Introduction to CEITON software development and advice for applicants
With us you program the workflow, scheduling and production planning system CEITON and adapt it to individual user needs.
The software developers
Senior Software Developers Jan and Michael are two of our first employees. Michael tells us about his professional career. He has been developing the CEITON system since 2008.
Hello Michael,
you studied computer science at the HTWK Leipzig. How did you find out about Ceiton?
At the time, I received the job offer via the university’s mailing list. Back then, I was almost finished with my diploma thesis. Staying in Leipzig as a developer was a good fit for me.
Would you recommend an internship before starting your career?
Generally, yes. Of course, it depends on what career path you intend to pursue. But overall, I think practical experience is important. If you can’t or don’t want to do an internship, you can write your thesis at a company, work as a student trainee, or do a voluntary internship at a software company during your semester break. I wouldn’t consider a short internship of a few weeks to be sufficient.
“In 2007, I was co-responsible for acquiring new employees. At that time, the company still consisted of a handful of software developers. We were lucky to have convinced Michael to join us.”
What was the transition like from junior to senior software developer?
A career starter or university graduate always starts as a junior software developer. At this stage of professional life, there is still a lot to learn from practice. A junior developer also has a mentor (usually an experienced developer) for a certain period of time and is supported and trained by this mentor. Here you work on the source code every day and can contribute conceptual ideas. For me, the jump to senior developer always has something to do with experience. The assignments focus more around conceptual tasks and there’s also a certain amount of technical responsibility.
You have been with the company for a long time. Would you recommend us as an employer?
Definitely! In 2013, the company was restructured on a larger scale. Since then, many things have changed – in a positive way. The CEITON product is also constantly being improved. Of course, the transition from a small to a medium-sized company does not happen overnight. In the beginning, we were only three developers. Product management, quality control and development were handled by one person. Now the distribution of tasks and responsibilities is shared among several people. Operational communication has become clearer and more professional, including between departments.
Day-to-day life: team meeting, development of the CEITON software, lunch break with colleagues.
Most of our customers are from the TV and media industry. Do you notice anything about that as a developer?
A developer should understand what our software is used for. For instance, MDR uses CEITON for its television and radio planning. It’s good to take take into account the industry’s needs, e.g., how the scheduling of employees is handled at a large broadcasting station. As developers, we implement the requirements of our customers, be it in the media industry or elsewhere.
What do you expect from new software developers?
Initiative, fun with technology and familiarizing yourself with new assignments. Despite supervision, it is important to actively acquire expertise in order to make progress. This also includes keeping up to date, e.g. via technical journals. There is a very good free one that I recommend to colleagues and applicants: dotnetcurry.com
How do you describe the Leipzig location to applicants from outside?
Location and accessibility couldn’t be better. The office is easy to access from any direction. Even if you live outside Leipzig, you can get to work quickly by public transport. Leipzig is a city of short distances, with a central downtown area.
Thank you for the interview!* New colleagues will soon get to know you personally.
Application advice from our HR manager
Hello Antonia, how does the application process work?
Applicants who score points with their IT skills and practical qualifications will be invited to an interview. This takes place in a rather relaxed atmosphere. My tip for those who are interested: Be yourself, regardless of whether you are an introverted or an extrovertet person. What matters to the management is the personality of the applicant. The newcomer should match the team in terms of personality.
What can a software developer anticipate in the interview?
You should have read up on the company, but rather as information for yourself. A basic interest in production planning for film and television is important. That’s a given with most people, the media industry is quite exciting after all. We will not ask any computer science knowledge and we will not ask any sneaky questions or math problems. You are welcome to present your previous professional projects or your master’s thesis to us. If you need a monitor or internet connection, just let me know in advance.
We have a team of several nationalities. So, some knowledge of English is desirable, also for a private chat with colleagues. Additional foreign languages are appreciated, since we serve international customers. However, this is not a requirement. For the regular documentations you should have a structured way of working and be willing to write detailed passages. Your spelling should also be appropriate.
It’s always a bonus if you show initiative. Ask us a few questions, not just about salary and vacation. What didn’t you find about the company on the website? What aspect of software development would you like to learn more about? If you want to clarify specific points before the interview with the management, you can write me an e-mail or call me. Overall, we are a family-friendly company with flexible working hours. Part-time upskilling is possible as well. If you move to Leipzig for the job, I can help you and give you tips on residential districts, for example.
*Sarah Barnert interviewed our software developer. She manages our social media channels and writes about industry trends.