Pawel has both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester and Imperial College London respectively. Before joining Vortexa in 2020, he also trained as a Patent Attorney. Fun fact: Pawel once flew past Mount Kilimanjaro on a 6-seater plane? (and forgot to take pictures!)

What does day-to-day life in your role look like?

No two days are the same. In the Application Development Team we have a system of rotations, so my responsibilities frequently change. For example, one month I could be bringing new features into the web app, followed by a month of support duty or, as we call it, ‘firefighting’.

What would you say is the most interesting aspect of your role?

The fact that it makes you ‘comfortable feeling uncomfortable’. Exposure to so many different front- and back-end technologies is intimidating at first, because you always find something you’ve never seen before. Nonetheless, the only sure way to stop progressing is to stay in your comfort zone.

What was your path to joining Vortexa?

Upon graduation, I’ve worked 2 years as a trainee patent attorney. I’ve then decided to switch careers, so I attended a coding bootcamp. Vortexa’s talent manager, who attended my bootcamp graduation day, told me about the company and convinced me to apply.

What kind of qualities does a person need to have to succeed at Vortexa?

To succeed at Vortexa you need to be passionate about your field of specialisation and determined to deliver great results. While we celebrate individual achievement, the majority of our successes are the result of a team effort – great teamwork is one of our core strengths.

What do you like about the culture?

I was pleasantly surprised by how nice and approachable everyone is at Vortexa. Since joining I’ve managed to connect with a lot of people, even when working remotely, whether through our virtual Friday drinks or virtual coffee. I hope this spirit of openness is preserved as the company grows.

Who do you collaborate most with in the company?

It does depend on a project. Generally speaking, I mostly work alongside my colleagues from ADT. On some occasions I also collaborate with members of other teams – for example the Predictions and Market Modelling Team or the Data Services Team.

What are the first three things you do on a Monday morning?

I catch up on the news and the latest tech blogs while eating breakfast. Then I have a quick look at Slack and email to make sure I’m up to date. Finally, I note down what I had done last Friday, which helps me organise my thoughts before my team’s morning stand-up.

What energises you most about working as a Full Stack Engineer?

I feel like I am in the right place at the right time. The company as a whole has just had the best year in its history and many new, exciting projects are coming up for my team in 2021. I am really excited to make further contributions to the success of Vortexa.