Name: Justas Raulynaitis
Job Title: Student Developer, Applied Systems
Bio: Hey, I’m Justas. I’m a student developer born in Lithuania, raised in Northern Ireland. I attended Lurgan College for my A-Levels studying Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics before joining Stranmillis University in Belfast. During that course, I decided I wasn’t happy on that path, which I then decided to try the tech industry as a career path.
After joining the Southern Regional College, I found that I enjoyed coding a great deal, finding it easier than expected, which led to joining Applied Systems as a student dev!
What does your typical day look like?
I try to stick to a routine every day, especially on weekends. I usually wake up at 6:30am and eat breakfast while sitting down at the computer to get ready for the day. After, I get to work and log in at 8:30am, read any emails I may have missed and any slack messages.
Then I get to work on my current task, or ask for one from my supervisor if I had finished it the day prior. For lunch, I try to stick with toasted sandwiches, and an episode or two of some show. After the end of the work day, I try to go for a cycle if weather permits, then go for dinner, usually sticking with meals using chicken.
What are you currently working on?
Currently I’m working on a project that hopes regularly test the main program on machines that will be set up independently. This project has already found a bug, which is a proof of concept.
What inspired you to join this company in particular?
I joined the company as part of an apprenticeship degree, and the company already had a good relationship with my college, alongside being recommended by my tutor, it was an easy choice to join Applied Systems to further my education and career prospects.
Did you always want to work in this industry (tech)?
For a long time, I had actually wanted to work as a teacher, which obviously did not pan out. After that, I had applied for a foundation degree at the SRC, and got a place in the course. With no prior IT experience, I discovered that I had a natural talent with code as I breezed through the first year of the course, during which I got a place within Applied.
What’s your favourite part about your work?
That would have to be getting to the end of a job, nothing is more satisfying than finishing a job without any issues found.
What would you say to other people considering a job in this industry (tech)?
I’d say if you have the skill, talent or willpower to persevere and learn, and you truly enjoy working with tech, either on the software or hardware side, then go for it! It’s a great career choice full of great people, which I’m glad that I got into.
Who inspired you to work in this field?
It wasn’t really anyone that inspired me if I were to be honest, as I chose to go into this field myself after teaching did not work out.
What do you consider to be the most important tech innovation or development in recent years?
The proof of concept that is Virtual Reality. There are companies that have functioning pieces of haptic feedback for the body, but it is still yet to be perfected. Though unfinished, it has been proven that it could be possible.
How do you see this technology impacting on our lives?
If the technology can be perfected, it could benefit a great deal of people, not just for commercial use. It would allow people to experience environments and places that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to, without having to travel. Those who are physically disabled could experience what it’s like to swim underwater, or climb mountains. There are many possibilities for the use of this tech, only limited by the imagination.
What tech gadget could you not live without?
This is probably the answer that many others have given, but definitely the smartphone. It provides almost endless uses, like map functions, access to the information of the internet, and communication with others. There is no device like it.
