March 8th 2019- Celebrating PanonIT’s Female Employees
Posted by Catherine Stewart on 07 March 2019
“The time is long overdue to encourage more women to dream the possible dream”
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’ve decided to take the opportunity to celebrate the achievements and successes of some of our 50+ female employees. We are proud to support an inclusive workplace where women (and men), have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and lead teams because this experience is invaluable for career and personal development.
We’ve asked three lovely ladies:
Mirjana Todorovic (Software Developer and Lecturer SmartInIT)
Sladjana Dimic (Software Developer and Lecturer SmartInIT)
Tamara Drazic (QA Tester)
to share their stories about working in the tech industry as a female and for the advice they would give to girls wanting to try out a career of coding.

What made you decide to pursue a career in the tech industry? Was it something you always wanted to do?
Interestingly, all three ladies said that a career in IT wasn’t something they always knew they wanted to do, but somehow, their paths led them to this career. Let’s find out a bit more.
‘I am not the person who always knew what exactly she wanted to do. During my studies, I searched for myself in different spheres, and in the end, I was always referred to the IT industry. I found myself there and everything in this industry was interesting to me.’ – Mira
‘I chose the IT department in my final year of faculty, which inspired me through interesting lectures, dynamic work and the logical consideration of solving a problem.’ – Sladjana
‘I was a lawyer/judge trainee. When I was working there I saw what a lawyer needs to do for his client and I didn’t like it. My friend gave me the idea to start learning some programming language. When I start to get involved in the tech industry I was most interested in the job of a Quality Assurance Engineer – Software Tester. My decision to enroll in a Software Testing course was crucial for my career as a Quality Assurance Engineer.‘ – Tamara
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
In the world of programming, no two days are identical. But what exactly does one do for 8 hours a day…
‘Well, since I am a developer and a team leader, my work day consists of a part when I interact with my team, through meetings and consultations, then doing code revisions and planning further tasks. The rest of my time, I spend performing tasks related to development and coding.’ – Mira
‘Usually, I come to work around 8:00 am. My first job is to answer my emails and chit-chat with my colleagues. After that the serious work is done, testing the application, reporting issues, etc. The best part of the day is lunch when I have time to talk about food with some foodie colleagues.‘ – Tamara
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
In the world of programming, no two days are identical. But what exactly does one do for 8 hours a day…
‘Well, since I am a developer and a team leader, my work day consists of a part when I interact with my team, through meetings and consultations, then doing code revisions and planning further tasks. The rest of my time, I spend performing tasks related to development and coding.’ – Mira
‘Usually, I come to work around 8:00 am. My first job is to answer my emails and chit-chat with my colleagues. After that the serious work is done, testing the application, reporting issues, etc. The best part of the day is lunch when I have time to talk about food with some foodie colleagues.‘ – Tamara

It’s no secret that women are less represented than males in the tech industry. What advice would you give to women who would like to start a career in tech?

‘It is important that you love your job. If you are sure that this is your call and that this is something you want to do permanently, you do not have to be afraid or prejudiced. You just need to decide and persevere in that decision. If you work well, you will be noticed.’ – Mira
‘Yes, more men opt for this industry than women, but everyone who chooses it can be equally good. What is important is the will and the work. There is a lot of creativity, and I think that all women like that aspect.’ – Sladjana
‘Girl, you need to set your priorities and have patience, especially if you are into a transition from one branch of science to another.‘ – Tamara
We are so grateful that you have taken the time to share this invaluable information… and for continuing to inspire our new employees, year on year.
If a career in IT is calling your name, why not visit our coding academy, SmartInIT and see how PanonIT can help you take your first steps to success.


Catherine Stewart
I’m Catherine Stewart, a Business Developer for PanonIT. I was born in Ireland before spending six years in Scotland for University and work. In my spare time, I like to travel, cook and read mystery novels.