YOUR EDIT EXPERIENCE

1. How did you first hear about EDIT? What was your motivation to apply?

I heard about EDIT a few years ago from a friend, but I got more detailed information only later, through social networks and at JobFAIR, which was held at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Sarajevo. There, I talked to Comtrade employees who were previously participating at EDIT, and it sounded very interesting. As I was studying in the field of Computing and Informatics, we always followed the companies’ and industry development – Comtrade has always had a good reputation in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a stable company, working on various projects and with headquarters outside of the country.

I applied in the spring of 2021, when I was looking for options to use my free time wisely, which I had plenty of due to the pandemic and online classes. First of all, I wanted a new experience, and now I know that it was one of the best decisions I made.

2. How was EDIT organized, and what was your experience with this summer school?

Last year, EDIT was organized as a competition between teams, which consisted of participants from all three countries in which Comtrade has major offices (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia). Each team was assigned a mentor, who helped solve problems and develop the project. The school lasted a week and was held online, and we communicated through the Microsoft Teams platform.

The topics of projects at EDIT change every year. When I participated, the topic was “Efficient monitoring in the enterprise environment”. In addition to the main project, the Comtrade team provided us with additional lectures during the summer school, and we also had two team buildings, one in-person and one online.

I was part of a really great team, we got along great, communicated very well and helped each other. We spent a lot of time negotiating, we tried to work as fast and efficiently as possible to prepare the final presentation well. That work and effort paid off in the end, because we were the winning team that received an award from the company. In addition, I learned something new, met new people from other countries – and eventually got a job offer.

3. How did you receive the business offer after EDIT, and started working at CT360?

It hasn’t been long since the summer school ended, when the company asked me if I was interested in employment. I replied that I was and sent my CV. Shortly after that, they contacted me again, and I chose an appointment for an interview with the team looking to fill a junior position which corresponds to what I wanted to do. The interview was very relaxed and went quite well – after a few days I received a job offer, and the following week I started working.

The process did not take long at all: I got a job about a month after EDIT, and now I have been part of the Comtrade 360 ​​team for 7-8 months, and I am very satisfied.

4. What is it like to work in the team in which you are the youngest, in the junior position?

Everyone on my team is young, so even though I’m the youngest, I don’t feel this way. We get along well, they always looked to help me as much as they could, especially at the beginning. Since this is my first job, and it took me a while to adjust to the situation, they were quite patient – I didn’t feel much pressure, the work was slow and I’m really satisfied.

As for working hours, it is quite flexible with the option to work remotely. It can be challenging for a new person on the team, but I’ve never felt like I should avoid questions, or asking for clarifications if something wasn’t clear to me. I adjusted very quickly – my team gets along very well, and I’ve never had a problem. Now, we have started to meet and work from the office one day per week, because all the members of our team are in Sarajevo, and that helps me a lot. I’m already doing some work on my own, and I’m completely used to working from home and working in a team.

5. Would you recommend EDIT to other students? Why?

Without even thinking about it – yes. I think the best way for students today to find a job is through internships, training or summer schools, such as EDIT. Many of my current colleagues – both in the team and the company as a whole – were EDIT participants who then got hired. At EDIT, you can see what group work is like, it’s a simulated work environment, you meet new people… You learn a lot of new things, and it can be a step towards achieving other professional goals.

I would recommend EDIT to all students who are currently looking for a job, or those who are simply looking for new experiencs and internships. I don’t think it’s really necessary to wait for the end of studies in IT to see what’s it like to work in this field –  you can easily organize yourself to get everything done, and students shouldn’t be afraid of that.