Kaisa Sarén – First year at Bradleys feelings

You started at Bradleys at the beginning of the year. How has the first year felt?

I was really excited to start at Bradleys. I got to dive straight into a very interesting software development project in the energy sector, and the team at Bradleys seemed friendly and smart. I was also quick to find a use for the extra euros promised by the commission-based salary model, especially with a large family to support.

The expectations I had going into the job have held true. The Bradleys team in the capital region already feels like old friends, and I’m looking forward to continuing on with the client’s interesting projects for hopefully many years to come. Oh, and the salary has definitely matched what was promised during the recruitment process.

What got you interested in programming?

I’ve always been interested in technology, especially problem-solving. However, I wasn’t a coder as a teenager. When I was in high school, I didn’t take the offered Java programming course because I doubted I’d be the only girl in the class. My interest in coding first showed up during my university studies in genetics. DNA is actually a kind of low-level code. Life took me away from studies for a few years, but coding didn’t seriously feel like a career option until years later. Through my work at the time, I met a passionate emeritus professor from TKK and a group of consultants from Reaktor, who seemed to really enjoy their work. Inspired by them, I started studying computer science, and that's the path I’ve stayed on.

If you could choose the technologies for a new project, what kind of tech stack would you pick?

This does sound a bit like a job interview question, but since we’re not in a recruitment situation, I’ll say that, for me, this isn’t the most exciting question. Problem-solving and complex systems are still what really excite me as a coder. Tech stacks are then chosen based on the realities of the specific project. Right now, I’m working on two projects. One involves building a Python application for a Windows server, while the other uses a modern TypeScript stack running on a Kubernetes cluster with event-driven messaging. So, my choice would depend a lot on the type of project at hand. In most cases, I’d focus on technologies that are mature but not outdated, where dependency management is possible, and where it's easy to find developers who know the stack. Often, this would mean picking one of the big cloud platforms, a TypeScript Node+ Vue/React stack, and a suitable modern database solution.

In Bradleys' weekly schedule, there's a company lunch. Which lunch spots have stood out so much that you would recommend them?

We often go to the Korean Seoul Good buffet restaurant in the Kaari Shopping Center. I usually prefer vegetarian options for lunch, but the variety of chicken dishes there is so great that it’s better to save the veggie options for another day. It was also the place of my first Bradleys company lunch, which took place on a beautiful January winter day. Definitely a feel-good spot! Another nice place is Burger&Wine at Tripla. It's great to visit every now and then for delicious burgers, and the location is more convenient for me than many other lunch spots.

The sea is clearly an important environment for you. What did your summer by the sea include?

Absolutely. If there were no practical constraints, I’d happily live on a boat year-round. Well, we do live by the sea on an island, and sailing has been a core part of our family's summer life for almost 20 years. This year was the first summer when our oldest child couldn't join us on the trip due to summer work, which felt a bit strange and somewhat bittersweet. However, we had an amazing two-week trip sailing around the island of Hiiumaa. I highly recommend Hiiumaa and its nature and lighthouses as a destination, even if just by car!