From PC games to PHP, Javascript and CSS

Web Developer

Matej is one of our most enthusiastic and experienced web developers, and he is by no means one of the oldest in the team. Why is that so? Well, because he really enjoys it! He became involved in programming as early as high school and continued to improve by teaching himself while studying mathematics and technology. And thanks to his own determination and enthusiasm, he now masters programming languages such as PHP, Javascript, HTML, CSS and various frameworks built on these languages, such as Laravel for PHP or VUE for Javascript.

How did you get into web development?

As a high school student, I really enjoyed computer games that could be played online with a bunch of friends. We have always set up a team and played various internet tournaments. Once I decided that the "pros" must have their own website, so I created on one on the then websnadno.cz and that's where it all started. Since then, the site has always changed, improved, gradually it was no longer just clickers, but primitive content management systems. I really enjoyed it, so over time I also created other sites with different content and I never stopped having fun. Although I got into programming as a self-taught person, various courses helped me a lot later with my learning. One of my most popular and valuable courses is by lecturer Yablko. Although I chose a slightly different direction as a university major, web design was always near and dear to my heart and I am glad that I managed to get a job as a web developer right after school.

What's closer to you? Frontend or backend?

I enjoy programming both frontend and backend, so I try to improve on both fronts, but so far I'm probably better in frontend, i.e. in Javascript.

How was your journey to us, to Unique People?

This was fate, it could not be anything else :D A week before the state exams, I decided to finally send out some CVs so that I could find a job after school as soon as possible. In addition to those job offers that focused on what I graduated from (teaching mathematics and technology), I decided to send 3 CVs to 3 different IT companies that interested me on the job portal Profesia. I told myself I wouldn't give anything for a try. On the day of my last state exam from technology, I left school after successfully graduating, and about 15 seconds after the door closed behind me (it was actually about 15 seconds), my phone started ringing. I thought it would be my eager parents calling, but it was Evka with an offer for a job interview the very next day. And you can guess the rest :D

So if it was fate, tell us what's it like, to work here.

What's it like working here? You'll say I'm exaggerating, but no one has yet come up with such a positive word to describe it. It's my first job and maybe I just don't know what to expect, but I have to say that the working atmosphere is excellent, my colleagues/friends are amazing, the projects are always interesting and change often, so it's to fall into a stereotype - I probably wouldn't handle that so well. We are always happy to help and advice each other. I have nothing to complain about, I can't imagine a better job at a better company!

What are you working on right now?

I have just started working on a very interesting project, but I'm not entirely sure if I can describe it to you here so that someone smarter than me doesn't steal this extraordinary idea :D But I can reveal that the main technologies I have chosen are Laravel on the backend and Vue on the frontend. I'm going to have to work with different payment gateways, design the entire architecture of the database, create different APIs, all that good stuff, yay, I'm looking forward to it :D

What's the most interesting project you've worked on at UP?

Every project I work on or have worked on is different, and each has something interesting in its own way, something that the previous one didn't contain. I can't really choose one that is the most interesting, but I would include Postoj, and the one I'm working on currently as some of the top projects. Both projects are built on Laravel, which we run locally using Docker containers. We use the JS framework Vue.js on the front end, so I have the opportunity to work with the most modern technologies every day.

Do you have a dream as a developer? A specific technology or project?

Probably not. I have one personal project - Brezovský beh zdravia (Brezov Health Run, bbz.sk), this is my heartfelt, and I would like to take that to the next level :D But for now I'm still not sure what that entails, so I won't burden you with that :D But I'll be glad if you come to run with us! See you every year on the penultimate Saturday in August!

What do you see in the future of IT?

In the few years I've worked in IT, so many things have changed for me that I'm afraid to guess what's going to happen in a week :D But I think that people will be the ones writing code, not robots, so I can do what I enjoy ... and otherwise, I don't care. We'll see what comes and we'll deal with it. But I believe that an interesting IT future awaits us.

What do you consider to be the highlight of your career?

That I managed to get a job in IT, that I'm doing what I always dreamed of, and that I'm doing what I always enjoyed.

What inspires you?

I have no person or secret inner motivation to move and propel me forward. My job is my hobby, I do what I enjoy, I'm always happy to go to work, and that's the most important thing for me.

Tell us something interesting about yourself 😊 What are your hobbies, what do you do in your spare time?

In my free time, in addition to programming, I do about all the sports that can be done in my area :D I play football the most, this is my year-round entertainment and then there are sports such as tennis, table tennis, snowboarding, hockey. And besides those, I like to go fishing or go for a walk in the woods.