Our series of mini-interviews with the team continues. We want to introduce our experienced ERP developer Anastasiia Paustovska. Of course, we knew that we were choosing the best people to join the Clarity team, but each time we interviewed them, we discovered a new personality. It is interesting to learn about career growth and professional development from primary sources. This is useful for young professionals, newcomers to the profession, and anyone interested in ERP implementation.
Anastasiia, tell us about your career choice. Where did you study and what was your major?
At school, I was interested in computer science and even took extracurricular courses in the subject. However, at that time I was more interested in chemistry. Therefore, I chose Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, specializing in analytical chemistry, for my further education. There was a belief among chemists that after graduating from the Faculty of Chemistry you could go to any job, because we studied everything, including chemistry. That’s what happened to me. During my research, I was involved in writing programs to calculate the stability of molecules, and at the same time, I completed the CS50 Introduction to Computer Science course at Harvard University. I saw my further development in programming.
What were your favorite subjects?
I like to learn, develop, and learn new things. That’s why I didn’t like P.E., English, and some purely “formal” subjects. However, I can’t do without English, so I’ve been studying it from first grade until now.
When did you first learn about ERP?
I first learned about ERP when I was preparing for a job interview. At that time, I had experience with CRM, so I was interested in ERP as a more global solution for business needs. I was also attracted by the fact that it was a Microsoft product.
It is known that Business Central has a specific AL language, was it difficult for you to master it?
I think the most important thing for a developer is to have algorithmic thinking and a technical base. The language issue is more a matter of taste and the product you want to work with. AL is a specific language, but its syntax is similar to other well-known languages.
What fascinates you and what annoys you about your work?
I am fascinated by inspiring people and interesting tasks. I get a little annoyed when there are too many of them and the tasks go from interesting to uninteresting or impossible.
Do you see a positive trend in the involvement of AI in writing simple code and the trend towards no-code IT products in general?
If we compare programmers from the beginning of the programming era with modern programmers, we look like “lazy people” who know nothing about programming. After all, we have modern compilers that prevent us from making syntax and other mistakes (and I’m not even talking about code conversion), and a lot of add-ins that write parts of the template code for us. That’s why even a skeptic like me (in terms of AI) has to recognize its usefulness and accept that these technologies will be an integral part of our future.
What advice would you give to yourself as a 3rd year student?
Just to have more confidence in my actions.
Can you tell us about a project you’re proud of?
I’ve had a lot of great projects over the years, and they’re all very different. These projects have made people’s lives easier/better and have resonated with them. I’m particularly proud of Clarity’s Personnel and Payroll Business Central add-on, as I believe it simplifies the work of accountants who deal with payroll.
How do you keep your emotional balance in this difficult time for all Ukrainians?
I take time every day to do something pleasant for myself, to completely distract myself, and to dissolve in the process. I always take breaks from work and, if necessary, find activities that distract me from the general situation. I also spend as much time as possible with my family and friends.
What knowledge and skills could be helpful to progress faster as an ERP developer?
First of all, you need to be patient, because in the first 2-3 months you need to invest in training: learning a new language and the specifics of the system itself. At this time, a young specialist is not very involved in active projects, and it will not be possible to feel the joy of project work at the beginning of the journey. As for further development, in addition to programming skills and basic knowledge of the database, it is necessary to master the product areas (financial accounting, bookkeeping, trade, etc.). Without knowledge of the Business Central system itself, it will not be possible to program it properly.
We would like to thank Anastasiia for her sincere answers to our questions and hope that the career cases of Clarity Ukraine will be useful for candidates for ERP developer and ERP consultant positions.