System Developer - Kristina Còrdova

We took a break from the usual online call and had the pleasure of meeting our interviewee IN PERSON (yayy) — a refreshing change that made this conversation even more exciting!

Enter Kristina, a 2020-2022 cohort alumna with an inspiring journey to share. With her contagious positivity, she welcomed us to her workspace at Chalmers University, where she works as a System Developer for Learning Management Systems (LMS). After an office tour that brought her role to life, Kristina sat down to share her story.

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Q: Hi Kristina, what made you choose the program?

Kristina: My background was as a developer, and I’ve always been interested in learning. The program sounded like a perfect blend of my professional background and personal interests, so I decided to go for it.

Q: Did the program meet your expectations?

Kristina: Well, I didn’t expect it to involve so much theory and research. However, I was quite happy with this aspect because it gave me a break from the technical work I had been doing. It allowed me to approach matters from a research and theoretical perspective, which was a refreshing change.

Q: Which parts of the Master’s program did you find interesting and helpful?

Kristina: I can’t remember the names of all the courses, but I loved the course on learning theories. It gave me a chance to reflect on my own learning methods and how I could support my self-learning. This was really helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another highlight was the course on design, where I got to work on a project focused on designing LMS features.

... learning theories. It gave me a chance to reflect on my own learning methods and how I could support my self-learning.

Q: Which part of the Master’s program do you find most relevant to your current job?

Kristina: For me, it was the Master’s thesis. I worked with a company in Stockholm to develop feedback features for a system designed for students and teachers. Although I think they didn't implement it, but the experience was valuable, and I learned a lot.

Q: Let’s talk about your career. How did you figure out what you wanted to do?

Kristina: I guess I was pretty practical (laugh). I wanted a well-paid job in a nice working environment. I was clear about my goals, so I just kept moving forward. When you know what you want, you start working toward it. I tried to gain experience and pursue the Master’s degree. Initially, the salary might not be high, but once you have experience, it will be easier to get jobs that pay higher.

I was clear about my goals, so I just kept moving forward. When you know what you want, you start working toward it

Breaking into the IT industry as a fresher can be challenging, so I found a workaround. I worked as an HR professional in an IT company, did my job well, and gradually asked for more technically related roles to build IT experience.

And one tip for anyone looking for a job in Sweden: learn Swedish. While there are international workplaces where English is sufficient, making an effort to learn Swedish is always appreciated and can make work easier.

For anyone looking for a job in Sweden: learn Swedish [...] making an effort to learn Swedish is always appreciated...

Q: That’s a great approach! Can you share more about your current job?

Kristina: I’m now working as a System Developer for Chalmers’ Learning Management System. My daily work involves a lot of communication and collaboration. It’s not just about coding but also designing the system and workflows to help people collaborate effectively.

Programming logic might be the same, but there are always new tools emerging. Keeping up-to-date with these tools and continuously developing your competencies is essential. Since I work with LMS, the theoretical knowledge about learning from the Master’s program was helpful.

My daily work involves a lot of communication and collaboration.

Q: Off topic a bit, any tips for learning a programming language?

Kristina: Hmm, I would recommend being part of a group with people who are skilled in that language. I was lucky during my Bachelor’s program to work with peers who were really good at programming. They helped me a lot, and learning became much easier with their support.

Q: What are the three essential skills needed to succeed in your role?

Kristina: First, collaboration skills since the work requires extensive teamwork. You can develop this skill by working on projects. Second, efficient reading. It helps you gain insights more quickly and supports both your studies and work. Lastly, self-belief (laughs). Self-efficacy is important for success and is backed by science.

Collaboration, effiecient reading and self-belielf.

Q: If you could go back, what would you do differently in your Master’s program?

Kristina: Honestly, I can not think of anything I would do differently. Maybe I’d focus more on learning about LMS, but at the time, I didn’t know I’d end up working with it. 😀

Q: That’s fair! Last words, any advice for current or future students in the program?

Kristina: Career-wise, start early. Build your experience now. If you don’t land your dream job immediately, find something related to it. You have to start somewhere. Also, don’t lock yourself into one career path. Be open to trying new things because opportunities often come from unexpected places.

Stay positive and complain less. Look for the interesting aspects of everything you do; there’s always something to learn. Build connections while you’re in the program. One of the best things I got from it was meeting my best friend. An international program is a fantastic opportunity to meet amazing people from all over the world.

Lastly, be proud of yourself for completing a Master’s degree. It requires a lot of effort, so give yourself credit for that.

You have to start somewhere. Also, don’t lock yourself into one career path.

Q: Thank you a lot for such a nice sharing and wish you all the best!

P/s: It was a really nice talk with Kristina and I was so inspired by her. Now when documenting the interview, I still feel such inspiration running through me and hope you're feeling the same while reading this.

Here is a picture of Kristina's favorite place in Gothenburg - with her horse or her dog at the Torslanda seaside.

Happy new year!