Mike Efstratiou — Full stack developer

Tell me more about your role within Stepstone!
I am currently working on the human-to-human conversation initiative. So, on the Totaljobs page, we have a chat that can be used by job seekers to get help with their job search from Totaljob’s job search assistants. We take care of this by tuning it for different scenarios together with other teams from the domain.

Can you walk me through from the moment you wake up until you are at the office?
I usually wake up at 7–7:30 in the morning. I used to go and work out in the morning and then I have some breakfast and when I get to the coffee, I start working. But I try to change my routines every now and then. For instance, now I try to get started early so I can spend time in the sun in the afternoon. Just do some shorter activities like reading a few pages in a book before I start working.

What is your favorite thing about being a developer?
If you just consider the technical part, it is this amazing cycle of solving problems, learning new technologies, or coming across other ways of solving them. Which is very close to research. I mean that the journey to a solution is amazing. Also, I exercise my brain when I code which is good.

What would be the one piece of advice you would give yourself when you first became a developer?
Focus on one thing at a time and learn it properly. Don’t get derailed and try to learn everything at the same time. It is possible but it is hard to be an expert in many fields.

What are your productivity hacks?
I want a quiet and calm space where I don’t get disturbed and if it requires a lot of thinking I maybe listen to some classical music. I also take a lot of breaks. Every 30 minutes I try to take a break.

What is the best advice someone has given you?
I perhaps don’t think of it as a piece of advice but more as education in life, but my guitar teacher told me to be open and listen to my surroundings. This is something that I try to do all the time. It is perhaps more of a mindset, but I guess you can call it a piece of advice.

What was the last thing you ate? Almond and Pistachios
Windows Mac or Linux? Linux if I could choose
Coffee soft drink or tea? Coffee
Summer or winter? Summer

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