Meet Anna Morgiel, Junior Software Engineer for Android and a passionate community organiser
By Thu-Trang Ho
Anna Morgiel is Junior Software Engineer for Android at Scout24. She is also volunteering as a community organiser at Women Techmakers Berlin and Google Developer Groups Android, which are Berlin’s chapters of global programmes run by Google. We sat down and talked to her about her work at Scout24, her background and her activities at Google’s Women Techmakers programme in Berlin.
- Hi Anna, firstly, could you please introduce yourself and tell us what you are doing at Scout24?
Anna: Sure! I am one of the app developers in the mobile team. We create the official ImmoScout24 app for smartphones with Android OS. I currently work on the implementation of new search criteria screens. In the past I worked on the main feed, private listings insertion funnel and on the rebranding initiative.
I come from Poland and moved to Berlin for its education opportunities. Initially I studied German as a second language at TU Berlin to eventually enrol in Computer Science (CS) and graduate with a second bachelor’s degree at the University of Potsdam. Ever since my final year I have been volunteering at two tech communities and supporting diversity initiatives in Berlin. My hobbies include playing a card game called bridge and riding longboard. More recently I have become increasingly interested in drawing digital art.
2. What are your main tasks as a Junior Software Engineer for Android at Scout24?
Anna: As part of the Consumer Journey at Scout24 my MXO team (Mobile Orientation and Exploration) and I strive to improve user experience by conducting and analysing experiments within the app. We periodically release two or more alternative versions of some part of the app and closely monitor which experiment variation performs better among our users. This data-driven approach allows to gain early insights and to make educated choices based on gathered results so that we can go with the winning solution.
Surprisingly or not, coding makes only about 70 per cent time of software engineer role, the other 30 per cent is about aligning with colleagues from other teams, meetings and time for self-development. Thanks to this setup I have the pleasure of working closely on a daily basis with many skilled and talented Scouts — engineers, product owners, UI and UX designers, business analysts, data analysts and even from time to time with our legal department. Mobile developers regularly perform maintenance work. In my case, it is among others enhancing the accessibility of our app.
3. What fascinates you about coding ? Why did you decide to have a career in this field?
Anna: Learning to code was an experience similar to learning to read or to write. It requires a certain time effort but once you get the grasp of breaking tasks and performing steps required in the process you end up armed with an incredibly powerful tool. If mastered at a certain level, coding secures broad spectrum of interesting career opportunities, but it is certainly worth trying even on occasional, hobby basis.
During my CS studies I discovered my passion for app development thanks to a course organised by two non-profit tech groups, Women Techmakers together with Google Developer Groups Android, and — hosted at ImmoScout24! The course gave me an idea of how an everyday job of a Software Engineer looks like and encouraged me to pursue it as a career.
As a part of giving back I have been volunteering at both tech communities by organising events, workshops and programming courses to bring more people closer to the tech industry, especially folks from underrepresented groups.
After finishing my degree I applied for Junior Android positions and received a few offers. I decided to join ImmoScout24 which turned out to be a great choice. #WorkingAtScout24 allowed me not only to enhance my programming skills but also to collaborate with top professionals and to acquire knowledge that goes far beyond strictly technical aspects.
4. Are there any specific experiences you made working as a female engineer?
Anna: Both my mother and grandmother are engineers. Through their stories I found out about many examples of unfair, exploitative and disrespectful attitude towards female engineers, which initially discouraged me from pursuing a career in tech. Fortunately, my experience as a woman in tech has been quite the opposite, I always feel respected at my workplace, regardless of gender or seniority level.
I am also aware that working at Scout24 gives me a privileged situation in comparison to many other companies, because sadly even nowadays in Berlin those unfair, prejudice-based behaviours keep on happening. The company’s culture and the way upper management reacts to certain situations is crucial for ensuring everybody feels respected. I appreciate the DNA Culture Code that Scout24 has introduced as a guide and a reference.
Last year I invited my younger cousin to meet some of the female experts working at Scout24. She got to talk a Product Owner, had a 1:1 with an Engineering Manager, saw a few Software Engineers and other female experts at work. My goal was to make it visible that there are many great, interesting careers within a healthy working environment that are waiting there for her to pursue.
5. You are an ambassador for Google’s Women Techmakers programme in Berlin. Why did you join this initiative and what is it all about?
Anna: Women Techmakers Ambassadors are community leaders around the world passionate about achieving gender parity in technology. We believe change starts at the grassroots level, and by building a gender equitable community ecosystem we can begin to shift the industry as a whole.
My main motivation for joining WTM was creating for others similar opportunities that I was given. This volunteer work has been quite time consuming, gratifying and taught me a lot.
6. How can someone become an ambassador or benefit from this programme?
Anna: The role of an ambassador is for people who want to support WTM for longer periods of time, currently our Berlin’s team is not searching for new members. As this is a global initiative, consider reaching out to other WTM chapters– either by offering conducting a workshop on some specific technologies of the area of your expertise or by offering any other kind of support. For more details check out https://www.womentechmakers.com/ambassadors
To benefit from the global program as a regular member you can sign up at https://www.womentechmakers.com/members or join our local WTM Berlin slack via http://wtmberlin.com to get info about initiatives in Berlin’s area.
7. What is your wish for the future regarding women in tech?
Anna: People who work in the tech industry actively shape decisions that have impact on many people. When there are no women involved at certain phases of those decisions, some concerns and viewpoints may not have a chance of being included into the final product. That often leads to a disadvantaged position or lack of products for female or non-binary users. For this and many other reasons I put so much effort into encouraging everyone but especially women to consider this career choice. I wish for women to thrive in healthy working environments with support of allies within the fair working structures so that they can have this impact and benefit others.
