With a master's degree in engineering physics from NTNU, it is not unreasonable to claim that our latest addition to Forte_ The Interview is not a "typical" developer. As a student, she worked on doing a numerical minimization of the energy loss in a cooling process for hydrogen (yes, you read that right). Today, she works as a backend developer in a project for one of Norway's largest organizations. Her interest in programming started in Paris.
"When I was in 4th grade at NTNU, I went on an exchange to Paris. That's when I really opened my eyes to programming. It was there that I got a kind of kickstart on my software development career!
Was offered a PhD in France
"I actually had an open offer for a PhD in Paris, which I considered for a long time, but ended up wanting to move to Oslo, close to my family and friends. Then I went a few rounds with myself, and reflected on what I would like to do - what I think is fun. I finally decided that I wanted to try my hand as a software developer.
What would your working day have been like if you had accepted?
– To put it bluntly, I might have worked in a lab, like many other physicists. And for a chronic clumsy, it can be a bit frustrating work, says Ragnhild with a smile.
For Ragnhild, it was a series of coincidences that led to her not working as a physicist today, but as a developer. Although there do not seem to be any major commonalities between solving Schrødinger's equation and writing C# code in Visual Studio in working life, she is sure that her background as a physicist will come in handy.
"I think that my background as a physicist is a very good background to have in this industry. It's one thing if you know a programming language, or if you know how to set up a DevOps pipeline, it's always possible to learn. But what I have with me from school is many, many hours of practice in problem solving.
I wanted to work in a smaller company, where I had more influence.
Forte Digital has since its inception in 2017 had enormous growth and today counts 150 employees across Oslo and Krakow. With CTO Monica Beate Tvedt at the helm, we have hired more than 25 technologists in the last 12 months. The goal is to create one of Norway's best tech environments.
"After a few years as a developer at Sopra Steria, the time was ripe to try something new. There are several reasons why I started at Forte. Among other things, I wanted to work in a smaller company, where I had more influence. At the same time, I wanted to develop professionally. I wanted to spend more time learning more about software development and different technologies. Previously, I have worked with a lot of management and very old codebases. I think it's a lot of fun and inspiring to work with completely new technology. It was also important to me when I changed jobs.
Brand new technology
How have the first months with us been?
– After almost 6 months at Forte Digital, these wishes have really lived up to expectations! I feel that a lot of time has been set aside for me as an employee, and a lot of emphasis has been placed on what I think, I really appreciate that.
What are you working on right now?
– Now I'm working in an exciting project at Virke. We work with a lot of new technology and there is a lot that is new to me. But luckily, I have many talented colleagues who make it educational and fun. In addition to an exciting project, we also get a lot of time for self-development, more than what I am used to from before. Now I'm looking forward to getting to know my colleagues even better outside of the home office!
