What it’s like to be a software engineer at SCHUHFRIED

Are you curious?

Maybe you’ve come across our job posts on social media and wondered what it’s like to be a software engineer at SCHUHFRIED. Or you’ve read our blog article about our test developers and wondered about their many references of interaction with programmers.

If you would like to find out more about what it’s like to be a software engineer at SCHUHFRIED, keep reading. We’ve spoken to a few members of SCHUHFRIED’s diverse IT team to give you some behind-the-scenes insight into our creative and innovative crew.

What is our team like?

What strikes you right away is the fact that our team is very diverse. This is especially fitting for a company with clients in over 70 countries.

Take Robert, our software architect, who is a native of Croatia. He holds a master’s degree in information and telecommunication technologies from the university of Zagreb. Robert joined SCHUHFRIED directly after finishing his studies, because he wanted to apply his skills in a field which also benefits people.

Then there is Vladimir, born and raised in the Czech Republic. After studying information technology in his native country, he moved to Vienna with his family. When he’s not out climbing mountains, he enjoys a good detective book. Being an enthusiastic supporter of agile methodologies and a passionate team-worker, he found his calling at SCHUHFRIED.

Or Mitchell, who holds a degree from Edith Cowan University in Australia. He’s always had a strong interest in both IT and problem solving and this seemed to naturally flow into software development. “SCHUHFRIED has team diversity I have not experienced before, with members from more places than I had previously known before moving from Australia,” Mitch says. “More often than not I learn something new about new languages or cultures in each lunch break.”

In case you’ve been wondering, yes, we do also have Austrians in our team. Benjamin, one of our newest members to the team. His earlier passion for video games led him to become a programmer and turned into a passion for psychology.

What are the various roles in the software development team?

Vladimir is a Product Owner in a Scrum team. His main responsibility is to prepare product vision and maintain product backlog. In practice this means writing user stories for developers to work on in the upcoming sprints, prioritizing tasks and possible bugs and preparing future demands so the management board can oversee the overall roadmap.

The responsibility for the software architecture is with Robert. He’s in charge of developing, maintaining, and extending the overall architecture of VTS. He hasn’t always held this role, he tells us: “I’ve been with SCHUHFRIED for almost nine years and held several different positions during this time. Starting out as a junior software developer, I advanced to Team Lead, then briefly worked as a Product Owner and am now in the position of Software Architect.”

An agile working environment in a scrum framework offers room for flexibility. Mitch tells us that he’s a Software Developer and a Scrum Master, which is a challenge but a welcome one to wear multiple hats for the team.

Similarly, Benjamin – one of our Junior Developers – is developing, testing and fixing the Vienna Test System (VTS).

What is a typical day like in the software team?

Well, it all depends on who you ask. For Robert, “there is nothing typical if you work as software architect. One day you are breaking down requirements and devising a solution together with the development team, visualizing it by using tools like Microsoft Visio or draw.io, another day you are supporting sales with offering a good solution to the customers and analyzing their needs and sometimes you are deep in developing a prototype that could be further developed and incorporated into the product. Each day is quite unique.”

However, there are certain routines, as Vladimir explains. “Our days always start with a standup meeting. This is where the whole team update on what is done, what we plan for today, where we have dependencies to other teams and where we see blockers or impediments. Nobody works here alone; everybody is part of the team and that’s why it is very important to synchronize and tackle the issues together.”

Mitch appreciates the flexible hours and working from home. But what sticks out most in his opinion is, “our team really endorses SCRUM, this is important to me, especially because of the aspect of being self-managed.” He also is thrilled about the great tools he can work with. “I think it’s important to using and build new features with the best tools and solutions. From a developer’s perspective, using the latest stable versions of technologies is key. Building our product to also be available and scalable in the cloud with Azure, with CI/CD and strong UI frameworks like the latest version of angular/Asp.net is an aspect of the role I could not imagine being without.”

Robert adds, that “As Microsoft Gold Partner, we have the possibility to use the latest technologies that Microsoft offers.”

What’s special about working as an engineer at SCHUHFRIED?

“I like the most that every day feels different. It never gets boring. Also being able to work with the latest technologies on a product that is used internationally is a great asset,” says Robert. “And that the interaction with other teams at SCHUHFRIED is always so friendly and simple. Usually the people are just a (chat)room away. Also, talking to managers is easy and straightforward as all people in the company are using Microsoft Teams for their communication.”

Mitch feels, that at SCHUHFRIED he’s in the Goldilocks Zone, because “the whole company has a close-knit feel and sincerity of a small business with the client base and reach of a potent international corporation.”

Everyone loves the occasional culinary treats provided by the company, the popular barbecue parties and team events. Not to forget about the refreshing after-work beer, hanging out on the newly adapted terrace or in the garden lounge.

Alle lieben die gelegentlichen kulinarischen Köstlichkeiten des Unternehmens, die beliebten Grillpartys und Teamevents. Nicht zu vergessen das erfrischende Feierabendbier auf der neu gestalteten Terrasse oder in der Gartenlounge.

How does one become a member of the SCHUHFRIED software team?

“I found out about SCHUHFRIED through a recruitment agency that specialize in IT professionals,” Vladimir says. “I was immediately interested in what the company does, but as a non-German speaker I was not sure if Austrian family company is the right place for me. Nevertheless, I decided to apply. Shortly after that I got invited to online meeting with our CTO. Next step was the invitation for a psychological test. You can take the test online from home, which is a big benefit of VTS. I took the test in so called proctored mode, which means somebody is watching your screen and see you via your webcam. This way the chance of cheating can be limited while it does not limit the comfort of your test experience. Test itself is very interesting. I was given my results right after testing. A couple of days later I received an offer, and I was happy to accept it.”

Benjamin also took pre-employment assessment tests from SCHUHFRIED. He found it particularly interesting, because for him it was an opportunity to see the future product, which he now works on, in action.

In case you’d like to join the fun …

Did our stories spark your interest? Are you a Software Engineer looking for a new challenge? Perfect! We have several job openings that might be interesting for you. Check out our job posts on social media or our career page. We’d love to welcome you as a valuable addition to our team and look forward to receiving your application!