In a world so focused on technology, Adriana, a Principal Software QA Engineer at Keysight Technologies Romania, chooses to focus on nature, and teaches her children the importance of taking care of the environment.
How did you decide on a career as a programmer?
I knew this was the future: programming, technology, robots, and so on. I wanted to keep up with the changes, so I chose to be an engineer.
What projects are you proud to have been a part of?
There are many projects I worked on with passion. Network Emulator and Metronome are two of them because I worked with two different technologies to create a new project for our customers. This is also where I worked on a new invention.
AppLibrary is another wonderful project I worked on together with amazing people from ixNetwork and ixLoad. Last but not least, I enjoyed working on the RAVE project because I was able to collaborate directly with our customers on-site. There are many other projects.
How does a typical day in your life at work look like?
I wake up, have breakfast with my family, and then I start working for 4 hours. I stop for a quick lunch, and then I work again in the afternoon. After that, I have some meetings, and then I stop working and start playing with my children or doing homework.
If you could choose to work on a project to make the world a better place, what would that be?
I would work with children and teach them to appreciate and take responsibility for the nature around them. This is a subject we didn’t learn as kids, so now our children will have to deal with many natural disasters.
What are some of your hobbies?
I like reading and writing children’s books, walking in nature, riding horses. I also paint sometimes, and my subjects are usually tied to nature.
If you were to start over your career as a programmer tomorrow, what path would you choose?
I would choose the same path.
If you were stranded on an island and asked to do your job with only three things, what would you choose?
A laptop, an airplane, and a suitcase full of money :).
What attributes/skills make a programmer successful?
Continuous learning, integrating well with the team, and responsibility for your work.
How do you get “in the zone”? Hyperfocused, not to be disturbed, only you and the code.
I close the door to the outside world (children, family, phone on silent without notifications). I close WhatsApp, Messenger, and other disturbing factors that may appear. When I have a break, I look on my phone and see if anybody called me or wrote to me or I resolve personal issues.
Keysight Life is a series of interviews where we put a spotlight on different projects, with the help of the people who made those projects possible.