In this podcast episode, Krzysztof Nowocin, Data Developer at ITMAGINATION, joins us talking about his hobbies, work-life balance, remote work, and his career path moving from System Admin to Junior Data Developer and then to Data Developer.

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Read The Transcript

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Aleksander: Hello, and Welcome. My name is Aleksander Jess. I am a marketing specialist at ITMAGINATION, and today I'm joined by KrzysztofNowocin, who is a Data Developer at ITMAGINATION.

Hello, Krzysztof. How is the sea today?

Krzysztof: I hope that it's warm, probably today I will walk by the sea, so I can check the temperature.

Aleksander: Warm by the Polish standards or by normal standards? Because that's a “warm” by the Polish ones is 15 [degrees Celsius]. And you're calling in from Gdynia, right now.

Krzysztof: Yeah. I live here and I work from here.

Aleksander: So, that's somewhat remote work for the win. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?

Krzysztof: Yeah, the hardest question at the beginning?

Well, I guess that I like to skill up. I don't like staying at home too much. As far as you said, I have a sea nearby, so I really like to walk [along the coast]; do all the other activities probably; also spend some time on my hobbies.

Aleksander: Right. You like to spend time outside, so I guess that we're not playing any time soon…

Krzysztof: Yeah, unfortunately, I guess that's as [long] as the weather is fine, I would prefer to have fun, walk over [the neighborhood], by the city, go to [a café] outside, rather than staying home and just playing computer games. But I guess that in two months, I will join you.

Aleksander: Ok, I'll take your word for it. So, you've been actually living by the sea, all your life. Are you doing any water sports after work?

Krzysztof: Well, I have to say that I like to test everything, so I have an open water diver license; I've tried some water skiing by the lake and soon. But if I had to be honest, it didn't go as well. So, I prefer all the of the sports where you can wear your shoes rather than the water ones.

Aleksander: Understood. Understood. You also are quite a photographer, aren't you?

Krzysztof: Yeah, I think photography is a pretty cool hobby. You can do[a lot] with your camera… There are [many] possibilities. You can make a portrait… You can take a landscape… Sports… Long exposure… And so on. So, I like to have fun and [use] different, different, techniques, so, it's never boring.

Nevertheless, I'm just an amateur photographer, so sometimes, from time to time, I go, and help my friends take the photos of their weddings, of their any other celebrations, and just having fun.

Aleksander: I'm hearing [numerous] possibilities and a lot of different things going on because you do a lot of sports. You said you like outdoors, photography… Is your work life the same as your private life? Many things going on?

Krzysztof: Yeah, I think [so], yes, my journey with [being a] data developer started with, I may say, like a back end where I was preparing some data warehouses, some ETL processes. One day, I've just had a chance to pick up a Power BI project where I had to prepare something more…some UI/UX skills and had to test it myself.

So, I've done a report, done another report, and each [and every] next [was] a bit better. This tool gives you, just like in photography, many possibilities to present the data in many, many ways…

Aleksander: …and getting better each time you prepare something?

Krzysztof: Getting better and better. The tool is being upgraded [each]month, so you need to, well… Follow the latest updates, to, well… To prepare the best solution for the banks.

Aleksander: How is the tool getting updated?

Krzysztof: Yeah, so each month they bring some new tools and new features; some of them are just in preview, so you can test [them]. It's not the final release, but you can use [them] on the report.

There is also… Each month, they present them in a cool YouTube video, so I try to follow them and know about the latest, the latest things. For example, last month, they added a new possibility; some conditional formatting which was missing and some visuals I was using. So, it's pretty fine. And stuff like this.

Aleksander: Would you say you have a chance to use new features at work often or… How is it?

Krzysztof: Well, it's not that often, I may say because some big features which were presented [towards the end] of 2020 which I was using. We were waiting with the client for the feature, which enabled two methods of work- which was connecting the live connection to the data and an import, which wasn't available but was really missing.

We were waiting for this feature to be present for like three or four months because it was announced that it will [appear]. Finally, [the new release] came with it, so we had the chance to try it out.

Aleksander: Ok, I see. So, you are now a data dev, and it seems like you're loving it, but you weren't a data dev to begin with because you actually began as a network admin.

Krzysztof: Yeah, I did. I was working in my previous job, as I may say, a System Administrator where I. Well, basically everything that should be connected to electricity and work was on my shoulders.

So, I was doing stuff: from switching the keyboards up, [through] starting Windows [machines] up, [to] the administration of some small network, area storage and stuff like this. So if you are doing it for a few years, you are getting bored, I might say because you do things again, and again, and again, so you are looking for some new possibilities.

That's why I was thinking about [making] some change. And [when] my newest friend started [to work as] data developers, well, uh, I spoke with him. He told me about how does it look like. I decided that maybe I will try out myself at working in this profession as well.

Aleksander: And you're at ITMAGINATION for three and a half years now, aren't you? How did it start? How did the journey at ITMAGINATION start?

Krzysztof: Yeah. Basically, the fact I was speaking about is one of the employees which is working a few months more than I am. So, he basically told me about the job, as I've said previously. So, I've just earned one Microsoft Certificate to [showcase]some skills in [presenting] data, and I've [sent my résumé]. That's how it started.

Aleksander: Ok, I see so. He also received some monetary bonus for a referral. For a successful one.

Krzysztof: Yeah. He did, that's why he was probably very pleased to grab my CV, but he described me as a good person, as I've heard from the manager[during the interview]. They found out that I was a good candidate, I hope. He also got the bonus.

Aleksander: So you began as a Junior Data Dev, and now you are a DataDev. How was it? How was the transition?

Krzysztof: Yeah, I had to say that I had an awesome, awesome team[when] I started, I had a few friends. I could really ask for help. They taught me a lot of different, different things about the data, about SQL, all about the SIS, which is this ETL [Extract, Transform, Load] tool I was speaking about, previously.So, I had the chance to skill up really fast thanks to the people I've met in the company. So it is pretty awesome.

If I had to be honest, I started to be a Data Dev [starting out as a] Junior in just a few months, so it was quick. But I guess that I have to thank the people I've met here.

Aleksander: Because from what I've read on LinkedIn, you have two recommendations and both of them are talking about being a team player. And you're a team player, both in private and in work life as well. Well, how important is a good team for you?

Krzysztof: Yeah, I think that I think having a team is critical because it often happens that something doesn't go as planned in the project. If you have a good team, know how to shuffle your tasks between the people; some of them are really doing everything to make everything work or sometimes stay a bit longer to end the task, so you can end your tasks the next day, it's very, very important. Also, sharing the knowledge; solving the problems is everything that makes up way much easier when you have team members that can help you.

Aleksander: Right. I totally agree with you. And on that note, it's time to end. Krzysztof, thank you so much for your time.

Krzysztof: Thanks a lot. Have a good day.

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Aleksander: It was a pleasure to talk to you, and have a good day as well. Cheers.