{"id":7580,"date":"2025-05-24T14:03:56","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T12:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/?p=7580"},"modified":"2025-06-11T11:38:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T09:38:39","slug":"michala-stofirova-even-logic-and-coding-can-be-creative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/michala-stofirova-even-logic-and-coding-can-be-creative\/","title":{"rendered":"Michala \u0160tofirov\u00e1: Even Logic and Coding Can Be Creative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mi\u0161ka never expected to become a developer. As a child, she was always more drawn to creative activities. But she ended up finding passion in the last place she thought she would \u2014 in code. She followed her curiosity and dove into the world of web technologies. Today, she develops applications for the largest pharmacy network in Central Europe and enjoys solving logical challenges. What shaped her path, how does she see her role as a programmer, and why does she believe there\u2019s space in tech for people who like to do things their own way?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi Mi\u0161ka! Let\u2019s start with something light \u2014 do you remember what you wanted to be as a kid? \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly? I never had a clear childhood dream I carried with me for years. But I was always drawn to creative and imaginative things. For a while, I wanted to be a fashion designer \u2014 even though I couldn\u2019t draw \ud83d\ude04. IT came into my life much later, when I discovered that logic and programming can be creative in their own way. And that\u2019s what hooked me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how did you get into programming? What was the deciding factor when choosing your school?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in elementary school, I realized that memorizing facts just wasn\u2019t my strength. That\u2019s why I chose a technical high school, where I got my first taste of programming. At first, I wasn\u2019t sure it was for me \u2014 but gradually, I discovered I enjoyed logic, problem-solving, and the whole “problem \u2013 solution” process. I saw that there\u2019s room for creativity too, just in a different form. When it came time to choose a university, computer science felt like the right choice. I wanted something that had real potential, but that I also genuinely enjoyed. And it turned out to be the right path.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mi\u0161ka is a graduate of the Technical University of Ko\u0161ice.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What brought you to bart.sk?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My journey with bart started thanks to the Live IT Projects program. It was the perfect chance to get a feel for real-life work experience. As a student, it was incredibly inspiring and motivating to connect with people from the industry. Funny enough, we picked our project topic pretty randomly \ud83d\ude42 Most of the themes were already taken, so we chose based on technology. Ours involved web technologies of our choice and blockchain \u2014 which was really trendy at the time. We had no clue about blockchain back then, but we figured it out \ud83d\ude04. It was a big challenge and we ended up spending way more time on that one subject than on anything else \u2014 but it was absolutely worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have any advice for students who\u2019d like to start working during their studies but don\u2019t know where to begin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, the key is to get any kind of hands-on experience \u2014 through school projects, internships, or your own mini side projects. Even the smallest experience counts. It might feel trivial to students, but those small steps really expand your knowledge and open up your thinking. It\u2019s also important not to be afraid to try new things, even if you don\u2019t feel 100% confident yet. The projects that helped me the most were the ones where I had creative freedom to experiment and build things my own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always recommend starting with something simple, like a basic to-do app, and later experimenting with things like speech-to-text or AI features. It also really helps to work on projects related to something you\u2019re passionate about \u2014 music, books, sports, whatever. When you\u2019re into the topic, it\u2019s easier to imagine features you\u2019d actually want to use. That kind of motivation drives both learning and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You recently worked as a mentor in the Live IT Projects program. What was it like being on the other side of the table?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a completely new experience for me. It was my first time mentoring, and I\u2019ll admit \u2014 it was a bit challenging at first. I didn\u2019t know how I\u2019d click with the students or what approach would work best. But in the end, it turned out really well \ud83d\ude42 I enjoyed guiding them and watching their progress. I think it helped that I\u2019d studied at the same university and had a good idea of what they already knew and where they might struggle. It made it easier to connect and communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also realized how important it is to adapt your communication style \u2014 to explain things simply, avoid overwhelming them with jargon, and not assume they understand everything right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best part? Seeing them grow. Watching how they started to look at problems from different angles was incredibly rewarding. That was my goal \u2014 to help them broaden their perspective and see that there are many ways to grow in tech.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mi\u0161ka with her colleague Patrik and the students they mentored as part of the Live IT Projects program.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Today you work as a developer on the Dr.Max team. What exactly do you do, and how has this experience helped you grow professionally?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m currently part of the Dr.Max Content team. We focus on managing website content and building tools that allow admins and other team members to create and edit content easily. My role is mainly backend development, but it also includes regular team meetings and tasks related to agile workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This experience has pushed me forward in a big way. It\u2019s no longer just about writing code \u2014 it\u2019s also about understanding the bigger picture: how to think about system architecture, how to communicate effectively in a team, and how to solve problems efficiently. School gave me a good foundation, but real projects taught me that coding is just the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we talk about developers, we often focus on technical skills. Soft skills sometimes get left behind. What\u2019s your take on that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, for some people, technical knowledge might be enough. But soft skills are essential \u2014 especially when working in a team. Everything works more smoothly when you can communicate clearly and constructively. I see this especially when we\u2019re under time pressure or when someone on the team isn\u2019t very technical. If I take the time to explain things patiently and clearly, it makes a huge difference. Working in IT isn\u2019t just about writing code \u2014 it also involves collaboration, planning, and problem-solving. Soft skills are a huge asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many young people \u2014 especially women \u2014 worry that working in IT is boring or that it\u2019s a \u201cman\u2019s world.\u201d Have you ever felt like creativity was missing, or that your ideas weren\u2019t being heard?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t believe IT is just for men \u2014 it\u2019s about your skills, not your gender. And as for creativity, it\u2019s definitely there. It just shows up differently. Often, we\u2019re given a technical task, but the solution isn\u2019t obvious. That\u2019s where creativity comes in. We brainstorm how to design the architecture, how to build something that\u2019s both functional and easy to understand. Sure, not every idea is used \u2014 but that\u2019s part of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you find time for yourself outside of work? What helps you recharge?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I definitely have less free time, but I always try to carve out a little space for myself. Reading is my favorite way to relax. I love books by Colleen Hoover \u2014 especially *It Ends With Us* (I liked the book more than the movie :D). I also really value time with people who make me feel good. My ideal way to recharge is disconnecting from work and just enjoying the moment \u2014 slow mornings with coffee and breakfast, walks in nature, or quiet moments with a good book and a sweet dessert.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Spending time in nature is Mi\u0161ka\u2019s favorite way to relax and recharge.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I heard you have a pretty cool \u201csuperpower\u201d \u2014 speed reading! How does it work, and how many books do you get through?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, I don\u2019t read every single word. I skim the text and skip long descriptions. That way, I can finish even a thick book in one afternoon. I haven\u2019t been reading as much this year, but I\u2019ve still managed around 70 books so far. I used to read even more. It doesn\u2019t really help me at work, but it\u2019s a great way to clear my head \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And to wrap up \u2014 if you could go back in time to your student years, what advice would you give your younger self? \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d probably tell myself not to stress so much. It\u2019s totally normal not to know exactly what you want. The key is not to give up just because something doesn\u2019t click right away \u2014 it takes time. And most of all, I\u2019d remind myself to trust myself more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mi\u0161ka never expected to become a developer. As a child, she was always more drawn to creative activities.…","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":7581,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":""},"categories":[210,516],"tags":[312,330,318,321],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7580"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7582,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7580\/revisions\/7582"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bart.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}