Exceptional experience of a full-stack engineer

With more than six years of experience as a full-stack engineer, Lazarela Antonijević has worked for various companies and organizations. She currently works at ProductDock as a team lead. Her career journey, which includes a move from Bosnia to Spain, has been both exciting and dynamic. In today’s interview, Lazarela shares more about her professional and personal experiences as a full-stack engineer in the IT industry.

After completing her Master’s in Computer Science at the University of Banja Luka, Lazarela worked for several companies as a full-stack engineer. She is particularly notable for having the opportunity to work as a software engineer at Amazon and contribute to and lead several projects.

Hello Lazarela, would you like to tell us how you got into IT and what has your career been like so far?

 I’ve always been interested in problem solving, mathematics, and technology, which led me to pursue a career in IT and engineering. As a result, I studied Computer Science at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Banja Luka, where I earned my Master’s degree. I’ve been working as a software engineer for 7 years now at various companies including start-ups, mid-size companies and FAANG.

What kind of projects have you worked on, and can you single out some that have been the most interesting for you?

 I‘ve had the opportunity to work on a variety of interesting projects across different industries, which has allowed me to gain diverse experience. At Amazon, I worked on different projects related to the Amazon Search page, including brand shopping pages and search filters. Currently, I’m working on an exciting project to develop an internal application for a leading manufacturer in the automotive industry maintenance workers.

Can you describe your role and responsibilities during the projects at Amazon?

As a software development engineer at Amazon, my responsibilities included designing, developing, testing and maintaining scalable, high-performance software solutions, as well as solving complex technical problems and addressing business challenges. I took ownership of projects from start to finish, collaborating with project managers, other engineers, stakeholders and teams across Amazon. Writing clean, efficient code and participating in code reviews to ensure high software quality standards were essential. Additionally, I was ensuring operational excellence by actively supporting and maintaining production systems, including resolving incidents during on-call.

Was there a highlight during your time at Amazon?

A highlight of my career was my promotion from SDE1 to SDE2. I’d also like to mention my trip to Amazon HQ in Seattle this year and attending the DevCon & AWESome conferences, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

What did you learn in Spain, what had a particular impact on you?

 I learned to always put the customer first, which is one of Amazon’s core leadership principles and the most important one. I changed my approach to software development by consistently asking if what we’re building truly is what the customer wants and needs, and working backwards from that perspective.

Did you take anything away from the way of working in Spain?

What I mentioned earlier about customer obsession is one of the key takeaways. There are many others, such as writing culture for example; writing one-pager feature proposals, high-level system designs, or six-pager technical designs, among others. I also learned the importance of insisting on the highest standards, both in code quality and in operational excellence.

You’ve been working in the field of software development for a very long time now. What can you pass on to younger colleagues?

Software development is a fast-evolving field, with new technologies, tools and frameworks emerging regularly. However, some core principles remain constant, such as writing clean, maintainable code, understanding algorithms and data structures, and following good software design practices. Younger and less experienced developers often focus on the latest trends (which is great!), but sometimes overlook the importance of these basics. In reality, knowing the fundamentals actually helps adapt to new trends and solve problems more efficiently, regardless of the programming languages they use.

How did you get in touch with ProductDock?

I reached out to one of ProductDock’s talent acquisition specialists on LinkedIn.

What were your criteria for choosing the right company and then choosing ProductDock?

I was looking for a company located in Banja Luka with a great company culture and opportunities for growth, and ProductDock was the right choice for sure!

Please tell us something about your current position at ProductDock.

 I’m currently working as a software consultant for a leading manufacturer in the automotive industry, where we’re currently developing an app to help their production workers manage tasks. It’s an interesting project that involves technologies such as React, Nodejs, AWS CDK, etc.

What attributes make you successful in your role?

I’d highlight the following abilities that I believe have contributed to my success: a strong technical foundation, problem-solving skills (which involve approaching challenges with a logical mindset and breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts), adaptability and flexibility, effective communication skills and continuous learning mindset.

What motivates or inspires you most in your current professional life? 

What inspires me the most in my profession is the opportunity to solve complex problems and create innovative solutions that have a real impact on customers’ lives. I’m also inspired by the constant evolution of technology. I’m also motivated by working with talented individuals and teams, learning from others, and sharing knowledge and experiences.

Even if every day is different, can you describe a typical workday?

My typical workday starts with a quick review of tasks and priorities, followed by addressing emails, and attending the team’s daily meeting. After that, I usually dive into coding, whether it’s developing new features, optimizing existing code, or resolving bugs. I spend  a lot of time collaborating with teammates, even though it’s all remote, as the rest of my team is based in Germany. We sometimes do pair programming and have discussions about software design, best practices, and so on. I may also attend meetings with product owners and UX/UI teams, such as feature demos, design reviews, or other scrum related meetings, as well as technical or business discussions.

What are the greatest challenges of your job?

The greatest challenges of my job as a software engineer often involve balancing client requirements and deadlines with the need for scalability and innovation. Ensuring that the codebase is maintainable, efficient, and secure is another big challenge in this industry. Staying up to date with rapidly evolving technologies, frameworks, and tools also presents a challenge and requires continuous learning and adaptation.

What do you do to relax in your free time? How do you recharge your batteries?

 I like walking, traveling, going to the movies and theater, etc. All these activities help me relax and recharge.

Finally, please tell us the three things you like the most at ProductDock.

 People, flexibility, innovation.