Magga Sesselja Kristjánsdóttir, Software Developer

Watch the interview with Magga Sesselja Kristjánsdóttir

Can you tell us about your role at Controlant? How long have you been with the company, and how has your role evolved since you started?

I'm Margaret, and I'm a Software Developer at Controlant. I started working here just over four years ago. I was hired to work in the front end, primarily with our customer-facing solutions. Over the years, I have also worked a bit on the back-end with our APIs. Work has evolved into me now just working on our supply chain monitoring solution.

When I started at Controlant, we were around 26 employees. And now that we are over 150 team members, things have changed a lot. As the company has grown, my role has become more focused, and I have been able to develop more expertise on the front-end side.

What's a typical day for you at Controlant like?

A typical day starts with a stand-up with my team. We use Scrum, and we work iteratively. During our stand-ups, we talk about what we did yesterday, what we are working on today, and if we have any blockers that will need to be addressed. Then, most of my day goes into programming, where I work on new features and fixing issues. Sometimes, our team will play a game of Rocket League, or some other game, to unwind.

What do you like best about working here?

What I like best are the people. The people at the company are very fun and passionate about what they do—and helpful. I also really love the offices and our equipment. There's a lot of challenging work, and there's a lot to do. I like to keep busy and learn, so it's a great fit for me.

How would you describe the culture at Controlant?

The culture here is diverse. It's a very multicultural place, and there are people working here who come from all over the world. One of the best things that I love about Controlant is the people who are very collaborative and creative. It's a friendly workplace, and people are very inclusive. When I started at Controlant, it felt like a small family. As it's grown over the years, the company still feels like a family; it's just a larger one. The values are still felt as the company has grown.

Would you tell me a little about your background and how it has benefited you in your current position?

I earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, which I think has benefited me the most. I had worked at another technology company for around two years before joining Controlant. I think that experience has helped me, but I have continued to learn a lot from the job while I have worked here.

What advice would you give others seeking to work in this field? What qualities do you feel are important?

I'm not sure that it is necessary to have a formal degree to work in this role. Experience alone could prepare you for a developer role here. I think the main qualities that are important are good social skills and a desire to work with other people on a team. Loving what you do is also helpful.

What song/music do you listen to when you go into "work mode"?

On most days, I listen to music while I am programming. But I listen to all kinds of music.  Some days, I'll listen to classical and other days, I like to listen to rock music or pop, on some days, or drum and bass. It all depends on my mood.

Grow with us

To learn more about career opportunities and learn how your skills and expertise can help drive innovation in supply chain, please visit Controlant/Careers. For more news and information on Controlant’s growth, visit Controlant News.