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In this series, we share various career stories from people working with Qt. Today, we are interviewing Dilek Akçay Öztüzün, a specialist software engineer at Qt, based in Oulu, Finland.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do?
I am a 26-year-old Turkish woman and I have been living in Oulu for 2 years. I studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering at university and also did a double major in Computer Engineering. Currently, I work as a Specialist Software Engineer in the Graphics and UI team at Qt. During my free time, I like to exercise, draw, and cook. I also love to travel!
What originally inspired you to pursue this career?
Mathematics and physics are two subjects that played a crucial role in choosing my profession. Thanks to the hardware knowledge I gained from my department, I better understood the components of the computer. Since the software is infrastructured on hardware, I had a better understanding of the operating systems and the logic of efficient coding.
What did you study at school, and how did it prepare you for your career?
Throughout my school life, I made an effort to participate in numerous projects both in electronics and computer science. Having the opportunity to work with a team and being able to create something with theoretical knowledge made me better prepared for my career. Additionally, the internships I did helped me choose the career path I wanted to pursue after graduation.
How did you first discover Qt, and what changed as a result?
During one of my internships, I had the opportunity to use Qt Creator. Additionally, in my previous job, I was developing applications using Qt Creator. While developing the application, I was always curious about how Qt's libraries were constructed. One day, while browsing through job openings on Qt's website, I saw the job posting for the team I am currently in, and I decided to give it a try. As a result, I've been here for two years now!
Can you describe a typical day or week in your job?
I am one of the individuals in my team who contributed to creating the new generation of the Qt Data Visualization module, now known as Qt Graphs. Currently, I spend my time improving the code and adding new features to the Qt Graphs module. In addition to that, I am gaining knowledge about other Qt libraries by solving bugs in other modules during bug-fixing weeks.
What do you love most about your job?
Since I started working with this team, I've been able to continue improving myself in my field. I find immense value in collaborating with this team; each member brings unique contributions and support to one another. Knowing that the product we create is used for different purposes is rewarding for me.
Which skills or qualities would you say are of importance to succeed in your field?
The first and most important thing is having an interest in this field because it is the key thing for success. This will increase motivation, make the learning process more enjoyable, and guide you on the path to success. Another point would be to gain experience in this field wherever you can and never stop learning!
What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a similar career?
Gaining as much experience as possible in this field is crucial. Every experience, whether big or small, contributes to your overall development and skill set. Doing projects, working part-time, or doing internships will prepare you excellently for this career. This way, you will not only build a strong network but also seize the opportunity to learn things you wouldn't learn in school.
👩💻 Qt Journey - Creating Great Customer-Facing Software
😎 Qt Stories - The Future of Digital Experiences Begins with You
📚 Start learning Qt with Qt Academy
The Qt journey blog series is a continuation of the "Qt as a Career" series.
