Fabian joined CHECK24 directly as a junior after graduating. He recently moved from Hamburg to Düsseldorf and was able to continue working in his field at CHECK24 at another location. You can read what his tasks are now and what he particularly likes about working in iOS Development in this interview.
I joined CHECK24 in July 2017 as a junior in the iOS Development department right after my computer science studies. Initially, I was only responsible for the supplementary Dental Insurance product in Hamburg, and I gradually took on more and more responsibility. In the end, I was additionally responsible for the Health Insurance and Travel Insurance products. In May of this year, I had to move to Düsseldorf for personal reasons, and since developers were also being sought in Düsseldorf, I could stay at CHECK24. I have now worked in the Fashion department in Düsseldorf for over six months.
The range of tasks is, of course, very diverse and varied. Currently, my main task has to do with the implementation of new features. I ensure that new features can be implemented quickly without sacrificing code quality. I also define the technical dependencies of the middleware. For example, we recently implemented a price alarm so that you get an email when a product reaches a specific price. Hence, as the responsible app team, we had to discuss with the Middleware Developers what data from the database was needed and how it should be formatted for implementing the feature in the app.
Every morning, we meet with the Product Management in our stand-up meeting as a team. Then, I usually look at the pending tickets and check whether everything is already working as it should and whether any new requirements have arisen. If there is a need for action, I get to work on the implementation and incorporate the feedback on the features directly. Then, towards the middle to end of the week, the app release is prepared. At CHECK24, we deliver a new update with improvements and new features in the app once a week. Every Wednesday, for example, we have our Quality Assurance meeting where we test our own app - Android Developers test the iOS app and vice versa, so inconsistencies between the two platforms stand out better.
Definitely native programming in iOS. We do this with the Swift programming language, which is constantly being developed and gets new features every year. SwiftUI is very exciting. It's a new technology that fundamentally changes how you build code, and it works.
I've always been fascinated by computers and knew even in elementary school that I wanted to "do something with computers someday." I got to know Software Development in high school, and the desire for App Development was added during my studies. Since I have been an Apple user for over 10 years, it was clear that I would like to go into iOS Development.
I like the informal culture, the general "CHECKito" spirit, the short decision-making processes, and the opportunity to contribute my ideas.
Fabian, Senior iOS Software Developer
My fantastic team helped me a lot in the beginning and took a lot of time to explain the product to me. They also encouraged me to always find the best technical solution, not the fastest one. I was given responsibility right from the start and the opportunity to contribute my ideas, which allowed me to learn much. Privately, I have always continued my education, tried new technologies, and implemented small projects. A good developer must write not only good codes but also be able to communicate well with Product Management and propose reasonable solutions taking into account business interests. Sometimes pragmatism is better than technical perfection.
It never gets boring, as work is often structured "week to week." However, due to the short decision-making processes, it sometimes takes only a few days or weeks from the first idea to the live launch of a new feature, depending on the project's scope.
I especially like the teams' informal culture and the general "CHECKito" spirit. As I mentioned, I also really appreciate the short decision-making paths, which allow you to contribute your ideas and see quick implementations. You also have outstanding career opportunities and work with the latest technologies.