I’m Dávid Veszelkovszki, travelling humanities engineer, and this is how I work
In the series “Interviews with coders” we ask developers about their life as programmers. If you’re interested in how and why Hungarian IT experts started coding, what they do now, where they work and how much they earn, this topic is definitely for you! :)
Dávid Veszelkovszki started coding at the age of six and a half, and he’s been working as a developer since he turned 16. His hobby is travelling, four years ago he spent a brief one and a half years exploring Asia and Australia, now he’s “gone” for another six months — he’s driving around the USA in a red car, accompanied by his girlfriend.
Intro box
I live here: Budapest (but I’m in Oregon state at the moment)
I work here: CodeBerry (but I’m on holiday now)
I rock: web development and living for free
My work style in one word: efficient
When you’re asked about your profession, how do you answer?
Travelling humanities engineer.
Tell me more about what program you’re developing right now?
Currently I’m on holiday, so the answer is nothing. The last thing I’ve worked on was the learning interface of CodeBerry, which is virtually the “classroom”, where students receive their homework. I also have some hobby projects, like the mobile app I developed last to read my old movie critics with. It came in very handy, I use it daily-weekly.
How does your workspace look like? What’s your desk like?
I didn’t find a picture of my desk, but here’s what my home workspace looks like:
When, where and how did you learn to code?
I got a 286 PC and a Quick Basic book from my father when I was six; I learned the basics from that. My dad helped me out whenever I got stuck.
What are the job opportunities for web developers? On average, how much time did you spend looking for a job?
The opportunities are really great. I don’t think I’ve ever even looked for a full-time job before because something always found me before I had time to search. I usually look for projects, it only takes me a few hours.
What is your daily, weekly, etc. schedule like?
My day: We get up at 8 in the car, eat a Subway sandwich or some fruits for breakfast, brush our teeth, and head somewhere by car or by foot. We look around, take some pictures, cook lunch in the car, and then continue walking or driving and taking pictures. We spend the evening by reading, watching a movie or something alike, and then go to sleep. It doesn’t sound like a packed day but it is. We walk 10k+ steps and I drive ~100 miles each day.
My week: We work out approximately 5 times a week (and take showers! :) ). Once a week I sit down for an hour or two to review the past week and plan the next. Twice or three times a week, we eat some local specialties depending on where we are at the time.
My month: My past two months were very different from the rest. At the moment, we just keep repeating things I mentioned earlier.
My year: Luckily, each year is different. I like changes. I started 2016 with intensive studying and later we started working on CodeBerry and that took all my time. I then hit the road in July.
What surprised you about this job that you never thought of before?
Well, this was a long time ago, but I was surprised I could make new games for myself and set new tasks one after another. It’s just like LEGO but with infinite building blocks from the start. :)
Do you have skills that would surprise everyday people?
Meditating 10 hours every day for 10 days in a row. I learned this back in 2011 in India, but you can learn it anywhere else for free.
Who do you work with?
With my girlfriend, Dóri. We travel together; that’s my current “job”. :)
What are typical career paths in your profession?
Well, if my profession is IT, then the most popular path is to attend university at age 18–24, work 40 years in various places, spend 2–7 years in each place, and retire.
A more unusual way of life — the one I’d like to follow — is to spend less than I make and retire earlier. (Spending all my money while traveling doesn’t really help though. :) )
What are your plans and how do you wish to continue?
I’d like to continue working on CodeBerry for a few years. Afterwards, I’ll probably find a similar enterprise because I like entrepreneurship. I usually organize my life around helping people. I want to help them learn a lot in a small amount of time and live a healthy life.
What other profession would you choose if you had to change? Could you change?
I’d be glad to work next to a conveyor belt because that’s meditative. Or I’d be part of a cleaning staff to enter places locked away from others. Or a cashier in a local supermarket so that there would be at least one nice cashier in that shop. Or a high school teacher, teaching any subject. Or a carpenter — that must be really cool!
I think I’d be able to do any of those, but programming pays more so I won’t change.
What skills do great developers, IT experts require? Who do you not recommend this profession to?
Structured thinking, monotony tolerance and higher than average IQ are required. I don’t recommend it to those who don’t have these qualities or are not interested in IT.
What’s your favorite part?
That I can create great value in very little time. And that people appreciate my job. Also, that I can work from anywhere.
What grinds your gears most? What are the difficulties and dangers of your profession?
The most difficult part is to keep a lot of information in mind all at once. The annoying part is when you don’t have proper tools, e.g. the application you have to use is uncomfortable. The biggest danger is sitting a lot in front of the computer because you can become fat and unhealthy.
How stable is your job? How much time does one spend working for the same company?
My main job is traveling at the moment. It’s pretty stable for the next four months, but we’ll be heading home shortly after that.
If you had to ask one thing in the name of all developers, what would it be?
I would ask why don’t more people want to do this. It’s so cool! :)
How much can one earn in this profession (as a newbie, experienced and veteran)?
In the US it’s average $60k/90k/120k per year as a software developer.
What do you think is the best way to learn to code?
Actively and passionately, with the help of free courses, e.g. freecodecamp. Or if one doesn’t speak very good English, there’s CodeBerry.
What makes code worth learning?
If this profession suits you, it’s a challenging and creative job. By the end of the day, you can go to sleep thinking you’ve created something yet again.
Disclaimer: CodeBerry Blog is published by CodeBerry Programming School that is co-founded by Dávid.
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