Upon arrival in Sweden, I started looking for a job on LinkedIn, and quickly found one as a web developer for a travel tech startup. Unfortunately, the company had to let people go during the pandemic, so I began my job search once again. This time, I applied for a role at Volvo Group and was employed in 2021 as a developer.
I work with JavaScript and frameworks like React and Angular. I use these for designing, coding, testing, and debugging software, analyzing user requirements, and translating them into functional and efficient code. I have been working on modernizing legacy applications for new web clients over the last couple of years.
The field of technology is dynamic and constantly evolving, so I regularly read industry publications, blogs, and news articles to stay informed about the latest developments. Platforms like Medium, Hacker News, and joining online communities like DEV Community and Stack Overflow are helpful for learning and collaboration.
What’s my daily routine?
I work in Lindholmen, next to the harbor, in Gothenburg. It’s the tech center for the entire region, so there’s always something happening. I’m usually in the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays – the other days I work from home. The flexibility that this gives me means I can have the career of my choice and maintain a good balance with my family life.
Regardless of whether I’m at the office or working from home, I usually spend the first part of my day reading Teams chats, recent news, emails, and catching up the progress made the previous day in Azure. There are usually a few morning meetings as well where we plan upcoming sprints. The rest of the day is spent doing coding and development work, implementing new features, fixing bugs, or optimizing existing code. I also set aside some time for collaboration and code reviews where I work closely with other team members, including other developers, designers, and product managers to ensure code quality, adherence to coding standards, and knowledge sharing.
Of course, we take breaks between our work… We have fika (a Swedish tradition well worth Googling) every Wednesday. It's the time we spend discussing both work-related and non-work-related topics. It helps strengthen team bonds and encourages a positive work environment.
Towards the end of the day I often review progress, update project management tools, and plan for the next day's tasks. I take this time to communicate any blockers or challenges to the team.
Where would I like my career to go next?
In the short term, I want to work with projects related to rebuilding legacy applications, leveraging my skills in modern architecture design, which aligns with the current needs of the company.
Although I’m happy working with European markets I’d also like to work with different markets such as India and China in the future. Moving ahead, I’d like to take on more responsibility and evolve into a leadership role where I can more actively contribute to the strategic goals of the company. Thankfully there is no shortage of training and upskilling opportunities at Volvo Group.
My time as a developer at Volvo Group has been a fantastic journey so far, filled with opportunities for growth, meaningful projects, and a sense of pride in contributing to a company that's driving innovation in the automotive industry.
Do you want to work in IT?
If you are interested in learning more about a career in IT, I would recommend you start learning a programming language. There are lot of free resources on the internet where you can start from scratch. For example:
There are also a lot of YouTube videos and bootcamps where you can start your coding journey. If you get struck in coding there are lot of platforms where you can post your questions and get answers from the experts like Stack Overflow, or Reddit. Once you are confident in coding you can start applying for jobs and there will be several rounds for interview - one of them is coding - you can practice coding in platform like HackerRank, LeetCode etc.
Do you want to connect with Meghana? Check her LinkedIn page here.
