What motivated you to start as an apprentice at PASS? What interests you most about this field of work?

I have always been enthusiastic about computer science and have dabbled in it occasionally, but for various reasons I never had the chance to pursue it professionally. After working in the humanitarian sector for several years, I came to Germany in 2022. Here, I decided to change careers. In addition to learning German, I started my adventure in computer science with online courses and completed a six-month intensive IT course from Google on a learning platform, among other things. These steps helped me start my training as an IT specialist for application development. What interests me most about this field is that you have to solve problems and think logically, remain curious, and continuously learn new things.

How did you come across PASS?

Another trainee recommended PASS to me. I then found out more about PASS and applied.

What tasks are part of your daily work routine and what does a typical day at PASS look like for you?

As a trainee, the main part of my training is learning and gaining experience. I have regular meetings with my trainer. We talk about school, my tasks, and programming topics. If something is not clear to me, he explains it to me. I also talk to other trainees and sometimes working students about programming and computer science. During the day, I work on the tasks I receive from my trainer. I am currently working on an appointment booking app. In the meetings, I receive feedback on my work and new tasks.

What programs are you currently working with?

I work with Java, Angular, and MySQL. More specifically, I use Java with Spring Boot for the backend, Angular with TypeScript for the frontend, and MySQL as the database. I have also gained some experience with PASS VSF (Virtual Software Factory).

In your opinion, what qualities should someone have in your profession?

You should be motivated to learn. Logical thinking is important, and you need to be able to work in a problem-solving manner. An interest in the profession is also important, of course. It is advantageous if you already have programming experience. The IT world is constantly changing. That's why you should be prepared to learn continuously and keep up to date. The typical image of a developer sitting alone in a basement and just programming doesn't match reality. In reality, it's much more about communication, planning, documentation, consulting, and teamwork.

What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship at the moment and why?

I enjoy it most when my code works. I also love seeing how the frontend, backend, and database interact and working on that. I also enjoy my time at vocational school because it gives me the opportunity to get to know German culture, language, and the school system better and better.

When are you at vocational school and how many exams do you take in a training year?

I am at school on Tuesdays and every other Friday. In the main subjects, we have two written exams and two to four impromptu tests, and in the minor subjects, we have one written exam and two impromptu tests. We have seven subjects, four of which are main subjects. That makes a total of about 25 exams per school year.

What topics interest you outside of work or training?

Outside of training, I play soccer once a week. Spending time with my family and children in the evenings and on weekends is very important to me. I have two sons. That means I'm a trainee dad.

Is there anything you would like to learn more about?

I'm currently working on an experiment to integrate AI functions into my appointment booking app. I'm using n8n for this. As a developer, it's important to learn how to work with AI in a meaningful way and integrate AI tools into program.