do you return to unfinished work in your free time? Do you work on any mini-projects of your own? Or do you prefer to watch an online course or YouTube video? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When I have time, I love to program. And especially with my boyfriend, who is literally my mentor in this. He studied theoretical computer science at at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics and he really teaches me a lot. We often sit down and program together in the evenings \u2013 it\u2019s great. And honestly, I recommend pair programming to everyone. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That&#8217;s great. We&#8217;re slowly coming to the end of our interview &#8211; is there anything you&#8217;d like to say to women who are thinking about IT or are already there and would like to push themselves more? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The biggest piece of advice is not to compare yourself too much with others. Not to give in to the idea that I\u2019m slower, someone else is further along, that they already know something and I don\u2019t yet. The best comparison is with myself \u2013 where I was a month ago, six months ago, a year ago. That\u2019s when you see most how you\u2019ve progressed. And that\u2019s the real motivation, I think. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;The best motivation is to see your own progress.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And what do you think society could do to be more supportive of women in IT? Should we focus on schools? Kindergartens? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Definitely start as soon as possible. Already in kindergartens and primary schools. Introduce girls to the world of IT. Show them that it\u2019s not just for boys. There\u2019s nothing special about watching a YouTube tutorial on coding instead of a beauty video. Or when you read an article about technology. And the sooner you get into it, the sooner you\u2019ll get interested. <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-sharing-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/girls-day\/\" class=\"article-card\" aria-label=\"Girl&#8217;s Day 2025 at msg life Slovakia: Opening doors to IT\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap\"><div class=\"article-card-wrap-image\"><span class=\"article-category\">Career<\/span><span class=\"article-reading-time\">5 min.<\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/girls-day-954-600.webp\" class=\"img-fluid wp-post-image\" alt=\"girls-day-954-600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/girls-day-954-600.webp 954w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/girls-day-954-600-300x189.webp 300w, https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/girls-day-954-600-768x483.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" title=\"girls-day-954-600\" \/><\/div><div class=\"article-wrap-content\"><div class=\"article-wrap-date\"><span class=\"article-date\">27. 3. 2025<\/span><\/div><p class=\"article-wrap-title\"><span href=\"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/articles\/career\/girls-day\/\">Girl&#8217;s Day 2025 at msg life Slovakia: Opening doors to IT<\/span><\/p><div class=\"article-wrap-excerpt\">Girl's Day 2024 is an initiative to support girls and women in IT. Read the stories of our female colleagues.                <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How can you work in IT without experience? In this inspiring interview, Xenia talks about her beginnings in testing and coding, and the reality of being a woman in IT. This inspiring interview is a must-watch for aspiring female programmers.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":21866,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[270,274],"class_list":["post-22954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcasts","tag-interviews-en","tag-women-in-it-en"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22954"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22964,"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22954\/revisions\/22964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performance-msg-life-sk.rucolabs.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}